Mandatory minimum sentences for gun-related crimes, funding for community groups that try to reduce gun violence, and more money for youth projects (whatever that means).
That's how Paul Martin plans to make our cities safer.
I'm all for tougher sentences -- for any violent crime. Our revolving door criminal justice system is a joke and anything that would put the bad guys behind bars for longer can only be a good thing.
But the other two initiatives? These touchy-feely, vague ideas on how to reach out to youth to prevent crime are like throwing money down the drain.
I don't know that I have any solutions, but I think the mayor and the PM are looking at the wrong problem.
Bored kids, poor kids, disenfranchised kids -- what else do all these troubled youth have in common? (And no, race isn't the common factor) Most of the kids who live the gangster lifestyle lack a strong positive male role-model. Bluntly, they have no father.
How many times have you read about a young man being shot dead and his mother is lamenting his loss. Where's the father? And further on you read how this same young man is the father of three, four, five kids (all young, all to different women) and now these children will also grow up fatherless.
Go into a Rec Centre and see one of these after school programmes where kids play basketball etc. A bunch of kids (some of them great kids) a couple of leaders -- but not a parent in sight. Then go to an arena on hockey practice night or Saturday morning. Even for practices, none of these kids show up without a parent, even the teens. And if the parent doesn't stay for the practice, he or she has dropped them off. Some of this has to do with means, but much more has to do with lack of male parental involvement in the lives of many impoverished youth.
Attitudes have to change. So long as the government is seen to support a culture where young men have babies to multiple partners, and take no responsibility for their care and upbringing, nothing will ever be better. And people in the community have to take a stand and make greater demands of fathers and sons.
I don't pretend to know what should be done, but I think that violence is the symptom of a bigger social problem that can't be fixed by giving kids something to do and somewhere to hang out. This is a people issue, and most likely it can't be fixed by government. It's annoying that Paul Martin and David Miller pretend throwing money at it will make a difference.
Stricter sentencing -- that's great, but I've no time for Paul Martin playing hero as he tosses nickels and dimes to train or entertain at-risk youth --- not when these same kids watch in awe as the drug dealers in their buildings drive around in Jaguars and there's no dad around to say 'It's just a car son. You don't want to make your money that way.'
canadianna
7 comments:
Fathers... ah, yes.
As a result of the social disintegration caused in large part by their grand utopian social welfare policies, governments like the Liberals and NDP can all intone with great Darth Vader gravity: "I am your father." And thus continue to justify their existence.
And who'da thunk it? The BBC is actually reporting that:
Fatherhood significantly reduces men's testosterone levels, study shows. [h/t The Daily Eudemon]
Anna you are so right. The root of youth crime is FAMILY. With no father presence, these kids grow up to worship older men who drive around in jaguars and other expensive cars. And so certainly when Paul Martin and David Miller put more money into youth, it certainly doesn't get to the root of the problem. Work on the family.
Have a Government that will support
a family so that these kids will grow up and become productive members of society. And not commit crime. Anna, you're statement is excellent. Thank you. Allan.
Government starts giving a free apartment and nice free cheque to any unmarried female that has a baby. The number of unmarried females who have babies goes through the roof. Cause and effect.
No fault divorice, gay marriage and now state sponsored child care are the social experiments being conducted by the left. The result is the disintegration of the family. One consequence is the gangs and gun violence. Here is an interesting take on the subject.
Isn't it interesting that Martin seems to be taking a play out of the Conservative Party's policy play book. They committed to tougher sentencing for gun crimes back in March. I guess that you run out of original ideas when you have been in power as long as the Liberals have. For more details check this out.
Who is this "non" cheers Canadianna? :D
Remember - Rage breeds apathy, and apathy leads to the darkside.
Cheers
Les
I'm very pleased there are still plenty, the formerly-silent majority, who understand that many of the problems we've had and watched worsen over the past few decades are due to "liberal" policies.
We know the Western World was NOT built on "liberal" policies; it was built on hard work, self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, traditional family values and real liberty rather than today's "right" to do and say as the state dictates.
The gangs and guns all over the country today: I blame them on the "liberal" move away from all of the above positive, constructive values.
The left will naturally denounce what I've just said. But let them. Let them expose themselves as the small-minded, obedient-to-the-state rabble they're content to be as long as the state transfers tax dollars to them in one way or another. That's how it works, folks.
Paul Martin is all talk. He could apparently care less about the incessant gunfire as his chief concern is to stay in power and reward those who helped him get rich and powerful in the first place, which is what most Liberal politicians and cronies are all about. It's a disease, like alcoholism and sex addiction. Corruption: a disease. We should cure people of it by forcing them off the causes cold turkey. Take away their ability to enrich themselves with other peoples' money via being the gov't by booting them out of power. It's that simple. Then implement Mr. Harper's accountability agenda to prevent future corruption.
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