ELIMINATE MARKETS

LET me get this straight: We have a gang problem that in large part
derives its income from both marijuana grow operations and
prostitution. Both seem to engage as first line providers, the most
vulnerable amongst us and yet the cure-all eminating from our
political leaders and police forces suggests that greater law
enforcement will bail us out of this sad reality.

In truth it's been 40 years of trying to stem the marijuana trade and
at least 50 times that in trying to eradicate prostitution. After all
this time perhaps we ought to admit these so-called problems will
never disappear from our social landscape. As long as we criminalize
them, there will always be a lucrative and unregulated market for
them which is for the most part, providing organized crime with a
guaranteed money flow with which their empires can easily expand into
other arenas. And we are in fact sanctioning that process by a
continual refusal to deal with these matters with any semblance of
maturity and honesty.

If we sincerely wish to tackle the scourge of these criminals, then
remove the means by which they support their trade. Greater law
enforcement will not work. It will do nothing to remove the root
causes of gang existence and in the end will simply provide us with a
false sense of security while providing lovely photo ops for those
charged with maintaining civility in our society. This problem did
not come to bear because we don't have tough enough law enforcement
and/or deterrents. It exists because for whatever reasons, we live in
a society of marginalized souls who become easy prey to the darker
side of life.

Enough of the moral pep talks and let's begin an open dialogue as to
what we need to accomplish in hopes that we are able to respond to
the situation in a manner that will actually spawn results.

It's time to legalize both marijuana possession and prostitution,
regulate them and begin the process of eliminating organized crimes
most lucrative markets. It's far from a perfect answer to the problem
but it certainly beats anything I'm hearing from our leaders.

DAN DONAHUE

Winnipeg