PLUS CA CHANGE....

It was like revisiting my most frustrating memories. The Globe carried a piece called: ”Unlocking The Crime Conundrum.” It was all about “getting tough on crime,” and “Canadians want to feel safe,” and all the pseudo crime-fighting initiatives. What made it sound like old times to me was that no matter what the question, the answer was the same. And when confronted with reality, the response was thick-headed and uncompromising.

I remember callers to my Open Line Radio show voicing an opinion and when I asked what they had to support that information – the response was always something like “That’s what I believe and I’m entitled to my opinion.” Then I would quote Heywood Hale Broun who once said: “Everyone is not entitled to an opinion. They are entitled to a vote.”

The issue of safety in the streets and the fear of crime makes a wonderful “wedge” issue. That’s an issue you can insert into a campaign, and even though it may only affect a small percentage of voters, you take ownership of the issue and with it – the votes.

I was dismayed during the recent “debate” that when Harper got into his “tough on crime” point, the other leaders lined up to profess that they too were tough on crime. Not one told him he was playing politics with misplaced human opinions and fear. Not one told him we didn’t need American style “justice” here – with their minimum sentencing and mandatory terms. The American way, which handcuffs judges (but makes excellent politics), has resulted in absolutely nothing when it comes to fighting crime.

That’s what the Globe piece was all about. Quoting from that piece: “Why do you want the government to get tough on crime when the crime rate’s already down?”
“But the violent crimes are going up.”
“Actually they’re not.”

The facts are that every statistic on crime, including violent crime, shows rates are steadily going down. But that won’t matter to the voters who want to believe that criminals are getting away with it. That punishments are a slap on the wrist. And that dangerous felons are sent to “Club Fed.”

That last one was always my favourite. I would ask the called if he/she thought inmates should be kept in isolation, hard labour, and bread and water. Any suggestion I might make that it was easier and more productive to treat convicts with humanity. Every criminologist will tell you that harsh and severe treatment only results in an even more hardened criminal mind.

The final blow would always be that the caller, disgusted with my opinions would accuse me of being a bleeding heart.

No politician has ever lost an election by telling people something they want to hear.