Punishments are pathetic on the South SHore

In last week’s paper, it was written that the RCMP were holding town hall meetings, and Sgt. Mark Furey encourages citizen engagement in an effort to help fight crime, saying that we citizens can report criminal behavior. And while I completely agree with that sentiment, it will have little affect on reducing crime if criminals aren’t adequately punished.

I believe law enforcement is doing their best to stop crime. We read about it every week in this paper. Then later we read about how the accused got away with little more than a slap on the wrist and motivation to do it without getting caught next time.

In the past few years alone I’ve read how 3 drug dealers were released only a short bike ride away from where my children and about a half a dozen others get off the school bus everyday. So excuse me if house arrest doesn’t ease my anxiety. I would expect one could acquire quite a good little grow opp on house arrest.

I don’t expect that it’s easy to be a judge and decide the fate of the people before them. I would hope that the weight of that responsibility is slightly less heavy than the responsibility felt for the safety and wellbeing of those put at risk with every light sentence of house arrest and probation.

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Green Outlaw on July 28, 2009 at 7:01pm: The problem with this situation, isn't that drug dealers are getting a slap on the wrist, the problem is prohibition. The only reason people sell drugs is for money. The war on drugs only makes drugs valuable, and every drug bust simply raises the price. Prohibition has been a failure with alcohol, and now a failure with drugs. How many more billions do we have to spend on this failed war before we understand there are better ways? Legalization, regulation and taxation are the only ways to win this fight.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Oh Brothers on July 28, 2009 at 9:27pm: I probably agree with you Green outlaw, and I do believe that pot should be legalized, but not cocaine, and these drug busts happen to have been for coke. Plus our judges have failed us on way more that drug rulings, but yes, I do agree, thank for your feedback.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Green Outlaw on July 28, 2009 at 10:48pm: Cannabis should be legalized, as it is safer than asprin, alcohol, tobacco and salt. I too don't like the fact that there is a crack house or two in every town these days, but until we repeal prohibition, get used to this new reality. There is way too much money to be made to stop it through force, it only drives the value up and increases the violence. I know a guy who got hopelessly addicted to crack. He went to a dealer to buy marijuana, the guy was out of that, but gave him some crack to try. Two years later, the dealer got his house and everything in it, just to settle his drug debt. I blame prohibition and the guy's own stupidity for this. I believe the answer is to legalize, regulate, and tax ALL drugs. First take this valuable currency out of the hands of criminals. Then put these dangerous addictive drugs under tight regulation, much like alcohol or prescription narcotics. Currently it is easier for kids to get illegal drugs, than alcohol. The tax from these drugs, would pay for treatment programs, making addicts into productive members of society. Addiction is a health issue not a criminal one. We need to try something different, because prohibition isn't working.

Oh Brothers said:
I probably agree with you Green outlaw, and I do believe that pot should be legalized, but not cocaine, and these drug busts happen to have been for coke. Plus our judges have failed us on way more that drug rulings, but yes, I do agree, thank for your feedback.; ▶ Reply to This