REMOVING CHILDREN FROM DRUG-DEALING PARENTS POSES MORE
PROBLEMS

Re: "Fight against crystal meth heats up: New legislation would allow
police to seize children whose parents raise them in drug dens," The
Journal, Oct. 21.

This proposed law is cuckoo.

If we take children from parents who are dealing drugs, then how far are we
from taking children away from parents who gamble away the rent money, who
smoke in their cars with children, who have too many traffic tickets and
from parents with too many maxed-out credit cards?

And just who is going to raise these children?

Is the government ready for another round of "residential schools"-type
lawsuits?

And since when is taking children away from parents ever a good idea? Yes
we, as a society must remove children from their homes on occasion, but it
has to be a last resort where serious abuse is evident.

And how is taking a child away from a drug dealer going to stop drug
crimes? Most drug dealers are young single males who think they are
bullet-proof, not a 30-something couple with three children trying to sell
a few joints to pay the rent.

Build more jails (one in every town -- they would be good for the local
economy) and pass laws to require a mandatory five-year sentence for a
first trafficking offence. That may be a little harsh considering you only
get two or three years for killing someone these days.

James R. Moses, Edmonton