Posted on 05/25/2007 8:21:18 AM PDT by GMMAC
Turning murder into politics
By Christina Blizzard
Toronto Sun
Friday May 25, 2007
There's nothing like an election year to force a politician to find religion.
Especially when it comes to gun crime.
Late yesterday afternoon, Premier Dalton McGuinty fired around an "open letter to federal leaders," calling for action on gun crime.
He piously told Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Liberal leader Stephane Dion, Jack Layton of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe that he's disappointed new, tougher legislation aimed at curbing gun violence hasn't yet become law.
This in response to Wednesday's shooting of Jordan Manners, 15, at C.W. Jefferys high school in North York.
"Only severe penalties have the power to clearly convey the gravity of gun-related crimes and our society's absolute intolerance of them," McGuinty said in his letter.
For sure, no one quibbles with the idea of mandatory minimum sentences for illegal possession of a handgun and imposing increased mandatory minimum sentences for all gun crime. And, yes it's long past time for reverse onus for bail for all gun crimes.
McGuinty also called for two new Criminal Code offences with mandatory minimum sentences for robbery with intent to steal a gun and for breaking and entering with intent to steal a gun, as well as more severe penalties for breach of bail conditions.
But where were McGuinty and his Public Safety Minister Monte Kwinter back in August of 2005 -- the summer of the gun? At a time when the city had seen 31 people shot to death, McGuinty and Kwinter felt compelled to tell us not to worry. Be happy. Crime was actually down.
"Don't lose sight of Toronto the Good," McGuinty said in Aug. 2005. "I think it's important to get the whole story out. The overwhelming majority of residents in this community are peace-loving, hospitable, warm, engaging people who would love to have the world visit us here."
And when people were tripping over police tape and bullet-riddled bodies on their way to work, Kwinter had this to say:
"To suggest this is the wild West is irresponsible.
"One death is too many, but I'm saying to you we've got to counter the image that people are being shot all the time all over the city. That isn't the fact."
Now, with an election looming in October, McGuinty is calling on the feds to pass laws -- most of which likely wouldn't have made a difference in this case. No one has been arrested, so how do we know if the shooter is out on bail?
What is most chilling about the murder is the location -- a high school. The very place where our children should be most safe. When you hug your kid in the morning and send him out the door, you expect him to be safe in his classroom. You expect him to come home.
What McGuinty should have focused on is school safety. That's something he does have control over. The question everyone is asking in the wake of the shooting is just how many guns are in our schools and readily available to immature, out-of-control teens with no respect for life?
Sure, we don't want schools to be armed camps, but when are we going to install metal detectors in high schools? Why not have random searches of lockers for weapons? Can you imagine being a teacher in a high school these days? The kid you're bawling out for not doing his homework could be carrying a handgun.
At least McGuinty has more sense than Toronto Mayor David Miller, who suggested the summer of the gun was all former premier Mike Harris's fault for cancelling after school basketball programs.
Frankly, yesterday's open letter was a shocking piece of political opportunism. To use the death of a child in a school to posture politically, when the Liberals' track record on gun violence has been to tell those of us who've worried about it that we're scare-mongering is appalling. Not to be flippant, but you almost expect McGuinty to ask for a ban on fireworks as well, since it was a spat involving a firecracker that allegedly triggered the gunplay.
Before firing off open letters suggesting politicians at other levels of government are responsible for gun violence, McGuinty should be looking in the mirror -- for ways his government can help, not for cop-outs on what it can't do.
Of related interest:
Schools can't stop gun violence
~ Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun, Friday May 25, 2007
Any chance of getting poster size versions of your creation?
McGuinty knows, and you know and I know how to get rid of this problem, but it doesn’t look very PC to discuss it publicly, so no one does. The problem started with Trudeau (that saint!) and it carries on even now, getting no better, in fact getting worse. The problem extends throughout canada, even in quebec where they fought hard against it. And that problem ain’t handguns.
Toss me one of those too, just 8 1/2 by 11 would be fine
Thanks G, filed received.
I’ll try for an 11x14 and see how it comes out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.