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A common sense statement from a
law-enforcement officer.
Please see the letter to the editor from the
Philly Inquirer below that has Cease Fire upset. Then write to the
paper and let them know that you agree with Detective Fox. Quit
punishing the law-abiding citizens. Stop the "Catch &
Release" programs for criminals and keep them in jail.
And don't forget to thank Detective Fox for speaking the truth.
----- Original Message -----
From: CeaseFire
PA
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 11:00
AM
Subject: Please write in today
Dear
Friends,
Please take a few minutes today and write a letter
to the editor in response to the following opinion piece, which appears in
today's Inquirer. In particular, we are asking people to respond to
the comment we've highlighted in bold and
red, below.
We are
dismayed that someone so high up in the Philadelphia Police Department
would suggest that this is an either-or situation, and hope to set the
record straight with a flurry of correspondence.
If you want
a few ideas on what to say, you can visit these websites:
www.handgunsanity.org
or www.ceasefirepa.org or www.pathcoalition.org.
Submissions to the
main letters section may be e-mailed to Inquirer.Letters@phillynews.com; mailed to Readers
Editor, The Inquirer, Box
41705, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101;
or faxed to 215-854-4483.o:
CeaseFire PA
is sending a response on behalf of the organization, but the more people
the editors hear from, the better. We'd appreciate you copying us on
your correspondence, as well.
ONE READER'S VIEW
Letters |
Put the blame where it lies: The killers
We have to stop pointing the finger everywhere
but at the very people who prey on us each day. Over time we have allowed
our value system to erode. We refuse to hold people accountable for their
actions and constantly make excuses for their inexcusable behavior. The
incessant cry for tougher gun laws is a good example. Until
we're ready to strictly enforce the current laws there is no reason for
tougher ones.
Yes, there is a need to work on the social ills
at the core of much of the unrest, but that does not mean we should accept
those ills as a reason to excuse the behavior. Those engaged in this
violent lifestyle know exactly what they're doing. They also know it is
wrong. And they also know there are no serious consequences for their
actions. It's not a matter of not knowing right from wrong,
it's a matter of weighing the risk. And today they face very little risk.
Time after time
these budding killers are arrested with guns, only to be returned to the
streets with a slap on the wrist. Is it any wonder we have trouble getting
witnesses to speak up? Instead of holding vigils at murder scenes, groups
like Men United for a Better Philadelphia and Mothers in Charge should
throw a ring around the Criminal
In-Justice Center and demand that our judges
hold the criminals accountable.
More than 80 percent of Philadelphia's cold-blooded killers have
criminal records. Most of those records are lengthy, many for violent
crimes. Every one of those arrests represents an opportunity to send a
clear message, before they take another life.
Joseph Fox
Chief of Detectives
Philadelphia Police Department
Philadelphia
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