Sex Offender Response

In response to this morning's blog post on Privacy and sex offenders, I received this comment from Craig Jones, who wrote the letter to The Province, mentioned in my posting.

Thanks for ths, Craig.

Comments: RE: your blog ...

From the same article on sex offenders:\

"But given that studies suggest the majority of convicted sex offenders do not re-offend (anywhere from 73 to 87 per cent), some deplore the attention paid to the minority of offenders who fail to readjust to lead crime-free lives.Research has also shown that the majority of sex crimes -- an estimated 77 per cent -- are committed by someone the victim knows.

All of this begs the question of how useful a sex-offender registry actually is.

To make matters worse, a two-year review of the registry, promised by Ottawa, has never been carried out.\"--Why, you wonder, has Ottawa not carried out the review of the sex offender registry?Because the evidence -- does evidence matter? -- from Canada and the U.S. shows that sex offender registries don\'t work.Why don\'t they work? The answer is above: \"an estimated 77 per cent (or >3 in 4) -- are committed by someone the victim knows.\"And the victims don\'t report.

We don\'t endorse what doesn\'t work to make communities safer and reduce victimization.

Show us something that actually works according to the EVIDENCE, not according to what feels good, and we\'ll look at it.

Sound reasonable?--

Craig Jones, Ph.D.,

Executive Director

The John Howard Society of Canada

VIctor on the Short & Nasty

This morning at 6 on the CBC news I heard a voice clip of Bill Clinton reacting to Hillary's loss in South Carolina. He said " Next week the real people of America will vote".

Real people? So is Bill calling the Blacks of South Carolina "sub human?" This from a man the media have called America's first "black"president.

This is shaping up to be a fun race. It has every possible prejudice at play: Romney-religion, McCain-age, Hillary-gender, Obama-colour, Gulliani-divorces.

Policy anyone?

Privacy Above All - The New Cornerstone of Democracy

On Friday, we posted an item here in which we described women who have the gall to call themselves mothers smuggle heroin, coke and meth into prisons for their loving husbands. The dope is hidden in their babies clothes ans strollers. Mothers of the Year.

The Matsqui guard who discovered one such poster Mother was chastised by his "superiors" (At what are they superior? Stupidity? Missing the Big Picture?) for violating the prisoners privacy rights.

Joey Thompson of the Province Wrote about this.

The result is a letter to the editor in today's Province from a John Howard Society worker, arguing that "prohibition" is the culprit here and that we have fought mightily for 500 years to gain privacy rights.

No doubt this letter writer and warrior for democracy will also be intrigued by the Province's front page story, "We've Lost Track of Sex Offenders."

The RCMP officer in charge of the so-called registry says, "the system is a total mess."

Look at some of the more salient points highlighted in this report:

1. Registration isn't mandatory. ???

2. Vacation without notification. Registered sex offenders have a right to a 2 week vacation without notifying authorities. Hahahahaha....we are completely mad...

3. No Proactive Use of the registry. Police cannot look at the registry unless a crime has been committed. Brilliant.

4. No offenders' vehicle registration allowed. Because, as we all know, most sex offenders like to walk.

I am sure that the John Howard letter writer will sleep more contentedly this evening gknowing that the privacyr ights of dangerous criminals are being upheld and honored.

The fact that more women and children have been raped and assaulted because of these absurdities shouldn't bother the good man a wink.

Grant's Law - Thanks to BC Fed

Grant's Law is now a reality.

Beginning next week, late night businesses in BC must ensure that there are at least two workers on shift from 10om to 6am or that solo workers have a locked barrier between themselves and customers.

Also, BC will be the first province to demand that customers at gas stations pay first before they pump gas.

All of this came about because Grant DePatie was killed trying to stop an idiot from stealing $12.30 worth of gas.

Full credit and kudos go to the BC Federation of Labour who have lobbied relentlessly for these changes.

The Mysteries of Heart Disease

"In clinical trials, researchers have been unable to generate compelling evidence that saturated fat in the diet causes heart disease."

This is but one of the startling sentences in an op-ed piece in this morning's N Times that questions entirely the role of Cholesterol on heart attacks, plaque build-up and blockages of the arteries.

This is of particular interest to me because I am one of millions who daily takes a statin drug to lower cholesterol. Many physicians today take statins simply as a preventative measure.

This article raises important questions without giving ready answers, but it is an excellent piece, well worth the read.

