Anonymous writes:
I’m extremely disappointed in both the Randburg police and the Randburg Sun.
The disappointment in the police extends to disbelief and even anger at them hauling off homeless people in the middle of the night – it is the wrong mix of cruel, disgusting and pointless [in reference to Police arrest 30 homeless people, Week ending 3 November].
These people are a product of a failed social system. Locking them up in holding cells is not a solution in any form, it’s simply a way for the police to pat themselves on the back and feel like they’ve done something. What they’ve done is tread on human rights. No surprise there.
They’re treating these people as if they’re making disagreeable lifestyle decisions that they should be held accountable for.
The disappointment in the Randburg Sun is for covering this kind of nonsense and framing it in a positive light.
What were these people’s options? What are their future options?
What improvements has this expenditure of taxpayers’ funds resulted in? None, worse and nothing.
I trust yourselves and the police involved are sleeping well knowing that your combined collaboration reduces the most impoverished people in town to an even further state of hopelessness, stamped on what pride and dignity they may have still had, and effectively robbed them of the few possessions they might have accumulated in life.
Bravo Randburg Saps, bravo. What horrific crime might be next, locking up babies for indecent exposure?
I’m also disappointed in the Randburg Sun for its continued coverage of the police’s pathetic efforts to control plants (In response to 6 years for dope? Week ending 27 October). The very idea of plants being illegal is nonsensical. The fact that these plants possess great medicinal value is something that is coming to light overseas. Many American states have woken up to the fact that cannabis is not only non-harmful, but can earn tremendous revenue once it is legal and taxable – millions of dollars per month, per state.
Instead, we have the local police locking people up just to create statistics that give the impression they’ve been doing useful work. Why don’t they rather work on reducing rape and actual violent crimes that are hurting people. Why? Because it’s very easy to rather go for soft targets that pose no threat to them or anyone else.
The Randburg Sun needs to stop supporting this jackboot behaviour, or perhaps acknowledge them for what they are – publicity stunts to try and give the impression that the police are accomplishing anything productive.
Refer headline of 3/11 (or pretty much any week of the year). They’re not, and for all their ‘high profile’ drug busts they seem to be making insignificant, minimal inroads into actual crimes. Can they produce any stats showing how violent crimes decrease when cannabis users and dealers are behind bars? No… because there are none.
Just leave plants to gardeners, Saps, and deal with criminals who are breaking laws that hurt people.
Sleep well.
