While Canada's overall crime rate has been holding steady, or even declining in most areas, citizens are concerned about the alarming trends of violence in our communities.
In particular, citizens are becoming increasingly troubled by violent crime involving handguns, weapons and youth gangs.
Statistics show that violent crime is on the rise, and handgun violence is becoming more frequent. Violent crime is 35% higher than it was 20 years ago, and handguns are seen in more arrests today than at any time in the last three decades.
People also see youth gangs proliferating. In both Vancouver and Toronto, there have been a number of deaths of youth as a result of the violent use of guns, knives and other weapons.
This has touched me personally.
I am the Chair of the Parent Advisory Council at Mount Pleasant School. Last year, I had to witness something no parent ever wishes to experience - the death of 13 year old Chrisna Poeung, who died of a knife wound after being stabbed in an off-school fight.
This followed the death five years ago of another student at the school - another 13 year old boy who died of heart arrhythmia after being chased for several kilometers by older bullies.
Readers will also recall the high profile deaths of two Filipino youth who were beaten and stabbed to death at Sir Charles Tupper High School and Grey's Park.
Both are only blocks from my house in Vancouver Kingsway. One occurred just last month.
It is against this backdrop that we must act.
The federal NDP has adopted policies that confront this problem from two major angles.
First, we believe it is imperative that our society address the root causes of youth crime.
These causes are not seriously debatable: poverty, inaccessible educational opportunities, lack of parental involvement, inadequate community facilities and programs for youth, and a general social tolerance for violence as a means of resolving problems (despite what we say: witness Afghanistan).
These issues must be addressed if we are serious about reducing youth alienation and despair - and if we want our youth to have real hope for their futures.
That is why the NDP wants federal funds targeted at community-based programs outside school hours for our youth. That is why we want funds targeted at building needed infrastructure, like community centres, gyms and pools. That is why we have called for policies that will help parents earn a greater share of this nation's great wealth, so they can spend more time parenting their children instead of trying to pay the rent.
The mother of the 15 year old Filipino youth who died last month in a stabbing was working at the time he was killed - at 2 am.
She herself pointed to the fact she had to work extraordinarily long hours to support her children as directly affecting her ability to properly care for her kids.
We must address these issues.
But we must also send a strong message that violence - and especially violence that involves weapons like handguns - will absolutely not be tolerated.
That is why the NDP voted to support the Crime Bill recently introduced in Parliament, and currently awaiting Senate approval.
This legislation does a number of things.
It provides minimum mandatory penalties for those who use handguns in the commission of a crime.
It will see more youth over the age of 16 who commit a crime using a gun tried as adults, with more serious penalties.
It introduces a "reverse onus" on bail for all gun-related charges, and toughens up the enforcement of bail conditions for those who are granted bail.
In short, the NDP has taken a very tough position that makes it clear that handguns, weapons and violence have absolutely no place in our cities - and that violent crime is an affront to every citizen's right to live peacefully and with security.
Now, we are well aware that some of these measures run counter to some long-held ideals. Changing principles like the burden of proof in a bail situation is not done lightly.
But what these measures say is that sometimes the rights of one person are more important than the rights of another. The right of a citizen to be safe and secure must take priority over the right of another who would so seriously break the civil compact we have by introducing weapons into our society.
These measures also say strongly that there is zero tolerance when it comes to handguns and weapons.
There is nothing necessarily "progressive" about allowing any mixed messages when it comes to these tools of death.
Canadians have long been proud of our safe and peaceful society - extremely safe by international standards.
The NDP wants to keep it that way.
And now the Senate - dominated by Liberals, and elected by no-one - is threatening to block this legislation.
This is a travesty - but not surprising.
After over 12 years of Liberal government, the Liberals took no serious measures to address either the root causes of youth crime or the increasing proliferation of violence.
The Liberals brought in no tough penalties for gun crime.
They let nearly half of all border crossings go with no staff on guard at night - leaving the border porous for illegal handguns.
The Auditor General reported that the Liberals underfunded the RCMP, leaving many communities without sufficient officers to provide minimal protection.
And they cut support for affordable housing, education, training, social assistance and municipal infrastructure in our cities.
The prospect of an unelected, Liberal-dominated Senate blocking this legislation that has been passed by Parliament is an affront to democracy.
It is also bad public policy.
So, the next time a Liberal comes asking for your next vote - ask them why they so easily and routinely ignored your vote in the past.
And remember that when they had the chance to govern and protect your communities - they failed.
