RCMP TRAGEDY RESULT OF DERANGED MAN, NOT MARIJUANA GROW-OPERATIONS

Re: Fallen RCMP officers

Prohibition creates the violence and crime. Legalizing marijuana will end
the cycle of violence and crime.

Second, there isn't a single activist I know who hasn't expressed outrage
and sadness at these officers' deaths. But the attempt to demonize the
marijuana culture by politicizing the actions of a deranged, dangerous
individual is more than pathetic. It shows complete disregard for the
untimely deaths of four human beings. It also forces the hand of
anti-prohibitionists to defend the cannabis culture from a disparaging and
illogical attack.

Furthermore, if Canadians really want to fix the problem, we should end
prohibition. It is a horrible mistake to use this tragedy as a stepping
stone to increase enforcement and harsher penalties. This is because the
shootings would likely never have occurred if marijuana were able to be
grown legally in an above-ground, regulated market. Increased penalties and
enforcement will virtually guarantee that Canada has more of these tragic
incidents.

Look at the United States, with its drug war mentality. Police there are
regularly shot while conducting military-style raids in connection with the
drug war. We must be careful not to import that type of violence into Canada.

Finally, official reaction was predictable. Police called for harsher
penalties, telling the federal government to "wake up" and recognize the
connections between grow-operations, violence and organized crime.
Surprisingly, we agree with that basic point, the federal government does
need to recognize that prohibition has created a climate in which organized
crime can use violence to attempt to dominate the marketplace and to resist
police attempts to shut it down.

What our police officers fail to understand is their proposed "solution" -
enacting harsher laws - is a proven failure in the US and will only lead to
an escalation in the violence.

Chris Goodwin

Hamilton