Toronto's Surge in Violence

Toronto, Ontario is suffering through a surge in violence. First, in fairness to Toronto, their "surge" is very modest compared to virtually any United States city. When compared in proportion to New York City, it remains a fraction of what a "safer" NYC experiences. With that said, it's still shocking to those in Toronto, especially since the latest occurrence was in a high visibility area.

First, I'm sure some NRA advocates are happy to highlight this surge. Now, as mentioned, it's still far less than most U.S. cities. It's just commonsense that less supply makes it more difficult to commit acts. However, I'm sure that those that want guns can find a way. So it's not perfect, and I'm sure it never has been. However, there's no need for legal assault weapons, given they are designed to kill people.

Here's what I think the real issue is, and it's the issue in many U.S. cities: "There are neighborhoods in Toronto where young people face barriers of poverty, discrimination, and don't have real hope and opportunity," Miller said. "The kind of programs that we once took for granted in Canada, that would reach out to young people, have systematically disappeared over the past decade, and I think that gun violence is a symptom of a much bigger problem."

Canada has always had a superior social services system. However, they have also seen cuts. As kids lose hope, they resort to other means. Many Americans in impoverished areas have no hope, so they resort to violence. Until society figures out a way to provide support and jobs, this will continue to occur. The U.S. is just much more "advanced" in this regard. Canadians need to be careful though.

Bush's Defensive

Despite not being a Bush fan, I almost feel sorry for him right now. Then again, he must be accountable for his actions. Following an interesting piece on seven Glens Falls friends that went off to war, with one returning dead and three injured, it seemed ironic that a speech backing the war followed. It was sad to see the red tape they have to deal with on a daily basis. That's only the beginning though.

The Patriot Act has stalled in the Senate, with some measures due to expire at the end of the year. Even worse for him, this happened to coincide with the revelation that his administration had used secret wiretaps to monitor phone calls involving U.S. citizens calling internationally. That certainly didn't help his case.

It really is simple though. He needs to level with the people. He clearly overstated the case to go to war. Perhaps the vote would have been the same if they leveled with everyone on their intelligence, but they didn't. Then, again, instead of leveling with the people, the secret wiretap tactic was used. In the end, people want to be secure, but not at the expense of sacrificing the freedoms that the government claims they are fighting for now.

Iraq and its Challenges

An article in today's NY Times does a nice job of outlining the current situation in Iraq. To the president's credit, it sounds like he finally gave a somewhat forthright description of the current challenges. As the article points out, many generals have felt winning the war was achievable all along, although improvement needs to be seen. As one senior commander put it, the administration was previously putting out an "illusionist" version of the war.

Now, the sobering reality is the United States has to put on offensives in several locations to regain control of strategic cities. While this was certainly hidden from the nation for a long time, it's nice to see at least some concessions. Truth is important, and really building up the Iraqi forces is the key so that some day, quite a ways down the road, they can stand on their own.

I disagreed with this war from day one. I can't say my views have changed. However, since we've gotten ourselves into this situation, we can't leave Iraq in an inferior condition. Sure, people technically enjoy more freedoms, but the costs are significant with insurgents running wild. Let's be honest, was Saddam any worse than those virtually controlling some areas now? It's an ugly situation, but it's nice to see a supposedly honest and ethical administration actually providing the population with some honesty.