A couple of nights ago, police rounded up about 90 known gang members who have been terrorizing their neighbourhoods and are known to be drug dealers – virtually all of them black. The biggest roundup in the history of the force. Not only in Toronto but Peel Region, Niagara Region, Barrie Region. About five of the rounded up had been employed at the airport in charge of the safe transport of drugs through customs.
Much was made over the spectacular police raid – something they’d been working on for the past 11 months. It was like an episode of Law and Order. What do you want to bet half of them will be out on bail in the next week or two? Laws are in place but they have no teeth. Dangerous offenders seem to be able to get off time and time again to re-offend. For all the fanfare, only 23 weapons were seized. Apparently, those with the weapons would rent them out to whoever needed the gun for a job.
At the courthouse the day after the raid, family members of the gang were screaming racism. Defense attorneys were puffing and blowing on the cruelty of treatment and that it was not the Canadian way and we should all be ashamed. Well, you know the drill. Pandemonium. Women screaming what good fathers the accused were and how they don’t deserve this treatment. A lot of shouting and screaming accusations. The news was filled with all the details on how the raid was conducted and executed. Wow.
But there is another side to the coin. Drug dealers need customers. Without customers, they’d be stuck with merchandise that can’t sell. You can bet the customers don’t live in the Jane-Finch area. You can bet they’re on Post Road and the like. The ordinary guy can’t afford the good stuff. Losers use crack and, well, we all know where they end up.
Personally, I feel all drugs should be made legal. You should be able to buy it like you buy wine, beer and hard liquor. That way, it’s a legitimate business paying taxes and conducted in an orderly fashion. I’m sure the guys at Jane and Finch would rather play golf or spend time with family than be out making a deal in some back alley and risking their lives and those of others.
Personally, I feel prostitution should also be legal. I’ve seen them on cold winter nights, wearing little short skirts and spiked heels loitering on street corners. My heart went out to them. Their legs must have felt numb from the cold. That’s no way to make a living. Why can’t it be like Amsterdam? I took a tour through their red-light district. The girls were displayed in shop windows. Some were dressed as little school girls, others as vamps, others in slinky gowns, punk, leather, etc. Whatever your fantasy, you could satisfy it there. So civilized.
People will always find a way to get what they want. During Prohibition, more liquor was consumed than before. Much was made of Al Capone and the Mafia. But they were only filling a need. Liquor was shipped in from Canada, via the Great Lakes. Many an old-monied Canadian family today, made their money from the then illegal liquor trade. And say what you will, that didn’t quiet down until the law changed. No amount of police work can stop that which the public wants.
So, rather than fighting this battle that will never be won, change the law, reorganize, control it and collect your precious taxes. Maybe we can all have some peace then.
June 15th, 2007
Posted by
Lugatz |
Personal Opinions, The Law |
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When will the madness end? When will some brave politician finally outlaw those weapons? When will somebody finally stand up to the NRA? Cowards. There’s no use giving condolences and prayers. The children are DEAD. I know if it were one of my children gunned down in that senseless way, I would go insane.
Don’t give me that crap about guns don’t kill – people do. Guns are deadly. In a moment of passion or fury or whatever, guns do their deadly work very efficiently. They must be outlawed, plain and simple. Gunshops must be put out of business. Period.
Every time we drive through the US, I am shocked at the ease with which anyone can get a firearm. Billboards advertising gun shops. Big signs over those shops letting you know where to get your weapon of choise. It’s criminal. It’s barbaric. Face it, it’s a country where war is glamorized. Every dead soldier is called a hero. It’s a very sick society.
God help them all.
It starts with the media where “action” movies are lauded. With the new technology, you can see a man’s brains splatter on the wall behind him. That’s OK, it seems. Last night we were watching “Saturday Night Fever” on ACM and all the f words were bleeped out. Seems that using the f word is a no-no but murder, with all it’s intimate details, is fine.
Good Night.
April 16th, 2007
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Lugatz |
Personal Opinions, The Law |
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I watched an interesting movie today. It starred Walter Matthau. It was about getting old and all the associated problems. The plot is not important. What was of interest to me was the part about smoking marijuana. One of the elderly gentlemen had cataracts and glaucoma. Toking gave him his eyesight back, if only for as long as the marijuana was in his system.
So why all the hype about it? If it has medicinal qualities, then you should be able to buy it anywhere. Are the drug companies that paranoid that they won’t let something that grows naturally be available to one and all? Read more…
February 4th, 2007
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Lugatz |
The Law |
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Actually, this morning was the third time I’ve had to appear in court over the same issue. Here are the facts. (The defendant didn’t show up for the previous two sessions.)
In February of 2005, I presented a candidate to company “B”, having first presented him verbally, at which time I was asked to submit his resume which I did. Subsequent phone calls regarding the suitablility of my candidate remained unanswered until I finally got to speak to the Sales Manager who told me that he had printed the resume and given it to the owner. “It’s his call. I don’t know what he did.”
I kind of dropped that after a time, thinking they just didn’t like his resume. Read more…
November 28th, 2006
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Lugatz |
Business, The Law |
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I was watching CNN last night. Fred Goldman and his daughter were being interviewed. Apparently, OJ has written a book and was interviewed about how he would have killed his wife and lover if he had done it. I won’t comment until I get a chance to read it.
Good old Fred was in a rage over this – over OJ’s behaviour. To my surprise, I discovered that OJ had not paid one red penny to Goldman. If you recall, he’d been sued for wrongful death and lost. He was to have paid Goldman 33Million.
Here is where my eyes cross. How is it possible that you can be declared “Not Guilty” in a court of law and then have to face a civil suit? That doesn’t sound right. If you’re declared “Not Guilty” then that’s it. You’re a free person. How can it be that people can say “I didn’t like that verdict, so I’m going for a civil suit”. Furthermore, that is only done when the accused has a lot of money. It’s a money grabber. You don’t even need a unanimous vote, just a majority.
So, good old Goldman has had to live without the 33Million he was counting on. Seems he’s tried going to court but recently that suit was thrown out. He’s going to try again to get his hands on the proceeds of the book. Give it up, Goldman.
What I want to know is, who’s paying for Goldman’s legal bills. We know he doesn’t have any money and these law suits don’t come cheap. Somebody is paying his bills and I’d love to know who.
November 16th, 2006
Posted by
Lugatz |
Musings, Personal Opinions, The Law |
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