Thursday, January 05, 2006
Gangs and Gun Control
Recent news from Toronto about gangs shooting up Yonge Street on Boxing Day (that’s December 26th for any Americans who are reading) that killed one innocent 15 year old girl, and wounded 6 other innocents, has led to Toronto hitting the American news once again in a negative way. Gun crime is up in Toronto, gangs are getting prevalent, and more violent. A couple of months ago a 17 year old boy was shot and killed at his friend’s funeral, who just days earlier had been shot and killed. These gangs not only have no respect for life, they have no respect, period! Toronto’s first murder of 2006 was already discovered on New Year’s day; a guy found dead in his car, shot in the head I think it was.
The government; both provincial and federal, are talking tougher gun control laws. I don’t think its gonna work. I really don’t. What needs to be done is clean up the gangs. Tougher gun control laws are not going to get rid of gangs. It won’t even get rid of guns, I think that should already be evident. Canada already has fairly tight gun laws, but illegal guns still make their way into the country, and legally owned guns still get stolen from law abiding citizens. And then these guns get used to “solve” arguments and turf disputes, like on Boxing Day. Most usually to tragic ends, with one or several innocent by-standers getting hit.
Why do people join gangs? What is so glamorous, or romantic, or enticing about being in a gang? Why is it absolutely necessary to have the biggest and baddest weapons if you’re in a gang? Violent gangs have been around for generations, probably hundreds, if not thousands of years. But why? What makes a gang? Street Gangs particularly are what is becoming the major problem in Toronto. The Mob and Biker clubs/gangs have been around for several generations now, but it seems to be the street gangs mostly in the news lately. And they don’t care where, when or whom they shoot.
Not even the recent execution of gang leader Tookie Williams in California is a deterrent. It would seem, to me at least, that given the number of prisoners on death row in the US, that the death penalty isn’t a sufficient deterrent to anyone determined to commit murder. Why then would tougher gun control laws be a deterrent? Why would a minimum sentence of say 3 years for having an illegal gun be a deterrent to someone who then during that 3 years can make more connections while inside, and then once released just go pick up another gun?
No, its not tougher gun laws we need. We need to figure out what is wrong in our society that makes gangs and guns so attractive. Once we do that, we can get them off the street, and take the guns out of their hands. Tougher laws haven’t worked up til now, its still not going to work next week, next month, or next year. ¶ 10:42 AM
The government; both provincial and federal, are talking tougher gun control laws. I don’t think its gonna work. I really don’t. What needs to be done is clean up the gangs. Tougher gun control laws are not going to get rid of gangs. It won’t even get rid of guns, I think that should already be evident. Canada already has fairly tight gun laws, but illegal guns still make their way into the country, and legally owned guns still get stolen from law abiding citizens. And then these guns get used to “solve” arguments and turf disputes, like on Boxing Day. Most usually to tragic ends, with one or several innocent by-standers getting hit.
Why do people join gangs? What is so glamorous, or romantic, or enticing about being in a gang? Why is it absolutely necessary to have the biggest and baddest weapons if you’re in a gang? Violent gangs have been around for generations, probably hundreds, if not thousands of years. But why? What makes a gang? Street Gangs particularly are what is becoming the major problem in Toronto. The Mob and Biker clubs/gangs have been around for several generations now, but it seems to be the street gangs mostly in the news lately. And they don’t care where, when or whom they shoot.
Not even the recent execution of gang leader Tookie Williams in California is a deterrent. It would seem, to me at least, that given the number of prisoners on death row in the US, that the death penalty isn’t a sufficient deterrent to anyone determined to commit murder. Why then would tougher gun control laws be a deterrent? Why would a minimum sentence of say 3 years for having an illegal gun be a deterrent to someone who then during that 3 years can make more connections while inside, and then once released just go pick up another gun?
No, its not tougher gun laws we need. We need to figure out what is wrong in our society that makes gangs and guns so attractive. Once we do that, we can get them off the street, and take the guns out of their hands. Tougher laws haven’t worked up til now, its still not going to work next week, next month, or next year. ¶ 10:42 AM
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Good post, I totally agree with you. We don't need more gun control, we need less gangs. Toronto ain't a safe city no more!
It's been a very long time since I felt safe in the city of Toronto.
Not since the '60s at least. Was it youthful innocence that made ne trusting then, or was Toronto the Good still good? I don't know. I do know that I won't go to an evening alone. My dad, who was the Chief Registrar of Firearms for Ontario (back in the '60s) said then there were too many guns in the hands of people who did not have any "reason" to own a gun except as "something cool". It wasn't cool then, it's not cool now.
I truly believe the lack of respect for human life stems from a lack of self respect. Hence boys and girls with weapons. "If you won't respect me, fear me." That's my theory, for what it's worth. Which ain't anymore than all the politicians' promises for gun and gang control.
Not since the '60s at least. Was it youthful innocence that made ne trusting then, or was Toronto the Good still good? I don't know. I do know that I won't go to an evening alone. My dad, who was the Chief Registrar of Firearms for Ontario (back in the '60s) said then there were too many guns in the hands of people who did not have any "reason" to own a gun except as "something cool". It wasn't cool then, it's not cool now.
I truly believe the lack of respect for human life stems from a lack of self respect. Hence boys and girls with weapons. "If you won't respect me, fear me." That's my theory, for what it's worth. Which ain't anymore than all the politicians' promises for gun and gang control.
# posted by 
: 6:35 PM
: 6:35 PM
Hello Ian, nicetameetcha! Thanks for dropping in to my humble little blog :-)
I dunno guys, in all the time I lived and hung out in Toronto, the only time I felt unsafe was when I was in the Pape Danforth area and there had been a string of rapes. Then I moved back up to Slowville. Which really wasn't all that much better, only I knew all the people who were doing the bad stuff, so sort of had immunity.
I've always been well aware that there are certain neighbourhoods in Toronto that one really should not travel alone, but even when Paul Bernardo was at his worst, it never stopped me. Whether it was naivete, or defiance I don't know, but luckily I remained whole, and lead free.
The recent exceleration of violence is worrying tho, but honestly, is going after the law abiding gun owner citizenry the answer? No.
If your car gets broken into and stolen, is it your fault for parking it in front of your house, rather than in a locked garage with a security system? No. So then how is it the fault of legal gun owners that their safes are broken into, their homes violated, and their guns stolen?
No, its not guns that are the problem, its something much much larger than that.
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I dunno guys, in all the time I lived and hung out in Toronto, the only time I felt unsafe was when I was in the Pape Danforth area and there had been a string of rapes. Then I moved back up to Slowville. Which really wasn't all that much better, only I knew all the people who were doing the bad stuff, so sort of had immunity.
I've always been well aware that there are certain neighbourhoods in Toronto that one really should not travel alone, but even when Paul Bernardo was at his worst, it never stopped me. Whether it was naivete, or defiance I don't know, but luckily I remained whole, and lead free.
The recent exceleration of violence is worrying tho, but honestly, is going after the law abiding gun owner citizenry the answer? No.
If your car gets broken into and stolen, is it your fault for parking it in front of your house, rather than in a locked garage with a security system? No. So then how is it the fault of legal gun owners that their safes are broken into, their homes violated, and their guns stolen?
No, its not guns that are the problem, its something much much larger than that.
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