CAREGIVER MAY NEVER WALK AGAIN

I was born in the city of Toronto 49 years ago. I was raised in
Scarborough, attending public school, high school and university
there. I spent much of my adult life living in both Toronto and
Scarborough.

Never once while I was growing up did it ever occur to me that I might
be struck in the spine by a bullet while standing in line to get a
sandwich.

Fortunately, I was able to escape to rural Ontario before my native
city was completely overrun by violent crime.

It rips me apart to see the city where I was born come to this. When
is this going to stop?

If gang members want to blow each other's heads off, good riddance to
them. But you cannot have a situation where innocent people are being
harmed.

There must have been witnesses to this shooting. There must also be
people who know who is responsible. Is it fear of retaliation that
keeps them from coming forward? Quite frankly, I don't know; like most
citizens, I don't have the kind of inside knowledge possessed by the
police.

But like many citizens I know, I am getting fed up with a justice
system that metes out what amounts to a slap on the wrist to people
who carry out physical assaults and other serious crimes. Under our
system, you can skin a cat alive and go quite literally unpunished.

A high-ranking police officer told me recently that marijuana growers
are flocking to Canada because the consequences of getting caught are
so minimal that it is considered worth the risk.

But Toronto must address primarily this problem of gang violence.

If something isn't done, you will see an exodus of both businesses and
citizens to rural Ontario.

Mark Hoult

Havelock, Ont.