Pubdate: Mon, 08 Dec 2003 Source: Delta Optimist (CN BC) Copyright: 2003 Lower Mainland Publishing Group Inc Contact: http://www.delta-optimist.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1265 Author: Alan Randell ESTABLISHMENT HAS VESTED INTEREST IN CRIME GANGS Editor: Re: Coleman paints an unflattering picture of the Hells Angels, Nov. 29 Are there more steadfast, more helpful friends of the police, the politicians and the media than organized crime? I don't think so. If there were no criminal gangs, how would the police be able to justify their huge budgets, how would politicians promise to slay the dragon of organized crime and what would newspapers like yourself find to write about? In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if organized crime were a cooperative make-work project of the federal government, cops and newspaper publishers. If drugs and prostitution were legal, which they should be if the Charter means anything at all, the Hells Angels and their ilk would disappear, but, of course, that will never happen because the police, the politicians and the media all have a vested interest in the continuing enforcement of these ridiculous laws. Alan Randell - --- MAP posted-by: Josh