Pubdate: Wed, 25 Feb 2009 Source: Mission City Record (CN BC) Copyright: 2009 The Mission City Record Contact: http://www.missioncityrecord.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305 Author: Robert T. Rock REFORM THE JUDICIARY Editor, The Record: "People are gullible and sometimes desperate," or so went the quote, especially if they believe anything coming out of the mouths of politicians from any party telling us they'll get tough on gangs. And people would have to be very gullible not to discount the premier's announcement of hiring more people to fight the gangs when Wally Oppal announced the following day that 100 people will be cut from his office over the next three years. We don't need mixed signals from our politicians at this critical time about the explosion of gang violence. But there's plenty of blame to go around as to why things have gotten so out of hand. Gutless politicians who are afraid to work for us, and the lawyers defending gang members with technicalities are certainly high on my list of those to blame. But for me it's the judges and the spin machine surrounding their lame-brained decisions that rank even higher in the blame game everyone seems to be playing right now. Mr. Oppal producing that white wash report saying our judges are not soft on crime only got the scorn that it deserved. The drug trade pays for the lifestyle of the gangs and that is a problem. Our judges would rather release than convict even when the evidence is staring them in the face. Just the other day, another grow operator had his conviction overturned on appeal because the judges - drowning from drinking their own bathwater - said that to allow the original judgment to stand would bring the administration of justice into disrepute in the minds of right-minded citizens. I've heard that phrase so often it turns my stomach. When will the judges ever get it through their heads that it is themselves who have brought their profession into such disrepute. Our out-of-touch judges tell us we're uninformed and don't understand the lofty ideals under which they dispense justice in name only. What they really champion is not justice for you and me, but the exaggerated rights of the criminals over the rights ordinary citizens to live in safe neighbourhoods. To reform the judiciary and bring common sense back into our system of justice by broadening the rules of evidence and lessening the burden of proof - especially where weapons are concerned - we have to decide as a society if we're willing to accept some specific infringements on our civil liberties as objectionable as that thought is. But this is a war we're in and sacrifices have to be made now, not tomorrow, to curtail the insanity happening in our courts while trying our best to limit collateral damage on our citizens and their legitimate rights and freedoms. The price we'll have to pay to win this war against the gangs and the entire damnable drug industry will pale in comparison to the loss of our freedoms to the scumbags if we chicken out (as our politicians will inevitably do). Robert T. Rock Mission - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin