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Editorial || Andy Donato's editorial cartoon
Mon, December 27, 2004

For public relations purposes, Police Chief Julian Fantino may need to reassure Toronto that most teenagers are not "out of control" (Dec. 17),
but I am under no such obligation.

As far as I'm concerned, the upcoming generation is a zero, a blot upon Canada and a disgrace to humanity.

There are numbers of notable exceptions, but a large swath of them can be written off. I am not alone in this assessment; many hold similar
views.

I work near a high school. To be dirt honest, the boys act like thugs and gangsters; the girls look like used gun molls. Most of the boys walk
home, menacingly, with one hand in their coat pocket. Their facial and body language clearly telegraphs, "I've got a knife or a gun here. Look
at me cross-eyed, and I'll kill you." Nice, eh?

The noise, the vulgarity, the menacing postures, the drugs and drunkenness, the ignorance, the sloth, the cunning, the callousness, the
hair-trigger urge to injure and kill. No amount of PR can undo all that.

Let's face the truth. We've spawned, in great numbers, a generation of monsters. Now what do we do?

Frank Bigelow
Toronto

(No one's tougher on youth crime than us, but we still believe most young people are fine citizens. And we hope some write to set you
straight)

I am a Canadian living in Virginia, my family and I moved here more than two years ago. I have two sons attending very good schools here. When we first visited the schools, I was nervous that both the middle and high schools actually have a police officer in each school, but as time goes by, I now feel relieved that my children have that protection. Having police there discourages bad behaviour. I used to volunteer at a K-8
school in Brampton, and more than once the police had to be called in for violent acts. This could be an idea for the schools in Ontario.

Debbie Cole

(A cop in every school? We need more on the street first)

I know the Liberal party of Canada treats all criminals with kid gloves, especially young offenders -- but don't forget, when Brian Mulroney had
the reins, the Conservatives didn't do much better.

Ted Mead
Winchester

(Really? Just look at how much violent youth crime has gone up since then)

RE B.J. Coffey's proposed solution to youth violence and street gangs (Dec. 20):

Although parents should know what their children are up to, I don't believe the parents should be punished for their teens' behaviour.
This is the problem with society, they want to find an excuse for the decisions others make. Just because a teen happens to be in a gang doesn't always mean his or her parents weren't involved enough. We have seen teens from all walks of life end up in trouble with the law, from
lower class to upper class. These gangsters should stand alone with the decisions they make. They know right from wrong. What it comes down to is that we have a government that cares more about the rights of criminals than the victims. If, God forbid, one of my loved ones was a
victim of these punks, I would want justice, not excuses.

T. Trotter
Toronto