In denial over youth violence

As long as we coddle criminals, they win

By JOE WARMINGTON

Last Updated: 13th November 2008, 3:42am

"I am not going to snitch" and "My school is safe" are two amazing comments to come out of the latest C.W. Jefferys blood zone debacle!

The first was from a student, not exactly being helpful to police trying to catch an attempted murderer on the loose with a knife.

But the "My school is safe" remark was from C.W. Jefferys' principal, Audley Salmon, who made the comment as the manhunt was under way for the wouldbe attacker. The victim is "known to police" and was not a student but happened to be in the school's cafeteria.

Safe, eh! We'll have to take his word on it.

Once again so many heads are in the sand. Next we'll be hearing it's time for another study on youth and violence. Maybe Premier Dalton McGuinty can get Pinball Clemons to speak to the kids.

Or Mayor David "Hand Gun Ban" Miller can call for a national ban on knives. Or perhaps they'll all talk about disenfranchisement and how these marginalized kids come from poverty.

MONEY'S WORTH?

Speaking of that, in a year when Toronto has had 300 shooting victims, are we getting our millions' worth on the other programs set up to help them?

"Anybody know what happened to the youth and violence secretariat set up by the premier, which had former chief justice Roy McMurtry on it and former MPP Alvin Curling?" Toronto school board trustee Josh Matlow asked yesterday.

It was called the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence and was commissioned in 2007.

"I tried to find any recommendations but have not actually been able to find an office," Matlow said.

He even travelled to Queen's Park but couldn't find a desk or an employee.

I didn't have much luck, either. I put a call into an answering machine and have a request into the premier's office as well.

Turns out the youth violence report at long last is going to be released tomorrow at Queen's Park, Curling confirmed last night, adding that "people will be pleased even if that sounds self-serving."

And in the meantime there is a website to shed some light. It states that "our review involves many complex and long-standing issues, including how structural inequality, concentrations of disadvantage, and racism impact violence involving youth ... Our deep interest in finding responses to inequality, disadvantage and racism did not start with the premier's request to us, and it will not end when we submit our report to him."

To translate from politically correct to English: It's society's fault.

"Cost of McMurtry/Curling report so far -- $2 million." Conservative Leader John Tory said last night.

I wonder why they didn't just give the $2 million to the gangsters.

Now this committee is not to be confused with Julian Falconer's reported $1-million study or even the premier's 2006 Ontario's Violence Prevention Strategy, which had a $15-million Youth Challenge Fund, chaired by Pinball himself.

Of course there is no need for any of it. The solution is simple. Everybody knows a large part of the problem is gangs who seem to copy the same kind of violent gangland behaviour practised in Jamaica and the U.S.

DESTROY GANGS

You get rid of these gangs, which have members of all colours and origins, then you get rid of the drugs they sell, the weapons they will use and the damage and fear they cause.

No study is needed to understand we have good laws, good cops, a huge court system, lots of jails and the ability to search lockers, or students, if necessary.

As long as we kiss the gangs' butts they will kick ours.

Without taxpayer funding, intrepid Toronto Sun reporter Brett Clarkson dug up the shocking statistic that there have been 35 school lockdowns in Toronto board schools this year already and 60 last year.

We are still working on the figures of the number of students who won't "snitch" or how many systemic experts paid by the taxpayer are still insisting this is a "safe" city!