Pubdate: Tue, 15 Oct 2002 Source: Abbotsford Times (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 The Abbotsford Times Contact: http://www.abbotsfordtimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1009 Author: Alan Randell WE CREATED 'RIFF-RAFF' IN THE FIRST PLACE THE EDITOR: Re: 'Scaring away the riff-raff' [Times, Oct. 1]. Let's get a few things straight about our rights. Free adults have the right to buy and sell sexual favours and to ingest any drug, however harmful. This story demonstrates conclusively that government and media propaganda can persuade supposedly educated, sophisticated, "normal" people to hate a totally innocent minority. Let no one now say that it is difficult to understand how the German people were persuaded to support Hitler's policies towards the Jews. When it comes to our laws, it gets even weirder though. The problems of street prostitution and drugs being sold in residential areas are the direct result of the laws banning those activities. So there we have it. Government causes the problem and then persuades the public that things can be improved only by hating the innocent minority being singled out for persecution in the first place. Unless the Charter of Rights and Freedoms isn't worth the paper its written on [a distinct possibility, I will admit], the courts will soon instruct our sanctimonious politicians and their media sycophants that the laws banning prostitution and drugs are null and void. And then, hopefully, the "good neighbours" in the north McCallum area will no longer feel the need to parade their government-induced bigotry and ignorance for all to see. Alan Randell Victoria - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom