Fwd: Take on the Bikers - G&M editorial Apr 12, 2006

This is a letter to the Globe I sent today over their editorial entitled "Take on the biker gangs."

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Elron Steele <elron6900@gmail.com>
Date: Apr 12, 2006 2:14 PM
Subject: Re: Take on the Bikers - G&M editorial Apr 12, 2006
To: letters@globeandmail.com

This was an interesting editorial, with a premise I largely agreed with ... That we need to take a hard line against organized crime and the criminal enterprises it maintains. But there was also a list of examples of those 'criminal enterprises' and that's where the problem lies. To quote:

"... variety of criminal enterprises. These include the illegal trafficking of guns and drugs ... as well as money laundering, prostitution and pornography ..."

When did pornography become illegal in Canada? When did it become illegal to produce, or to purchase and own? When did the Supreme Court take away my rights to document my sex life, or to watch the documentation of others?.

Perhaps the editorial meant to say "child porn" (though I admit to not hearing ANY evidence connecting Biker gangs to child porn), which would constitute a 'criminal enterprise' but pornography is simple NOT illegal in Canada. Its untrue statements like this that leave people who produce erotic art in the ghetto ... by insinuating that pornography is a criminal enterprise in this country, you simply serve to further marginalize people who actually do it. That's not surprising, but it is disappointing from a paper that I usually credit with pretty good honesty. It seems though, someone forgot that there's nothing illegal about pornography in Canada.