Pubdate: Fri, 02 Dec 2005
Source: Annex Guardian (CN ON)
Copyright: 2005 Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing
Contact:  http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/annex/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2316
Author: Greg Francisco

MORE THAN WISHFUL THINKING NEEDED ON CRIME

Re: 'Drug Use, Gun Crime Linked' Letters, Nov 27.

Letter writer Dan Hemphill gets at least one thing correct -- all too
often gun violence is linked to drug use,

True, as he notes, that is partially due to the fact illegal drug
dealers and their clients have no legal recourse to settle disputes.
Hence they are forced to take matters into their own hands.

But even the most cursory examination of police records will reveal
that the drug most closely associated with gun violence is alcohol.

In that light, the letter-writer's suggestion that eliminating drug
users from society is the solution to ending gun violence strikes me
as both utopian and rather naive.

Many things spring to mind in recalling the era of Alcohol
Prohibiton.

A low incidence of gun violence isn't one. If Prohibition didn't work
then, in fact has never worked anywhere it has ever been tried, why
does he believe it will work now?

Getting a handle on gun violence and drug abuse will require more than
wishful thinking.

Greg Francisco
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake