Pubdate: Thu, 12 Jan 2006
Source: Mission City Record (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 The Mission City Record
Contact:  http://www.missioncityrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305
Author: Robert T. Rock

BYLAWS SHOULD GO FURTHER

Editor, The Record:

The B.C. Civil Liberties group has come out with its annual naughty 
and nice list of those who have hindered or helped civil liberties.

They singled out for rebuke those municipalities that have brought in 
bylaws which seek to crack down on the explosion in numbers of pot 
growing operations.

Ever out of touch with the realities of the drug war raging in our 
communities, the civil liberties people seek to cast municipalities 
that are trying to fight the problem as being the poster children for 
those wishing a totalitarian society.

Well, I make no secret of my support for those municipalities so put 
me on the "naughty" side, because in the war on grow-ops you're 
either for them or against them. If the courts would do even half the 
job that they should be doing to put the needs and safety of the 
community ahead of those profiting from the drug trade, then no 
community would feel the need to circumvent the legal beagles by 
bringing in these types of bylaws. But until the "soft judges" in 
B.C. stop being mere putty in the hands of those gangs and 
individuals -- who think nothing about putting meth labs along with 
the grow-ops on the same streets where you and I live -- then I say 
such bylaws are not only good, but they should go further.

I would also make it difficult to even set up a grow op by forcing 
outlets, such as hydroponics stores, to hand over client lists.

I'd like to add my congratulations to the local RCMP over the first 
seizure of a grow-op property here in Mission.

This one success should give those of us who hate all aspects of what 
the illegal drug trade is doing to our town, our neighbourhoods, and 
especially our youth, a lot of hope for the future.

Robert T. Rock

Mission
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