CALLOUS ACTIVISTS EXPLOIT MASSACRE

Tragedies all too often draw out activists who callously use the
events to push their own political agendas. Sadly, the murder of four
Mounties in Alberta last week has been no exception.

First, pro-gun proponents say the shooting of the four RCMP officers
by James Roszko at his Mayerthorpe-area farm proves the controversial
and costly federal gun registry is not working and should be scrapped.

Second, anti-marijuana groups argue the bloody ambush shows the danger
of grow ops and the need for the government to beef up drug laws.

Third, and not to be outdone, the pro-marijuana crowd claims this sort
of tragedy is bound to happen when laws force drugs underground. It
also claims the killings bolster the argument that pot should be legalized.

In fact, they are all wrong. And all three lobbies should be ashamed
they are opportunistically using the horrific deaths of four policemen
at the hands of a deeply disturbed assailant to advance their
political agendas.

There can be little doubt now that 46-year-old Roszko, who apparently
committed suicide after gunning down the RCMP officers, was extremely
troubled. He had a long and violent criminal history that included a
prison sentence for sexually assaulting a teenaged boy. His love of
guns and hatred of police were well known around Mayerthorpe. Many
residents of the area talk of how they were afraid simply to be near
him. His own father has described him as "a wicked devil."

All evidence suggests Roszko was a ticking time bomb who could have
gone off over a parking ticket or a routine traffic stop.

So what do the reprehensible acts of one unstable man have to do with
marijuana laws and the gun registry? Despite what the lobbies would
have us believe, not very much.

Initial reports suggested this was a marijuana grow operation bust
gone wrong. In fact, police had gone onto Roszko's land to seize
property when they discovered evidence of stolen vehicles and parts,
as well as marijuana plants. Even RCMP Commissioner Giuliano
Zaccardelli, who quickly seized on the drug angle as the cause of the
confrontation, has had to back down as details of Roszko's volatile
past have come out. Marijuana lobbies, both pro and con, should do
likewise.

Similarly, one violent incident should not be allowed to undo the gun
registry. Despite huge cost overruns, there is ample evidence the
registry is working. Nearly 90 per cent of guns in Canada are now
registered. Police around the country consult the database nearly
2,000 times a day and the vast majority of police chiefs support the
registry. It is unclear if Roszko's guns were registered. But no one
ever said the database would eliminate all violent crime. And for
every heinous act like last week's police killings, how many more
tragedies has the gun registry averted?

No law will ever prevent all evil. And this was clearly just that --
the actions of a violent, sick man. That's why the gun and drug
lobbies should be taken to task for exploiting this tragedy to further
their own goals.

Canadians should stop pointing fingers and concentrate on the task of
mourning the deaths of four young officers cut down in their prime.