Stephen Harper is exploiting the recent rash of gang violence in the Lower Mainland to revive his rabid, anti-drug legislation. Like most of this ideologically-driven garbage, there are a few parts of it that make sense but a lot that don't.
Growing one up to 200 plants would net a mandatory, six month sentence. One plant? Oh get real. What does he want to do, give a criminal record to an entire generation?
There's nothing in this legislation that's likely to put a dent in gang activity. If anything it would seem to help the gangs out by eliminating competition among pot growers.
If Harper wanted to deal a blow to the gangs, the best way would be to decriminalize small scale growing and possession of marijuana. But he'd rather take the route that's been proven ineffective time and time again.
Don't worry about a rash of new prisoners. Public Obedience Minister Peter van Loan says there's plenty of spare room going to waste in existing Canadian prisons. "We have capacity in our prisons right now. They are not in the overcrowded situations you might see south of the border,” Van Loan told Canwest News Service.
7 comments:
"We have capacity in our prisons right now. They are not in the overcrowded situations you might see south of the border"
Yeah, right. Sure. But for how long?
(sigh)
I am disturbed by the image on your sidebar.
van Loan is a liar but that should be no surprise. Just recently, there was a riot at Stony Mountain federal prison between rival gangs:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/alleged_gang-led_prison__riot_foiled-40020232.html
The interview I heard from prison guard union official basically blamed the crowded conditions as part of the problem. There is also the dimension that these gangs continue their gang behaviour while incarcerated.
Here is an interesting overview of prison gangs in Canada:
http://www.insideprison.com/prison-gangs-canada.asp
That article suggests that the rise of prison gangs is a direct response to recent anti-gang initiatives. Funny how nobody has mentioned the changes already made to tackle gang violence and how they're working.
Obviously a plan to ensure we continue prioritize the building of prisons as opposed to building and staffing hospitals, helping seniours, schools and early learning programs or helping the unemployed. Look where a high prison population helped get the US...flat busted. Last time I checked the youth crime rate was still dropping. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/08/national/08prisons.html?ex=1257570000&en=29c4b3fa8e3975be&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland
A woman in Toronto did her Phd thesis studying the prison industrial complex. Cheap labour,and lucrative to some businesses.
There are many seniors taking up the weed because it relieves them of arthritic pains and other ailments.
Sales of the aerogarden have gone up and Canadian Tire had a run on them.
Ah Oh!Silly Seniors.
Then there was that bit this week about child abuse and research on later life complications from it.
Even tho Conrad Black has nestled into prison life, it is not for most a peachy place.
Having volunteered at a Women's Shelter, I know that jail is viewed as a place to get a bed and meals if they've been barred from the shelter.
If you ever scan the comments on CBC when someone has broken the law or behaved in a not Conservative manner, it can make you think you might want to find a different country to live in with opinions like those expressed there.
I remember some of the worst were when Dr. Morgentaler got the Award of Canada medal.
Oh, yeah... and hockey fights are allowed.And drunken fans are acceptable as long as there is no
toking.
James Bowie said...
I am disturbed by the image on your sidebar.
It's not what you think it is.
Okay, James, here's the story. Geneological research traced my line back to the mid-1200's. My great, great.... ....grandfather came from the island of Gotland where he served in the order of the Teutonic Knights. He left the order and migrated to England. The image is the medieval and original version of what we know today as the Iron Cross which was originally bestowed on the order by the pope.
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