Dear Politicians

Dear Politicians we have a problem;

You seemed to be doing a good job of running the country as of late. No major hassles that we have picked up on…at least that we can see up to this point. You have survived the political stress of the people that oppose you – so far.

But today we (you and me) have a problem. It was the mailing that you sent to my house a few days ago. That mailing got me thinking. I suppose that is why you sent it – right?

The pamphlet that you sent me is a bit “off the wall” – coming from who knows where?

You know what it is trying to do I am sure. You, as a government, would not let just anybody say something, publish something, or send out something that wasn’t well thought through – would you?

The problem we have is – somebody goofed. The pamphlet is a little “off the wall”. It isn’t too well thought out – but maybe you guys are just too busy to really watch everything that is going out – right?

Just in case you haven’t seen it…
The pamphlet is black and white. The photo on the front has a bearded man slouched on an old couch. He is wearing an under shirt, he is holding a bottle of beer and smoking a cigarette. His listless gaze at the cameraman is clear. He could care less about anything. The word “jail?” in set in over the photo...making me think – ‘this is jail’? Have I got that part right? I think so.

Something I know here… this is a model posing for you…right? You paid him or someone for his photo. Because if it was taken at last winter’s Christmas party, you would have needed a ‘model release’ to put Uncle Charlie’s photo in your pamphlet – right?

But there is no indication that he is in trouble from the photo…except the word ‘jail?’ He kind of looks like some(many) of the ‘Ontario Works’ clients that I visit around our city. They have no job, no education, no employability, and sit at home watching TV, playing video games and surfing the ‘websites’.

There is a bigger problem inside…
Inside the pamphlet there is the ‘rub’. There in bold words is a BIG QUESTION.
~ Quote…
“Why should convicted thieves, arsonists and vandals serve their sentences watching TV, playing video games, and surfing “websites” on the internet?”
End quote ~

So let’s deal with this one question. Where the dickens did it come from? Are you trying to inflame a situation that is already painful the victims of these crimes that receive no help at all? Are you just trying to make them ‘feel better’ with feelings of inflicting further pain on another person.

But my guess is that the really bad people that you are trying to get us to address here are really teenagers that are really covered by the Youth Criminal Justice Act? – which you said you were going to fix… right?

Then the pamphlet throws me a ‘curve’. You say, “They shouldn’t”. and you continue with “The Conservative Government Supports Ending House arrest for Serious Offences”.

Both you and I know that this is a personal feeling of a few people – not your government. Your documents that are available on the Internet – on ‘websites’ – state otherwise.

Your Election Platform – 2006, A. Serious Crime, Serious Time section (ii) states…
(ii) End conditional sentences ("house arrest") for serious crimes, including designated violent and sexual offences, weapons offences, major drug offences, crimes committed against children, and Impaired driving causing death or serious injury.

If you can see the conflict here… section (ii) states clearly some very horrific crimes… your new pamphlet indicates a huge broadening of a net to include a whole lot more in it and REALLY GIVE IT TO THEM! Right?

Now here is the PROBLEM WE HAVE….
You want me to stop thinking. You want me to swallow something that is out right WRONG. That won’t change the crimes that have been committed at all. It will not likely make much difference in the way that they are dealt with either. But it may get you a few extra votes from silly people that are not thinking – either.

The pamphlets points strongly to the “…watching TV, playing video games, and surfing “websites” on the internet?”

Something you need to know – just in case the authors of the pamphlet didn’t tell you… there is TV in JAIL. DUH! In the Provincial system there is a TV for a group of 24 to 32 men. They live in one pod. They all watch the same TV program. If it one portion of the Pod Population is dominat – the less dominat dudes have to watch whatever the main guys want to.

Yes it is true - there are no video games in the provincial system nor is there internet.

In the Federal Prison system they also have TV. The Prison provides one Cable TV Provider to the whole correctional facility. One signal comes in and then with the help of outside technicians the cells are provided a cable hook up. Each man then works at a job inside where he is paid real money(on paper accounting). The real money is banked and when he has enough he buys a TV – maybe from another man that has an old one – or from another guy that is getting out. Each man then pays $30+ dollars a month to the Cable TV Provider. In a local institution there are 600 men – and each one has a TV with Cable. That means the Cable TV Provider makes an easy $18,000 off the guys that live there.

The TV is a sedative and baby sitter for guys that are killing time – one day, one week, one 22 year span at a time.

A while back some had bought simple computers and were taking classes to learn how to operate a computer. Some men had bought computer games with their money and spent huge amounts of time playing games. It was a huge baby sitting service. But that is basically all gone – a new “tough on crime and do your time the hard way” came in under the LIBERALS. Now guys coming out have no idea what to do with a computer… and are like so far behind that they will likely never catch up.

Pause…
My guess is the guy you have on your pamphlet photo is just out of prison and he is watching what his nephew is doing on a computer game – or on the internet “websites” – right? He hasn’t got a clue what is going on. So car theft makes a lot of sense – when you have few skills, no one will hire you, and you are a survivor or hard time and tough on crime politicians. Go figure… how did he get that way?

He hasn’t a clue what to do with the world around him.

Now if you want a real issue – how about the victims of crime? What is your platform stating about that one?

Every traffic ticket we pay, every fine levied there is an amount set aside for Victim’s of Crime. It is now a huge pot of money collecting interest somewhere – I have been told. And if a Victim of Crime needs assistance it is not really there for them without a royal nightmare to get any help.

Maybe if you took a new approach to your tough stance – and made the convicted thieves work at a job to pay for the property damage that they have done… that would be a good idea? But you have to give them a chance first! Right?

Maybe if the guy that started the fire was made to work for the contractor that has to rebuild the house that burned – he would prove to be an excellent worker and the contractor would keep him on?

Maybe if we helped the vandal start his own company to restore the property damage that was done…then have to hire other vandals… they would get a new appreciation of how hard it is to put back the damage. This new company would not pay them any more than their food and housing. Maybe they would have a new pride in what they would do.

Just encourage me with one thing… you are thinking men and women – right? And if you can promise me one thing – YOU WILL THINK TOO.

I promise you one thing as well – I WILL NOT STOP THINKING. And when really dumb things are in my mail box – I promise you that I will THINK about what is being stated. And when it is DUMB – I will tell you.

~ Pastor Murray Lincoln ~
Praying for all Politicians…

Resources:
SOCIAL POLICY PROPOSALS: CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA
http://www.casw-acts.ca/public/conservative_e.pdf
Conservative Platform
http://www.conservative.ca/media/20060113-Platform.pdf