For the complete story go to:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/virginia/dp-va--gangtaskforce1016oct16,
0,995912.story?coll=dp-headlines-virginia
or http://tinyurl.com/ra07

Why not get tough on gangs, you say. After all they are damn nasty
sometimes and generally up to no good. 

Sure, gangs are bad but government solutions (at least in these times) are
even worse. 

First off, I have my doubts about the effectiveness of taking gang member's
assets. (Politicians seem to have forfeiture on the brain. Every new law
seems to invoke it even when it makes no sense. Is this the only solution
politicians can now come up with? Or is it that they don't give a hoot
about the problem but just want to be able to seize more property?) Since
when did gang member's have a lot of valuable property? What are you going
to take -- their Adidas Shoes?

And second, and more important, we must be extremely wary of every proposed
law in these times of massive political deception. Politician's words
usually have the opposite meaning as that given in the dictionary -- e.g.,
the "USA-PATRIOT act". Further, they make the laws as vague as possible in
their definition of terms. I dare say any citizen can now be arrested as a
"terrorist". And if this law is passed, I would bet that it will be
possible for just about any citizen of Virginia to be arrested for being a
"gang member" or "a loiterer" (do six old codgers sitting on the park bench
swapping tales constitute a gang? Well certainly, and they damn well are
loitering!). We've been through this issue before -- see
http://aspin.asu.edu/hpn/archives/Jun99/0166.html -- and the US Supreme
Court was displeased with the legal definition of gangs and loitering. It
will be interesting to see if Virginia can come up with a better
definition. I doubt it. If they did they would hamper their ability to take
the property of law abiding citizens!

Leon

Gang task force urges tougher laws


By DERRILL HOLLY

Published October 16, 2003

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Faced with the growing threat of gang influence in its
major cities and growing suburbs, Virginia officials called Thursday for
tougher laws.

"We have a gang problem in Virginia. It is frightening to people to see
individuals dragged out of their cars, beaten and left to die," Attorney
General Jerry W. Kilgore said.

Five months after launching the Anti-Gangs Task Force, Kilgore visited
Hayfield Secondary School in Fairfax County to receive the panel's
recommendations, and call for stiffer penalties aimed directly at gang
members involved in violent crimes.
. . .

The panel's various committees have discussed other options and those were
broadly supported in a series of votes taken at Thursday's meeting. One
recommendation is that new penalties be added to the criminal code when an
offense involves gang members. Another would permit the forfeiture of
property and money for gang crimes.

"Hitting these people in their wallets just like we do with drug dealers
could be very effective," said Loudoun County Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson.

. . .

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,



******************************************************
FEAR also offers an unmoderated discussion list and digests for all lists
List unsubscribe: mailto:fear-list-request@mapinc.org?Body=unsubscribe
Swap to digest: mailto:owner-fear-list@mapinc.org?subject=digest
******************************************************