HARPER SAYS TO LOCK 'EM UP!

Editor:

I'd like to give thanks to the Harper government for a new
'war'.

Like in the USA where the 'war on drugs' has been ongoing for decades,
this Canadian effort will likely create a few jobs in the areas of law
enforcement. We will, over the long term, likely need to build more
jails (as they have needed to do in the USA) in order to house
non-violent offenders, and our recently announced federal tax surplus
will probably help to pay for this ongoing cost. Never mind that
incarceration will cost more than rehabilitation; Mr. Harper clearly
believes that the jobs created are more important than the negative
costs to our society. These fellow Canadians - these neighbours,
coworkers, family and friends of ours - they're only addicts after
all, right? Mr. Harper says we should lock 'em up!

Treatment and rehabilitation sounds too 'nice' for Harper government's
'every man for himself' ideology. Although treatment and
rehabilitation are proven to be effective, long term incarceration
sounds braver & more prideful. Thank you, Mr. Harper for choosing to
charge into a war on drugs in Canada, something the USA has already
failed to win.

I am a recovered addict with seven years clean & sober. I've just
brought my family to Nanaimo, and soon we'll be purchasing a house.
After using drugs for nearly a decade, I managed to make it out of
active addiction, disease free and with no criminal record, and this
is largely due to the community support and addiction recovery
services that were available to me prior to getting clean. I'm not shy
about this fact; I'm proud of the man I am, and I'm grateful to be
living in this country with a history of giving and sharing that shows
we take care of ours.

Thank you Mr. Harper for trying to take these opportunities away from
other Canadians.

Cameron Wigmore

Nanaimo