Our city has been caught in the cross-hairs of gang violence. How do we move forward? What are our elected officials and leaders doing to keep us safe?
On Thursday, join us from 7 – 8 p.m. on 680News, Citytv and CityNews Channel for Toronto Under Fire: a special conversation about gun violence. It will also be streaming live at 680News.com, CityNews.ca/live and the CityNews apps for iPhone & iPad.
Toronto police chief Bill Blair will be with us for the entire hour, answering questions and taking your calls on the issue of guns and gang violence.
Anchored by CityNews’ Gord Martineau, we’ll have live reports from Avery Haines at the site of Monday’s deadly shooting in Scarborough, Roger Petersen at Yonge-Dundas Square across from the Eaton Centre and 680News reporter Carl Hanstke in Little Italy, which was rocked during the Euro soccer tournament by a brazen afternoon attack.
You can also join in the conversation online as Francis D’Souza moderates a live chat on 680News.com and CityNews.ca as well as on Twitter using the hashtag #TOunderfire.
To participate:
Phone: 416-870-6010 or 1-888-871-6010
Web: 680News.com or CityNews.ca
Twitter: #TOunderfire
Email: news.to@citynews.ca
Do YOU have any ideas for fixing the problems of gun violence in the city?
2 Comments User Comments
Add a commentRainbowRay
July 19, 2012
12:34 pm
Well, first I thihk people need to realize that the saying “it’s not guns that kill people, but people kill people” is not as simplea phrase as it sounds because everyone interprets to mean something different based on it context and you get those who disagree with that statement because it’s to narrow in scope; not broad enough.
I think much of the problem has to do with “trust” and of course the regular “be careful who you know and get involved with in your life”. You can choose your friends, but you have to be cautious nowadays or you can end up with someone who is involved in some sort ot criminal activity that you know about until its to late.
Alot of the people who are involved with “gun violence” (gangs, domestic disputes involving weapons, etc) may have come from “broken homes” and that’s why they get involved. They think theirs no hope so they think that “violence” is the answer to get what they want WITHOUT looking at any alternative (they just jump the “gun”, pun intended and do what they want without thinking about the consequences of their actions, but the trouble with gangs is “they don’t give a shit” and never will and don’t want to listen any authority except their own; that’s all that matters, no matter how much trouble they get into. It’s their attitude and that’s why we have so much violence going on. They don’t give a shit about anything, because they think people don’t give a shit about them; maybe it started at home and their thinking worked its way into society. That’s what I think anyway.
Violent criminals like gangs, need to “change their attitude” or else they’ll just get themselves into more deep shit they can’t get out of. Where does this attitude start? I Believe it starts at home, when their young before it’s to late and then they tell you where to go and do their own thing.
You know what I would like to try with those gangs and thought about this yesterday after writing on CHFI’s blog from yesterday. I would like to get them to come to a session somewhere held in Toronto and sit there just for a couple of hours and listen to “ex-gang members” tell their ‘brutal story” and what they did to change their lives around. If the people who present their story make it “realistic enough” to scare the shit out of them (especially new members where there maybe stil hope), maybe they’ll think twice, maybe not, but it’s better then doing nothing (a forum that’s what it’s called!). Getting gang members to participate is a challenge, but not impossible if THEY REALLY WANT ANY CHANCE OF HOPE for themselves. If they don’t they’re screwed for life.
I have seen DVD’S of rorums for troubled youth and as they rap with people like themselves who were once delinquents and they seem to have some profound effect on them; so they do work. Just a thought! There are other ways, but this is the most civil way I know.
LOVE
RainbowRay
GAIL CRAWFORD
July 19, 2012
2:58 pm
I was going shopping on monday planned to go to a mall in Toronto , My friend asked me if i thought that was such a good idea ? After the question was asked i had to reconsider and stay in the durham region , so sad that we have lost our freedom do to a very few in this country .
I believe it is time that we all do something about this problem as i go to church just down the road from the goodfellow hair dressing that the young boy opened that was killed .
I think bringing in the army to help the police would be a first step .
As the cut back in the police i am sure has not helped .
Time to stand up as citizens and take a stand .
If you are afraid to talk then you will end up hiding in your homes and freedom is one thing we have always had in this country . LETS TAKE OUR FREEDOM BACK . GAIL