Pubdate: Fri, 02 Jan 2009 Source: Chicago Sun-Times (IL) Copyright: 2009 The Sun-Times Co. Contact: http://www.suntimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/81 Author: Jeff Pabst LOCK 'EM UP FOR GOOD I read with great interest the article "Freakonomics author: No boom in murder by black teens" [Wednesday]. Seeing how James Alan Fox blames gangs, lax gun laws and a lack of funding by the federal government as some of the reasons for the supposed rise, I think the government is finally wising up to the real cause of the problems and reducing the funding. As a country, we have waged wars in our neighborhoods against drugs, gangs, guns etc. As many wars as we have waged, not a single war has been won, not one. And why? Mainly because the solution is not to continuously throw money at something to make it go away. If we want serious reductions in crimes such as murder, drugs and gang activity, then we need serious truth-in-sentencing laws that put offenders behind bars permanently. Murders, crimes committed with guns or weapons should all be mandatory life sentences with no chance for parole. Any nonviolent drug or gang offenses should have a 50-year sentence attached, at a minimum, and no time off for good behavior. Jeff Pabst Hanover Park - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin