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echo: askacop
to: TOM RIGHTMER
from: RICH WILLBANKS
date: 1998-02-19 11:27:00
subject: Zero Tolerance

 RW> Now with this history do you really
 RW> want to apply "Zero Tolerance" to law enforcement? Not me!
TR> The examples you cited dealt with school, not law
TR> enforcement. "Zero  Tolerance" in law enforcement does not
TR> refer to new laws, rather to older laws that may not have
True, but the same thing applies.  The rules that
were/are enforced through the ZT are not new they are
just being enforced with "Zero Tolerance".  Look at the
examples in my original msg.  It has always been
against the school rules to bring a weapon to school,
thus the expulsion of the third grader with the knife.
It has always been wrong to sexually assault another
student thus the suspension of the first grader.  It
has always been against the rules to have drugs in
school thus the suspension of the two girls and my
almost law suit.
No new rules were written.  They were just enforcing
the ones they had with "Zero Tolerance".
TR> I think that I understand your fear of the term, "Zero
TR> Tolerance", as you are  comparing it to programs that are
TR> not law enforcement programs. We are not  talking about new
TR> laws and new penalties, rather old laws and old penalties. 
I don't think you do.  You look at it as the perfect
solution to crime.  Just as people and school officials
looked at ZT as the perfect solution to school
problems.  I see it as another slippery slope akin to
"hate speech", "hate crimes", gun control and all the
things brought up to "protect the children".
TR> and see what you  think. It has always been against the law
TR> to stand on the street corner and  sell drugs. In a "Zero
TR> Tolerance" program with additional manpower assigned to  the
TR> area, the drug dealers would have a uniformed officer
TR> standing there with  them until they gave up and went home.
And when this worked do you see governors, mayors,
congressmen, etc. suggesting putting a police officer
on every block in the "bad neighborhoods" to "stop drug
use"?  And from there 'a cop on every corner' to stop
?  Do you really want to live in a city
where there is a cop on every corner just looking for
someone to do something?  Cops who need to 'stand out'
from the rest if they are going to get promoted.
Now if you change it to having enough cops to respond
to citizens complaints or to run undercover ops to bust
the drug dealers and users then go for it.  Not having
enough cops to intimidate the citizenry.
TR> many of the good citizens actually come outside and applaud.
Because most of them are short sighted.  Most of them
think its a good idea to prevent "hate speech" until
they discover just what is considered "hate speech"
when their kid is tossed out of school or they are hit
with a law suit.
Sorry I have to agree with Franklin;
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a
little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety."
                      Remember:  Freedom isn't Free!
--- timEd-B11
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