Posted 10/17/2018 13:41 (#7051828 - in reply to #7051744) Subject: RE: Meanwhile in Canada, starting today.
Manitoba, Canada
I kind of agree with the harsh penalty idea but it also can backfire. Young adults will explore the world and many of them will dabble in alcohol and drugs. They don’t all become meth heads. Many of them outgrow that phase and go on to lead normal productive lives. I think harsh sentences should be handed out in a more graduated fashion to give those who aren’t regular offenders the time and push required to realize the consequences of their actions. Going full bore harsh at the first offence could prevent the person from obtaining the job that would turn their life around. If the sentence is too long there also is a point that the person won’t even try to stop because they don’t feel that there is a ever hope of getting out from under the punishment. Long harsh sentences for first time offences will derail the lives of young people at a critical point in their lives and that can backfire.
I know that some will say it only takes once to kill an innocent victim. That is true. That can be said for a lot of things though. For instance. Maybe if we farmers are required to have pilot vehicles front and back at all times when we transport our slow equipment we might save the lives of innocent children. Actually it is highly likely that some accidents would be avoided and lives saved. The value of those innocent lives saved is no less than the innocent lives lost due to alcohol and drug use.
The question at the heart of this argument becomes what is the right balance in legislation between public safety and unnecessary government legislation.
For the record as of now I don’t support the idea of legalization but I don’t have enough forsight to understand the consequences. Maybe it will turn out to be a good thing. I just don’t know.
My suspicion is that the change in policy was a way for our prime minister to buy the votes of many people who would not normally bother to vote otherwise. Kind of like picking the low hanging fruit that everyone else is ignoring. I don’t think he did it for the good of the country. Maybe he knows something I don’t but so far I don’t take much pride in our leader.
Meanwhile in Canada, starting today.
