It doesn't take a community to raise a child. It takes two dedicated parents who have the right values, themselves.

All around the mulberry bush

Well, the politicians (Mayor Rob Ford and Premier Dalton McGuinty), as well as top police officials met today for a much touted meeting of the minds--euphemistically dubbed the "Summit of the Gun." With lots of press hanging around, the politicians made plenty of noise about finding a solution, but in the end they merely spent another $5M (that's on top of the $10M of taxpayer's money already being spent), and went home.


Meanwhile, police officials and community activists (the "hug-a-thug" crowd) took the spotlight by hauling out their own list of threadbare, expensive ideas, which, for the most part, have all been tried before with varying degrees of success, i.e.:

• More funding for social services 
• Gun control
• More police officers

The problem with all these solutions is that they are all merely treating the symptoms. Putting salve on root rot isn't going to get to the heart of the problem. 

Nonetheless, since everyone is getting in on it, I suppose I may as well get my tax-dollars'-worth, too.

So here's my list:

• Full identification of the facts, including racial profiling of criminals.

It is almost impossible to choose a direction unless you know where you're at, and that requires a full identification of the facts. Prohibiting racial profiling of criminals is like blinding one eye. It is also incredibly naive. The first six pages of the newspaper is both an obituary and also racial profiling for anyone with eyes to see.

• If kids are old enough to have kids, they're old enough to raise them.

Having a baby? Congratulations! Now get a job to support it. Every kid that comes into this land (Ontario) goes on the public dole almost from its inception. Pre-natal care, gynaecological consultation, paediatrics, subsidized day care and nursery school, and when it gets old enough the school system takes over with all-day kindergarten. Meanwhile, for single parents ("baby moms" and "twink daddies") there's social assistance and a "pecker cheque" from Uncle Dalton McGuinty.


I'm single and childless, but I'm helping to raise a million-or-so.

 

• Hold parents responsible for the transgressions of their kids, and open the door to allow civil suits as well. 

I believe there is already legislation on the books that holds parents responsible for this sort of thing, but I have yet to hear of it every being applied. It falls under the category of "you had them, you look after them." It seems a dichotomy of thinking that a person can be held responsible for allowing a person to drink and drive, but enjoy carte blanc when it comes to their kids' actions.

• Tell religions that preach against birth control and abortion to mind their own 'beeswax.' Surely most of them have a backyard to clean up, first

The term "opiate of the masses" used to apply to organized religions (now it's iPods), but no one has bothered to tell them. Oh, sure, they make a feeble attempt to gain lost stature by slandering the GBLT community, but given their own record(s) it is laughable at best.

So there you have it. Gerry's list of "let's get real" solutions to gun warfare and gang violence.