Svend Robinson Poll

[Motoro]

Some recent news stories in case you want some more info:

Globe and Mail

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto.../BNStory/Front/

National Post

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpos...38-4c61c2c678d2

I find it laughable that the judge says Svend has been vilified enough already. I don't sense that in the media at all. If anything, the media has gone easy on him, playing up the "stress" factor. It is my opinion that judges, in the process of sentencing, shouldn't consider any punishment the public may or may not have meted out.

-Motoro

[maplesyrup]

Get real!

Svend has already paid a huge price for his behaviour.

Fortunately, it sounded like Svend had an enlightened judge who had an accurate appreciation of his situation.

Who cares about a piece of jewellery, anyways?

It is acts of violence and guns that need to be seriously addressed in Canada.

[Alliance Fanatic]

Get real!

Svend has already paid a huge price for his behaviour.

Fortunately, it sounded like Svend had an enlightened judge who had an accurate appreciation of his situation.

Who cares about a piece of jewellery, anyways?

It is acts of violence and guns that need to be seriously addressed in Canada. 

A 50,000$ peice of jewellery. Svend Robinson only came forward when he realized that he was on tape, and that the RCMP knew that he committed the crime. If the police did'nt know about it, then his boyfriend would have a 50,000$ ring on his finger. Svend was also shopping around for a ring days before the incident, which also makes me question the whole situation. Then Svend Robinson blamed it on stress . Besides that, his excuse sounds like basically every other shoplifters excuse, I don't know why I did it, I'm under alot of stress, booo friggin hoo.

He's under alot of stress you know, calling everybody that disagrees with him a bigot, trying to lower the age for boys to 14, and that huge salary and pension that he's earning.

[Stoker]

IMHO, the punishment seems to be par for the Canadian legal systems course...........I mean why bother sending him to jail, Canadian taxpayer's money has been wasted on Svend for decades........why waste another cent?

[August1991]

If the Liberals are the new standard, Svend is well-placed for a seat in parliament. It seems English Canadians are prepared to elect thieves as long as they wrap themselves in a red kerchief and shake a fist at the US.

[playfullfellow]

The sentence is a crock of crap as far as I am concerned. I know teenagers who have done less and gotten more of a punishment than that idiot did. Stress my Aunt Fannies butt. We all deal with stress everyday and don't go and steal 50,000 dollar rings. Get real MS, he should have received at least 500 community hours and a suspended sentence plus a couple of years probation. At least that way he wouldn't be able to get free trips to other countries because he would have a criminal record. BTW, theft is theft, 50 bucks or 50,000 no matter how look at it. Just out of curiosity, how many times has he done this without getting caught?

[DAC]

If Joe bluecollar worker with no money for a big name lawyer, or Jack homeless had done this, does anybody honestly think they'd have missed a criminal conviction?

Enough said.

[maplesyrup]

What's the big deal here anyways, apart from the fact that Svend is the left wing politician that most right wingers love to hate.

It's not like some violence took place or someone was threatened with physical violence. So some rich guys piece of jewellery went missing for a couple of days, but then it was returned.

It's not like Svend didn't know he was being watched or that they didn't know who he was. Do you know the procedures at these auctions?

Time to give it up. You had your pound of flesh when he was charged during the last week on the federal election campaign. Coincidence of timing, eh!

[August1991]

Point taken, MS.

So some rich guys piece of jewellery went missing for a couple of days

If a third world chick steals from you, that's OK because she comes from a poor place? Should we all give a wider berth to "poor" people?

[maplesyrup]

Maybe if we focused on addressing the reasons for poverty rather than sweeping them under the rug, we wouldn't be addressing problems of theft in our society.

Gotta to love this holier than thou mentality when someone gets caught. Most people, if honest, would probably say, there but for the grace of God, goes I.

How many people can honestly say for example they have never tried to chisel on their taxes, or whatever? Not very many I would fathom.

There is a fundamental difference between stealing something and physically injuring someone, and this needs to be reflected in our judicial system.

We need to decriminalize stealing just as we are about to do with marijuana. It should become a civil matter.

Time for some new ideas in this country instead of the same old, same old.

[Stoker]

We need to decriminalize stealing just as we are about to do with marijuana. It should become a civil matter.

So does this mean I can steal a new Corvette without any real consequences?

[theloniusfleabag]

Derar DAC and August1991,

I own a business in a part of town rife with crack-cocaine, stabbings, prostitution and you name it. I see crack dealers occasionally get arrested and be back on the streets within hours. I see crack use in front of my business every day, and worse, the police don't come when me or my staff, or adjacent businesses, call anymore. (They claim to respond to every call they get, but due to chronic underfunding we have often gone home for the day by the time they can get around).

I overheard of fellow(who looked like he was recently kicked out of the Hell's Angels for looking like a psycho) state to someone else,"It's great now, I can pretty much do anything I want and all they (justice) do is give me counselling!"

I cannot see Svend earning greater punishment than this person. The Canadian Justice system needs a swift kick in the pants, but Sven, idiot though he may be, deserves the typical punishment, which is unfortunately not much.

[maplesyrup]

We need to decriminalize stealing just as we are about to do with marijuana. It should become a civil matter.

So does this mean I can steal a new Corvette without any real consequences?

Do you equate stealing a car with stabbing someone?

I don't.

[August1991]

The Canadian Justice system needs a swift kick in the pants, but Sven, idiot though he may be, deserves the typical punishment, which is unfortunately not much.

