ATTORNEY GENERAL HYPOCRITICAL ON VIOLENT VIDEOS - RUNCIMAN
(Toronto) Attorney General Michael Bryant is hypocritical regarding DVDs that feature real home videos of violent street fights and group beatings, according to P.C. House Leader Bob Runciman (MPP Leeds-Grenville).
“Police have described the videos as graphic celebrations of street violence, gang culture, contempt for the law and anti-social behaviour,” charged Runciman.
Toronto Police Staff Sgt. Dave Saunders, an expert in youth crime, described the videos as “akin to promoting violence and sometimes horrible gang victimization.” Some titles of the videos include “Ghetto Street Fights” and “Wildest Street Brawls.”
“Another element of this is the ease in which minors can purchase the videos,” said Runciman. “15 year olds had no difficulty making a purchase.”
However, the rhetoric of the Attorney General has not lived up to his actions on this issue. In October of 2000, the Attorney General, then a member of the Opposition, issued a press release calling for the government to regulate the sale of CDs and tapes that contain violent lyrics and a crackdown on artists who advocate violence and hate. He even suggested an injunction to stop Eminem from performing in Toronto.
“The government needs to match action to rhetoric,” argued Runciman. “This was a serious problem in 2000. What now? Is this another example of the say anything to get elected McGuinty Liberals?”
Runciman called attention to the fact that the British Columbia government rates DVDs of this nature as adult films, which means they can only be sold in adult-only stores, similar to pornographic movies, and called for the government to consider that approach in Ontario.
