New Democrats have signalled their support for anti-gang legislation tabled by the Tories that includes making any gang-related homicide a first-degree murder charge and creating a new charge for drive-by shootings....
"We're here to underline the importance of strong action at the federal level. We haven't seen what we need to see yet from the federal government," [NDP leader Jack Layton] told reporters outside the main headquarters of the Vancouver police department.
"There's some legislation that's coming forward that we'll be supporting but we also know that there's more legislation, prosecutions, policing and prevention."
...
Mr. Layton suggested he would look at bolstering calls by the B.C. government for federal-justice changes that include better wiretap access to track Internet and BlackBerry communications and an end to two-for-one credits for time served.
Instead of reinforcing the anti-drug philosophy of North American political elites, the NDP might instead have demonstrated an understanding of the crux of the problem, that just as prohibition of alcohol didn't work, so it doesn't work for drug use.
Mr. Layton, if you stop the anti-drug war, then you stop creating the very condition which helps gangs thrive and proliferate.
But then, you know that, don't you? The problem is, you or your backers haven't the guts to take a bold political stand on the issue.
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