We must end this senseless violence (From The Argus)

We must end this senseless violence

7:48am Friday 11th July 2008 in

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Knives cost lives - and the battle to stop the bloodshed is one we must win.

That is why The Argus is beginning the fightback and now we need your help.

On the day the grieving mother of murdered David Stunell calls for an end to knife crime, The Argus launches Knives Cost Lives, a campaign to end the violence and show respect cannot be won at the point of a blade.

We will expose the yobs destroying our communities as we pledge to take on the perpetrators of senseless violence and the law-makers who seem powerless to stem the tide of stabbings.

The Argus has launched a three-point charter which calls for action by police, prosecutors, prisons and schools. It demands:

• A minimum sentence of two years for carrying a knife without lawful reason
• An end to automatic early release for anyone convicted of knife crime
• Greater education to teach the simple message: Respect cannot be won waving a blade Sussex is not helpless. We can - and must - show teenagers that carrying knives inevitably leads to tragedy ... and that Knives Cost Lives.

To sign our petition to Home Office minister Tony McNulty saying you support our campaign, click here.