You address your message to me but it was ordinary English Canadians who elected thieves to Parliament. They stole money, gave it to Quebec advertising firms who then returned the money to the thieves. Everyone knew about this, including our current Prime Minister. (Quebec voters did not vote for such candidates.)

What is your point? Swift kick? Where?

[Stoker]

Do you equate stealing a car with stabbing someone?

I don't. 

No, but I'm not talking about stabbing a person........I'm talking about 2005', Canary Yellow Corvette..........so is it now kinda alright if I steal one?

What about if I come over to your home and take what I wish? Is that alright?

I could even be considered poor if you put me smack dab in the middle of the British Properties.......What about there? Can I steal a Corvette from the rich?

Would it be alright if a bum on Welfare spent all his welly check on dope, then stole another bum's welfare check?

Is poor stealing from the poor aloud?

[takeanumber]

Most politicians dont' even admit it when they steal.

In Svend's case, he confessed, and resigned.

Should a Conservative be so honest.

(And you would never expect a federal Liberal to admit fault)

I think for the right wing, the issue that he's gay is the real issue, and they'll take anything and beat him with it.

Who says the media doesn't have an agenda?

[playfullfellow]

I think for the right wing, the issue that he's gay is the real issue, and they'll take anything and beat him with it.

Get real TAK, I couldn't care less whether he is gay or not. I just don't like the guy and his arrogant attitude. I feel he got preferential treatment because of who he is which is wrong.

[caesar]

So does this mean I can steal a new Corvette without any real consequences?

Only if you are sure to return it undamaged before you get caught; and didn't drive irresponsibly. Someone who steals a high powered car like a Corvette may have done so to have "fun" racing it and thereby endangering others.

Most people on a non violent first crime; so not serve time

I think we need to worry more about the soft sentences handed out to violent criminals particularly child molestation crimes.

[playfullfellow]

We need to decriminalize stealing just as we are about to do with marijuana. It should become a civil matter.

In a very small way I might agree with you here MS but I would much rather be allowed to deal with someone who steals my stuff on my own terms. They wouldn't steal again, thats for sure but that would go against your theory on violent crime which I do agree with should be tougher.

Now, please explain to me how your system of decriminalized theft would work? I gather since it is not a crime anymore, the police would have to get involved so how would we find our stolen stuff? In other words, I would have to look myself for the several thousand dollars worth of tools that were recently stolen from me and if by chance I do find them, then I would have to take the scumbags to court myself? Can you just imagine the frikien chaos that sort of system would create? Obviously you have not been the victem of theft yet MS or you would have a totally different view on the matter. This year has cost me over 6000 dollars so far due to theft. That is 3 months of work for me to make that up plus I still have to pay my other bills. I am tired of working my ass off so some out of work idiot just steals my stuff from me.

[Slavik44]

Excuse me while I go steal a Viper and Blame it on Grand theft auto vice city.

[maplesyrup]

Having your car or your tools stolen is not the same as being physically threatened, hurt or killed. And like the police were able to find the stolen items right.

What's the big deal - you have insurance, don't you? Let the insurance company worry about things like that. Let them earn their premiums.

Police should not be tied up with such mundane work. They are too highly paid to be wasted doing that. And you guys are into low minimum wages, aren't you? So hire a security guard to protect your precious THINGS.

And although you may find this hard to believe, it is not the police's role to protect the rich from the poor in our society.

Perhaps you guys are putting too much value on material things, eh?

[playfullfellow]

WTF MS? Hire a bloody security guard and rely on insurance. I see planet MS is a better place to live than planet Earth because reality is that people can't afford that kind of crap. At least not to the level you are talking about. And I sure as hell am not rich, I am low/middle income. Have you ever taken out insurance for tools? I highly doubt it. Come back to reality and face facts, people can't afford the type of life you dream of. BTW, the police did find my vehicle the same day and no they did not find my tools but they are doing a pretty good job as far as I am concerned.

I guess I can always hire you as a security guard but I doubt you would hack it because you would pee your panties if anyone ever did try to break into a job sight and steal stuff.

[idealisttotheend]

Far be it for me to sound like a right winger, but de-criminalizing theft would lead to chaos IMO.

And although you may find this hard to believe, it is not the police's role to protect the rich from the poor in our society.

If you entrust the protection of property to private security forces, the net result is that the rich will have their things protected and the the poor will not. This is hardly ideal.

Arguing that the poor should be able to take what they want from the rich through petty theft would lead to anarchy, looting and street fights. Wealth must be redistributed through the legislature not by the barrel of gun (or sharp stick depending on how poor the person in question is).

[August1991]

MS has a point. A civil suit can protect property rights. This whole process could be privatized except... what happens when the thief has nothing to be seized except life itself? Who will operate a prison?

If you entrust the protection of property to private security forces, the net result is that the rich will have their things protected and the the poor will not.

The poor by definition have nothing to steal. (Thieves apply "progressive" taxation.)

Wealth must be redistributed through the legislature not by the barrel of gun (or sharp stick depending on how poor the person in question is).

To tax, the legislature uses the barrel of a gun. How the tax is collected is not the issue.

[caesar]

Theft is not the action of protecting the rich from the poor; most thieves are not stealing because they are poor ( one certainly can not call Sven poor)

His only saving grace was returning it before being caught ( whether he realized it was probably on video or not) and it being a first offence and endangered nobody.

I do not condone any theft; I do not want to pay sky rocketing insurance payments by allowing such thefts to be de criminalized.

The police should be going after thieves; it is their job. I had an incident where a addict street person was out of control and screaming and yelling at me; I had to lock myself in my place of business; they refused to come as the mall had security guards???? Even called back and whined about me hanging up on them.