Rick Barker | Simple Is Always Best

Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor
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A lot of talk everywhere regarding the widespread violence that we are experiencing worldwide and here in the U.S. in particular, and as usual everyone has their pet theories on how to best address the problem[s] and most involve enacting new laws.  

As I have pointed out in another letter, “criminals” by definition DO NOT OBEY LAWS, so excuse me if I am having trouble understanding how they are all of a sudden going to start obeying a new one that gets added into our already voluminous 3,000-plus-page California Penal Code. 

And here’s another brilliant idea coming from the left…Let’s ban a certain type of firearm that is used less than knives, hands and blunt objects to kill people every year! That really ought to put a dent in violent crime.  

And as I have also pointed out before, laws are after-the-fact instruments that do absolutely nothing to prevent the crime from being committed in the first place. All laws do is proscribe a penalty AFTER the crime has already been committed and the perpetrator has been arrested. 

What’s my suggestion? How about we start by using existing laws to put violent people away when they commit violent crimes? The vast majority of crimes in general and violent crimes in particular are committed by a small percentage of the population. Put these people away for long periods of time and violent crime will drop. Use the federal RICO laws to put entire street gangs away just like the feds did with the Mafia. 

It’s all actually pretty simple. Reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. What a novel concept, huh? 

Rick Barker 

Valencia 

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