Pubdate: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 Source: Chilliwack Progress (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 The Chilliwack Progress Contact: http://www.theprogress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/562 Author: Tim Eymundson GUNS, GANGS AND THE LAW Police and prosecutors are not the problem; I think it is the judges and their soft hearts to get raises (are they paid out of the same ministry that funds prisons?). So they hand out light sentences to leave more money in the system for them to draw on and keep the government bottom-line happy. Prisons are expensive to build and operate. Want to save money? Legalize marijuana (the laws do more harm than the drug) tax it, and double the fight on drugs that kill. Anyone that commits a crime with a gun gets an additional 5 years minimum added to their sentence. Any criminal or gang associate found with a gun near them gets 5 years for first offence ten years for second and life for third. When a gun is fired, anyone with gunpowder residue on them, gets ten years. No excuses. Then these punks will think twice about carrying a gun or who they hang with. Laws should protect the people, not make money for lawyers and tie up court time. You can clean it up if you want. Let's hope it is soon, before another bystander is killed. Tim Eymundson - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin