文世昌:枪击案中政客们的表演应该到头了

多伦多枪械暴力，有解决方法吗？
GUNVIOLENCELESS CRIME?MOREFEAR?

文/文世昌

近日来，多伦多接二连三的MASS SHOOTING andGUN VIOLENCE枪击暴力，弄得好像人心惶惶，成为加拿大今个夏天最热的新闻焦点。

但是，见诸StatsCan加拿大统计局7月24日发表的最新CRIME DATA罪案数字，多伦多的安全情况，又似乎是另一回事。

7月25日两份主流大报的社论，都以这个apparent paradox貌似矛盾的现象开展讨论：
Globe and Mail《环球邮报》这样开头：

There is an apparent disconnect between concern over gang violence in Toronto and a new Statistics Canada study showing that Canada’s largest city is also one of the country’s safest.

统计局报告指出：2011年，警方的报案犯罪率下降6%，是1972年以来历史性新低。CRIME INDEX 严重罪行指数，一直有下降的轨迹。

Toronto Star《多伦多星报》社论TWO REALITIES: LESS CRIME, MORE FEAR，也有类似的开场白：

At first glance it may be hard to reconcile the recent spate of tragic gun violence in Toronto with the latest StatsCan crime data: Canada’s crime rate is at its lowest point since the early 1970s—and Toronto is the country’s third-safest city.

多伦多作为全国第3最安全的城市，会不会是illusion假象？还是reality事实的确如此？
真正的情况是：多伦多某些neighbourhoods地区的犯罪数字实在令人担忧，而政府未有对症下药。

三级政府的政客，纷纷亮相，各有盘算，始终给人口惠而实不至的感觉： Ford ，McGuinty, Harper are all missing in action on gang crime。

Toronto Sun《多伦多太阳报》7月25日社论标题LAME RESPONSE TO GANG VIOLENCE对付帮派暴力，软弱无力的回应，一针见血；社论内文，开门见山指出三位政客高调会面，徒劳无功：

Torontonians can take no comfort from this week’s meetings on gang violence involving Mayor Rob Ford, Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. They were dog-and-pony shows by politicians who treat us like mushrooms — covering us in manure and keeping us in the dark.

Take no comfort指没有人从他们三位的话中，得到安慰。所谓dog-and-pony show= an elaborate presentation designed to gain approval for a product or policy, 即是政治人物的表演秀，等同从前江湖卖艺人的综合表演a travelling variety show in the past，香港人的广东流行语是“抽水”。

《太阳报》社论指出：多伦多市长福特雷声大，雨点小，他刻意高调和总理哈珀安排的所谓高峰会议，没有收获：

After his meeting with McGuinty Monday, Ford declared victory without achieving anything.

早一天，福特也未有从安省省长会晤中拿到什么：

McGuinty’s promise to maintain current funding for police anti-gang initiatives was basically a commitment to do nothing other than continue doing what hasn’t worked.

而且，多伦多警队今天减少了175人，也是拜市长从预算案削减所赐：

Today, the Toronto force is down at least 175 officers due to budget cuts, but no one’s talking about bringing it up to its full complement. Why? For Ford, it’s because he ordered those cuts in the first place.

至于安省省长本身,也未有任何新的承担，新的许诺：

McGuinty’s promise to maintain current funding for police anti-gang initiatives was basically a commitment to do nothing other than continue doing what hasn’t worked.

联邦政府的总理哈珀，也只是利用和市长及省长分别会晤的场合，重新推销保守党一贯严打罪恶，加重枪械犯罪刑罚，鼓吹法官严惩罪犯等耳熟能详的政策而已，未有任何具体明确的新建议。引用他自已的一番话：

“I think these events in Toronto underscore why these penalties are essential, why it is essential to have tough and certain penalties for gun crime. I certainly call on the courts to take these penalties seriously.”

《太阳报》新闻报道的标题：Harper, Ford spitball solutions to T.O.’s gun, gang violence，用字措辞,也未见积极。

其实，针对枪械或帮派暴力，三级政府介入的解决方法，不宜只有一刀切的方案，应该采用平衡甚至多轨的对策。

Globe and Mail《环球邮报》社论INTERVENTION; We need tailor-made solutions for crime，有这样的主张：

Governments at all levels should focus their efforts on devising tailor-made programs for communities at risk, instead of investing in one-size-fits-all solutions such as tougher laws, more police to enforce them and stiffer prison sentences.

One-size-fits-all是单一尺码，未有量体裁衣。《邮报》社论认为tailor-made solutions for crime以及curbing gun violence的手法，不妨多样化，不宜独沽一味。需知道：单凭增加警队巡逻街道，单靠联邦政府的omnibus crime bill综合犯罪法例，而未有针对犯罪高危社区下重药，例如增拨资源给行之有效的crime target initiatives,例如：TAVIS( Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy)，及早防患末燃，针对青少年的社区计划，均未能对症下药。

这个double barreled双剑合璧的策略，社论称之为balanced approach，其实即是Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police 加拿大警官协会主席Dale McFee倡导的平衡双轨方向：better co-ordination of all social services and early intervention with at- risk youth，绝对不应是市长一味排挤，负面地标签为拥抱暴徒的计划“Hug-a -thug”programs, as Mr. Ford has called them。

《邮报》社论的结论说得好：

Since Canada is not facing a crime epidemic, the government’s money, energy and political capital would be better spent on targeted police efforts and on programs that address the specific causes of high crime in certain communities.
士嘉堡发生烧烤会枪械暴力的地点，便是这类高犯罪率、极待政府关注的社区。