Lets get this badge out and polish it up… there we go.
Here is a link to the offending blogpost.
I’m not trying to pick on Dan Lett, but the things he says really angers up the blood, and before I know it my fingers are a-typing away. Now this ‘kinda white liberal’ news paper columnist starts out with very harsh words towards the latest Conservative campaign of direct mail to voters, accusing the current NDP government of being soft on crime. Well, Mister Doer and his government sure aren’t tough on crime. I can point out various cases where the public was sure given a disservice by our justice system.
The case that sticks out in my mind, when I first realized something was wrong with our justice system, occurred in 2001. A 15-year-old punk killed a 21-year-old refugee from Iraq with an 8-Ball in a sock. Justice Ron Meyers pronounced sentence - only 1 day in a juvenile detention center (Homie don’t play that game indeed), and 15 months of supervision after spending 108 days in pre-trial custody. This was upheld 7-0 by the Supreme Court of Canada because they decided general deterrence has no place under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
Where else can we look to see that our justice system is failing us?
Look at all the ‘Level 4’ MPI offenders: stealing hordes of cars, young car thieves ramming police with the stolen vehicles, police just recently being shot at, the murder of an 8-month pregnant woman, and the lack of justice for the Crystal Taman family as a few examples. If hearing about stories such as these don’t shock and anger up the blood something is wrong.
Now when I first read Dan Lett’s blog, it was a jaw dropping experience. His whole attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. But then I got to thinking about how most of the crime that happens in Winnipeg happens in low-income areas: Magnus, Spence, Logan. I’m not saying everyone who lives there are criminals, I’m just saying more often then not, the crime stat dot is going to land around one of these streets.
So now, go and re-read Mr Lett’s blog and replace the word crime, with the word poverty…Lindor Reynolds would be all over that like South Park’s homeless on some spare change, at the notion we should accept the degree of poverty here in Winnipeg because it's way worse in Vancouver's east side or on some far-flung reserve near James Bay.
Back to Dan Lett’s blog, He brings up six examples of horrific crime that have happened in other provinces. Then he states this:
“The Tories may think it’s not safe anywhere in Manitoba, but I think most people in Manitoba and throughout the country realize they are not in immediate danger. Yes, crime sucks. But so does fear mongering.”
I think what he left out was something like “Me and my family and friends are safe in our ivory towers. Since most of the crime that is happening in my city and across the country doesn’t affect me, well it just doesn’t matter.”
Take the blue pill Dan. This whole attitude of ‘crime is happening everywhere else so it’s OK for it to happen here’ is bullshit. We all can see that crime is a problem and we all want it to stop.
It is this attitude of complacency that has spread throughout our city that has lead it to deteriorate to the state it is in now. We are not good enough to have a NHL team, we are not good enough to have a world-class stadium, our roads are good enough, crime happens every else, so why not here.
Again I bring up the business example, if Winnipeg was a business and we had a re- occurring problem with employees getting injured by the equipment we use, would we:
A) Ignore it
B) Try to fix it.
No world-class successful company has every picked A. So why are we settling for it now? There may be crime coast to coast, but that doesn’t mean it’s alright. We, as a community, should start working together and try to become country leaders in crime prevention, and crime solutions.
Oh, and just a few days after his blog post, the Winnipeg Free Press posted a story stating that Winnipeg in 2006 was the second most 'crime with violence' city in Canada, second only to Vancouver with their asian/african/biker and other gangs.
Yes, complacency sucks, and I’m trying to rock people out of their little ruts.
