Gun Collectors: A Dying Breed?

There’s a story on the front page of the Toronto Star today about a gun collector who - surprise, surprise - had 40 guns stolen during a break-in. When will we get to the point where society says that gun collections are not allowed. I can understand collecting stamps, hockey cards, teapots, etc. but guns seem strange given they can kill people. At the very least, the rules involving the registration and storage of guns need to be overhauled. If it’s easy for thieves to break into cabinets to steal guns, then the current rules aren’t good enough.

Bail for Boys

You have to shake your head at the news that the two 18-year-old boys who killed a taxi driving while racing each other up Mount Pleasant Rd. at 130 kph were released on bail yesterday. If that doesn’t make you lose faith in the legal system, what does? I mean, they were being dangerous and reckless, and a 46-year-old man lost his life. I suspect that in a year or two, there will be a trial where the two remorseful young men may get a short jail sentence, an order to do some community work and a slap on the risk.

License Plate Surveillance

Here’s a strange tale: a friend of mine was driving along Bloor St. the other day and got pulled over by the police. He hadn’t violated any traffic laws and wasn’t driving in a fashion that would have caused suspicion such as weaving all over the road. What happened was the policeman punched my friend’s license plate number into his computer, and discovered his license had been suspended for the past 18 months. It turns out my friend paid a parking ticket but owed $20 more because he did it after the 15-day payment deadline. Does it strike anyone as strange the police are randomly checking license plate numbers even on drivers who had nothing wrong? I’m not sure it’s illegal but I don’t see “cause” in their actions. I mean, if someone is doing something wrong or has some damage to their vehicle, you could justify a license plate check. But checking for the sake of checking just seems bizarre. Apparently, this goes on all the time.

The System Failed Us

Jane Creba’s death is a huge trajedy but perhaps what’s most tragic is the man charged with her killing should never have been on the streets if our legal system did its job properly. Andre Thompson robbed a convenience story in North York last May with an imitation gun but all he got was two 30-day jail terms that were served concurrently. Is that how society is protected by slapping criminals on the wrist? I mean, there are bigger penalties handed out if you drive with an expired auto permit. Truth be told, Canada already has the laws on the books to ban handguns and lock up the bad guys up for a long time but they don’t appear to be applied in the right way. Who can we blame for that?

It’s All Mike Harris’ Fault

The Toronto Star’s Linda McQuaig has some thought-provoking ideas about the spate of gun-related violence in Toronto. She suggests the roots of the problem go back 10 years when Ontario Premier Mike Harris launched the Common Sense Revolution. In a classic case of short-term thinking, people actually bought into the idea of lower taxes while forgetting that there’s a price to be paid. Here’s how McQuaig starts her piece:

“Ten years ago, Mike Harris slashed Ontario’s welfare rates by 22 per cent, thereby cutting by almost one-quarter the incomes of Ontario’s most vulnerable families. The young kids in those vulnerable families are now teenagers. Recently, there’s been an upsurge in violent crime by gangs of teenagers. Is it far-fetched to think there might be a connection?”

I think McQuaig has highlighted a crucial point. The Harris regime was evil and did huge amounts of damage to Ontario before they were finally disposed. So what you will about the Liberals but Dalton McGuinty is much less harmful than Mike Harris. We’re all paying the price for his misguided tax-cutting, service-reduction philosophy. Hope you’re enjoying the golf, Mike!

My 2006 Toronto Wish List

With 2005 in the books, it’s time to look ahead to 2006. Here’s what I’d like to see in Toronto.
1. A crackdown on gun-related violence. Not just the Liberals’ promise of a ban of guns but a multi-level program to address the roots and symptoms of the problem - everything from well-funded community centres, and low cost or no cost recreational programs to mandatory 10-year sentences for anyone using a gun during a crime.
2. Signs of life on the waterfront, although nothing is better than some of the stupid ideas (high-rise condos, a small sliver of recreational space on the waterfront) that have been proposed. Toronto needs to implement a cohensive development plan rather than the project-by-project work being currently done.
3. Cleaner streets. I’m tired of walking around town and seeing trash everywhere. It’s a classic example of the broken window theory. If you let trash lie around, people think it’s okay to drop more trash. What ever happened to Toronto the Clean? If the city implement a limit of how many garbage bags you’re allowed to toss, do not be surprised to see bags dumped on street corners and in parks and ravines.
4. Smarter developer now that the Ontario Municipal Board appears to be getting defanged. A city can’t be planned properly if developers rule the roost and rely on the OMB to overturn every city planning decision that doesn’t go their way.

Now What?

A 15-year-old girl - Jane Creba - is shot in broad daylight after being in the wrong place at the wrong time on Boxing Day. So where are the police raids? Where are the arrests? I mean, there were dozens of witnesses and video cameras so it’s not like these killers were stealth-like. For the most part, we’ve closed our eyes to the reality there are some very nasty gangs thriving in Toronto. Now’s the time, we got serious about what’s happening in our city. It’s time the police and the criminal system (provincial and federal) came down hard on these people. It’s time to enforce our gun laws, it’s time for the legal system to stop giving criminals a slap on the wrist. If it means locking people in prisons, then so be it. But something’s got to be done, and it has to be dramatic and effective.

The New New Toronto?

In the wake of the terrifying and troubling gunfire on Yonge St. yesterday, how long do you think it’s going to take before the police carry out a massive raid on Toronto’s most notorious gangs? There is so much public pressure now to do something dramatic, the ball’s really in the court of the police. They can act and make a make effort to turn the tide or they can stand on the sidelines.

More Police on the Streets

Toronto Police chief Bill Blair says the way to deal with crime in “troubled” neighbourhoods is a good old-fashioned police presence. So he intends to put more officers on the street to establish relationships with people in the community. I think it’s a great idea but only part of the solution. It’s fine to have police to deter criminals or wanna-be criminals from doing what they do but what about everyone else, particularly those on the fence. For whatever reason, I can’t understand why no politician has come out and made a commitment to provide solid and sustainable financial support in these neighbourhoods for community and social programs. To really help a troubled community, you need places for people - young and old - to play, social, learn and receive help/counselling. That way you address problems before they start. All I hear about is more police and new guns laws but they attack the symptoms, not the cause.

Gun Ban

Is the proposed ban on handguns attacking the symptom or the cause of the problem? For all the public relations the Liberals attempted to gain with this proposed law, the reality is a lot more needs to be done to curb gun-related violence. This includes community centres, well-funded social services, job-training and life-skills programs, we well as enough police resources. Does it strike anyone as opportunistic that we’ve had months of gun-related violence, and it’s only when Paul Martin is trying to save his job that he shows up at the scene of the “crimes”? For insight into this problem, check out Alec Saunders post in which talk shows that Martin is willing to spend $590 million to address 112 handgun-related deaths.