Susan's Best

Susan Heyes, enraged and lobbying-for-justice Cambie merchant, has written her best piece yet on the scummery of the Canada Line in a letter to Vaughn Palmer:

Re: Voice of BC with Falcon

I'm sure the show drew a lot of response, Vaughn. It reminded me of theTwilight Zone.

On Cutting Edge one morning, both you and Keith said to me that you haddoubts about whether the despicable way we have been treated on Cambie wouldhave any impact on the Fiberals or City at election time.It most certainly will.

Broadway has woken up to the realization that anyplan for their "disruption and inconvenience" are just guidelines, really,and once again, it's TransLink that will decide the scope of the plundering,er...project.And now Peter Ladner has a motion before Council to bore under the Broadwaybusinesses instead of plough them under. (Where was his concern for Cambie 3years ago?) This political gesture is certain to have no influencewhatsoever in the absolute rule enjoyed by the puppets atTransLink......kind of like Falcon's idea of "extensive publicannouncements, er....consultation".How are these circumstances possible in a democracy?

3 years ago I had hopethat with a few good people in public office standing firm for our rights,the coming perfect storm for business failure would be acknowledged - andthis known fatal hardship would be avoided or adequately mitigated.Shamefully, this did not happen.This bunch of publicly funded thugs have taken our tax money and willfullykilled our once successful independant family run shops and services; ourlife's work - month after month, year after struggling year. (Where is the2-3 months in front of any given shop, eh Jane?)

This has been life changing in many ways. Our stress is unimaginable. Thiswill not be forgotten.The eye of the hurricane is passing over Cambie now, and heading downBroadway - right in Clambull's front yard. There is visible devastation inits wake as a warning, unlike the happy spin and lies that preceeded theRAVaging of our neighbourhood by the RAV/Canada Line PR army.

I'm mad as hell. At 50, after working dilligently for TWENTY FIVE YEARS tobuild my successful business, and paying what amounts to MILLIONS in taxes -my own government just demolishes all my earned equity in these effortsalong with my plans for a secure retirement. I've nearly lost my house, forgawds sake! My financial future is in jeopardy, and what do we get from thelikes of Cambully and his bird of prey? "Piss off - it'll be great when itsdone. Quit yer whining - wish it was more like China here, where governmentworks in secret and has absolute power.....oh, wait a minute - we alreadydo."The human tragedy of the Canada Line is just beginning to be told, as moreand more desperate people cling to what's left of their dream ofself-employment and financial security.

This disaster was preventable, had anyone at any time in the lengthy processof approval, acted with integrity. They all knew what would happen when theydropped this bomb on our village, and they arrogantly GREEDILY went aheadanyway, with no factored in financial help for the small businesses. Toomuch profit at stake for the Province, and the project, and we were aperceived weak target and written off as collateral damage.And it's profits we're talking about here. SNC Lavalin's 3rd quarter reportshow profits up 63 million! Right out of our pockets. The Billions inProvincial surplus are largely fed by all the tax contributions made by thesmall business community and homeowners and employers who run them - but itis the big corporations and big developers who are enjoying the spoils.

Thisentire project was designed to capitalize on this man-made disaster, in theform of radical re-zoning and huge shocking re-development. The fix was infrom the start. We didn't stand a chance.

Sam Sullivan has said alot of shameful things in his embarrassing stint asmayor, but his recent remarks about how the Canada Line project was adecision of the "last administration" really has me wondering about hissanity. He was there. As a City Coucillor, he often voted against motionsfrom other coucillors cautioning to take another look at how to help thebusinesses and community. What a weasel. He looks down on all of us writhingin pain, and has done nothing but try to whitewash the whole mess with sparechange for pretty banners that future retailers will enjoy. To do somethingmeaningful might harm his cozy relationship with all the big developers ifhe interrupted the flow of their profits (and funding for his bid foranother term).

Vaughn, we're tired of all the 'you know what' being flung at our community.They better watch out - there's been a change in the wind. We're not backingoff our right to deserved financial compensation. And the much neededlegislation to ensure that this expropriation of our livelihoods neverhappens again.I'd love to see Falcon and Corrigan have a debate. But I think the Falcon ismore like a chicken!

Regards

Susan

Picture of the Day

Stand-Up Festival Here

Crooks and Liars has created a great new list - the 100 funniest stand-up comedians of all time.

What is especially great about this list is that each name contains a hyper-link to a video clip.

Here...go crazy, laugh your brains out.