Something for victims

Editorial
Ottawa Sun
Sat, October 22, 2005

Face it, folks, we're never going to get the federal Liberals to get tough on crime.

It doesn't matter how many times the police point out the absurdities of our catch-and-release criminal justice system, as Ontario police chiefs were doing at Queen's Park on Tuesday, while their colleagues were making the same case on the Hill before a Commons committee.

They condemned the idiocy of handing out free passes to amusement parks for murderers and sex offenders as part of their (insert hysterical laughter here) "rehabilitation."

They emphasized the need for mandatory minimum sentences with no parole for gun crimes.

They called for truth-in-sentencing laws to give the public an accurate idea of the time a criminal will actually serve in prison when sentence is pronounced.

But we all know that under Paul Martin's soft-on-crime Liberals, nothing will change.  Justice Minister Irwin Cotler, for example, has already rejected calls for cracking down on gun crime, saying our current laws are tough enough.

So here's our alternative, a modest proposal that we trust will have the instant backing of every soft-hearted Liberal.

We propose that from now on, whatever benefits we give to the criminals, we give to their victims as well -- or, if that's impossible, then to the victims' families.

So, if we're going to hand out passes to Canada's Wonderland to murderers and rapists, then let's give the same thing to their victims -- although not on the same day, as would no doubt never occur to the idiots who keep coming up with these new ways of pampering violent thugs.

And let's not stop there.  For example, if the feds pay for the university education of a murderer, they must also pay for the university education of the victim, or a designated beneficiary.

Or, say we send an offender to a Club Fed prison where he gets to play golf every day.  Fair enough.  Then we supply a golf club membership to his victim.

Surely, it's just simple decency for the state to do as much for the victims of crime as for the criminals.  Right, Paul?  Right Irwin?

C'mon.  Tell us why we're wrong.  We dare you.