Pubdate: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 Source: Kamloops This Week (CN BC) Copyright: 2008 Kamloops This Week Contact: http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1271 Author: Gary Kinnear WHERE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES TODAY? Editor: I was listening to a talk show on the radio the other day, and the topic dealt with giving out plastic ends to drug abusers to prevent the spread of hepatitis C or, I guess, myriad other diseases. Who are the people who come up with these ideas? Why are we enabling unlawful activities? Instead of crime and punishment, we help them. Isn't that nice? I wonder what victims of crime think of this latest enabling measure. As I was listening to this, I was also listening to the disturbing story of a family home that was broken into during the Christmas holidays, stripped and vandalized. Police believe it was drug addicts looking for items to pawn to support their habit. As we all know, a drug addict is not likely able to earn an honest income to support their addiction. Don't think I'm an uncaring person. I'm not. But as you go through life, you make decisions and, if you make decisions that run afoul of the law, there should be consequences. For the last 30 years, it seems a slap on the wrist for bad behaviour is all that happens. Youth detention centres have been shut down. When I was young - and I was no angel - the threat of having to go to Brandon Lake Youth Detention straightened out a lot of my behaviour. Stop making excuses for people who do not want to be productive citizens. Gary Kinnear Lone Butte - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom