Readers Recall Death Penalty

<i> I don't agree with all this talk about more police officers and all the other suggestions he makes. Fear breeds violence.--Kevin</i><p> 15 years ago, Constable Ezio Farone Edmonton Police Service was killed, shot point blank with a shotgun. The man convicted in that attack of being the wheel man (who was on paroe at the time) was on parole for that offense, when today he had his parole revoked. He'll be charged in a month or so, but details are sketchy.<p> Recently there have been many attacks on Edmonton Police, from knives, to guns and in the last two years or so, with cars.<p> People don't trust police, especially gang members. Edmonton has also had it's share of Asian gangs shooting people out side bars, at traffic lights and mafia style in cafes. Police drive by, not smiling, not friendly. The only time you get to talk to one is when they have you att he side of the road because you've been naughty.<p> Now, let's look at the flip side. I grew up in a small town. I knew the cops by name. I knew their kids. They would walk main street, and stop in the shops along their way. People knew them, and respected them. And were never afraid of them. One even saw my blind grandmother who was visiting from Montreal in the dead of winter, walking back 4 blocks from the grocery store. He stopped, and drove her back to our place. In a town of 600, there were no cabs or busses<p> Now that town is a city of 30,000. When my cousins (base brats, used to moving every two years) moved here after their father retired from the Navy, they found every cop in town knew their first, middle and last name. They found that if they got in a fight after school, their father would know about it before they got home (3 blocks from school). <p> I see most RCMP on November 11th every year. I even call the Staff Sgt, "Staff Sgt. Liquor Pig" my pet name after he puked into his hat one fine Remembrance day. Most even wave when they see me drive by. But they don't walk a beat. People don't know who they are, and don't trust them like I do. It is their life's work to protect me and keep me safe.<p> Now, I agree with you on violent crime and young offenders, but, if more officers were walking a beat, like they do two or three times a year in Edmonton, more people would come to know and respect and trust them.<p> In my opinion, we'd have less crime, especially youth crime. Less gang violence too, because people would not be scared to pick up a phone and call a cop they knew.<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain <br />
"The greatest price of not participating in politics is being governed by your inferiors." Plato

<p><i>[Now, I agree with you on violent crime and young offenders, but, if more officers were walking a beat, like they do two or three times a year in Edmonton, more people would come to know and respect and trust them.--Dr.Caleb]</i> <p>Dr. Caleb, <p>When you put it that way, I have to agree My response was mainly towards the tone of the article. It seemed to have this "fear mongering" tone to it. <p>I agree with being tough with the youths when they commit a crime. It shouldn't be wonderland where they go, which it is now. My step-brother is in a place now that is like a wonderland. Its the second time my step brother goes in there. <p>This author of this article to me seems to believe in the death penalty. I've always been against bringing the death penalty to Canada. It was only after Holly Jones death in Toronto that I started to think about whether bringing the death penalty to Canada would be a good thing for major crimes like this one. I cried when I was finding out about what happen to Holly Jones. I kept on saying that this guy who did this to her should die, he should die. (like who am I do be able to decide that). But really after something like that, how can you want him to live. In this case I can almost say I support the death penalty. <p>The problem with the death penalty though, is the justice system and the courts can't be 100% accurate with every case. So no matter there will be innoncent people getting the death penalty. <p>Kevin

The sentences should be tougher, but that doesn't mean the death penalty. "Life in prison" should really mean life in prison. I want violent criminals to be kept in jail for the rest of their lives, where they can't hurt anyone else and where they will have to think every day about the harm they've caused. Death is the easy way out.

Kevin you make good points, and I also agree with Dr. Caleb, my Dad was an RCMP in a small town, many years ago...he was well respected and people could call and talk to him if they had a problem, even with their children, you know 'my kid is heading down a bad street, what can I do?' and my Dad would help them, not go out searching for the kid and slam him in jail. He would however have a chat with the kid, if he saw him on the street, etc. I think we have taken a hard line with juveniles in many ways and once they step out of line they are branded, it's hard to be a kid today.

Most people over 40ish can probably, if they are honest, say they did something wrong in their youth, they may have got a warning, a talking to, or even a whipping at home, but they straighten out with that...today we throw them in jail immediately, where their selfesteem is gone, they learn more bad tricks. I also see from the police's point of view, yesterday if a cop brought you home, he knew you would get such a penalty at home that nothing more would be necessary. Today, it's not like that, if the police or even the school contact a parent about a problem they get told 'not my kid' or 'it's your problem you deal with it'. I also think the crimes being committed by youth today are much more violent which tells us they have lost the basic human values, which most of us hold so dear. So it's a delima that I don't think will be cured with harsher penalties, we need education, we need self esteem for our youth, programs that create a feeling a usefulness, not a branding.

The death penalty is another issue, really unless you are 100% sure of the guilt how can you make the decision to kill? It's hard because of confessed killers like Clifford Olson, I mean it's hard to see justice in letting him live...but on the other hand Kevin, just because he played God, by taking anothers life, should we? Also if we say as a society that it's wrong to kill then how can we kill? I think if life in prison,really meant 'life' in prison, we would all be better off, it's the early parole that is killing us!

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If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

I agree with Whelan. I can see the aliens from Alpha Centauri sitting around the neutragrav watching the UniCivilization paper and the name of the show is "Sol-system Planet 3 - Killing to stop killings - starring "the Divide and Conquer Boys" with supporting roles played by "too many ignorant bloodthirsty twits" to mention.

Yes, lets punish a few crazy people for the sins of omission of the many. Let us not look at capital punishment for convicted corporations officers or boards of directors. Let us not look at capital punishment for the many presidents, prime ministers and other country officials. After all it is them who formulate the policies that twist humans minds until they are psychotic. How about the death sentence for the entire board of directors and all corporate staff of VP rank or higher of every tobacco company in the world? How about the same penalty for companies that market drugs that are known to be mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic, like the company that sold sleeping pills for pregnant women that had thalidomide in them. You can see where I am going with this.

I would like a lot of reciprocity, if it is good for the peasant then it is good for the King. Let us stop being stampeded by the blatant one-sided drivel being constantly spewed by the mediacratic mouthpieces of the rich.

The economist E. Schumacher, who wrote the book "Small is beautiful", said he had figured out how to cure the economic problems of the world. He had a list of names of 500 of the richest people on the planet and his idea was to round them up and put them on a rocket ship and fire it at the Sun. As they are trying to sell us on Mars these days I say we change the rockets target to Mars.

Blah, it's the Sun for god's sake! This paper is not even remotely considered to be anything but anti-worker, anti-woman, anti-black, anti everything but big money. These polls, and the people who respond to them, are not representative of the vast majority of Canadians. Anything in the Sun can be safely tossed into the trash.

Anon, I think your right.

Kevin