The Toronto Star reports the following:
The province’s police complaints watchdog has recommended 31 officers be charged with misconduct during the G20 summit, two of them in senior positions, Toronto police said Wednesday.
The good chief must be wearing his kevlar vest 24/7, judging by his apparent immunity to any consequences for his disastrous G20 police 'leadership' in 2010.
I recently wrote a post entitled, What Do Bumper Stickers Reveal About Us? Part 1, in which I contemplated the implications of the one that reads: If You Don't Stand Behind Our Troops, Feel Free To Stand In Front of Them. I ended that post by offering the opinion that the second part of the slogan suggests that raising any kinds of questions about the military is tantamount to treason and therefore warrants execution. Now to the implications of that mentality.
Military policy is determined by government. Government decides whether to wage war, and with whom. Government determines whether or not military service is voluntary or mandatory. And it is government, unfortunately, that is frequently motivated by imperatives that are more political than they are noble in deciding to put our young soldiers into harm's way, paving the road to grievous injury, a lifetime of disability, and even death.
Take, for example, the war in Afghanistan. Even jingoists like Stephen Harper now recognize its futility, refusing to extend beyond 2014 any Canadian presence there. Unfortunately, however, with the loss of 158 lives, far too high a price has already been paid for a commitment originally made by the Liberal government under Chretien, and escalated under Paul Martin, for economic, rather than security reasons.
As observed by Thomas Walkom,
It was Chrétien’s successor, Paul Martin, who committed full battle troops, apparently under the impression that this would allow Canada to be viewed as a serious country by its allies.
More specifically, Ottawa hoped that its participation in the Afghan war would convince Washington to keep the U.S.-Canada border open to truck traffic.
So, to return to the frightening implications of the mentality being expressed in the bumper sticker, it seems to be advocating an unquestioning acceptance of authority, a naive trust in the purity of both governmental and military intentions, and a suspension of critical thinking on the part of the electorate.
Perhaps it is this philosophy that helped propel the Harper regime into majority government.
Perhaps it is this philosophy that has made it easier for Harper Inc. to lie both to Parliament and the people of Canada on so many occasions.
Perhaps it is this mentality that is helping to make it easier for the Prime Minister to reshape Canada through his massive and secretive omnibus bill, Bill C-38.
Indeed, I can't help but wonder how devotees of the bumper sticker If You Don't Stand Behind Our Troops, Feel Free To Stand In Front of Them define the democracy that they are so quick to say the troops are defending, while ours so precipitously and perilously declines.
As we go about, getting and spending, here is a sobering reminder of other people's reality.
Everywhere we look, more and more evidence of Stephen Harper's intention to betray Canadians through Bill C-38, his omnibus bill which covers a multitude of sins.
As a reader of various progressive bloggers, I know that the thirst for justice and accountability burns strongly amongst informed Canadians. The only problem, of course, is that this passion seems singularly absent in those who occupy positions of authority, be they our elected 'representatives', heads of various organizations, or, to be sure, certain police chiefs.
So it is always heartening when concerns about issues repugnant to our sensibilities and values are given prominent space in national newspapers; such is the case today in The Star's lead letter to the editor. Written by Peter Finch of Toronto, I suspect few will disagree with the sentiments he expresses:
Re: G20 commanders committed misconduct, reports conclude, May 18
The unlawful acts by police during the G20, identified in the report from Gerry McNeilly of the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, will be prevented from recurring only when accountability results in hard measures.
First, Chief Bill Blair and the senior officers of the major incident command centre (MICC) must be fired or demoted. Their incompetence in planning for the G20, from inadequate tactics to control and minimize the known methods of the Black Bloc through to operation of the detention center, was reprehensible.
Worse, their order to “take back the streets” was a panicked overreaction with no real direction as to what this meant or how to effect it, with the result of hundreds of innocent citizens being detained, jailed and in many cases, beaten.
Secondly, police officers involved in the beating of protesters must face criminal charges and if found guilty, removed from the force. They will have shown themselves unfit for police work.
Thirdly, the Police Act needs an overhaul to make disciplinary hearings more open and truthful co-operation by officers mandatory. Penalties must be more appropriate. An officer removing his/her name tag requires not only a financial penalty but also a black mark slowing their promotion.
Finally, civilian oversight of the Toronto Police must be strengthened. Responsibility for investigation of serious police malfeasance must be stripped from the Toronto Police and carried out by an independent body such as the Special Investigations Unit.
Evidence and testimony must not be withheld or delayed. The police chief and officers must not be allowed to hide behind a blue wall of conspiracy.
Failing to address the unlawful arrests, excessive force, Charter rights infringements and gross violations of prisoner rights without adequate penalties will only encourage the Toronto Police Service to continue acting like power unto themselves rather than the service arm of Torontonians.
Peter Pinch, Toronto
It was that last decision that ended my hard-won equanimity, as I read an analysis of the Harper budget omnibus bill. Although I was previously aware of many of the bill's major contents, the stealthy scope of this grossly undemocratic legislation, and the palpable contempt for the Canadian people implicit in it was, to say the least, unsettling. Indeed, after I read the article, relaxing amidst the sylvan setting of my backyard while Rome burns seemed a bit of a guilty indulgence.
The following aspects of the bill were highlighted in the article:
• Cuts 19,200 government jobs amid $5.2 billion in spending reductions.
• Eliminates a wide range of agencies and organizations, from social policy-oriented agencies like the National Council of Welfare and National Aboriginal Health Organization to the watchdog responsible for monitoring the activities of Canada’s spy agency, CSIS.
• Sweeping changes to immigration law that will allow the government to delete the applications of some 280,000 people who asked to come here as federal skilled workers before 2008. Application fees will be returned. The legislation also refocuses immigration policy on economic needs with measures intended to attract younger, better-qualified workers to directly meet labour market demands.
• Changes the Temporary Foreign Worker Program so that foreign employees can be paid up to 15 per cent less than the prevailing local wage under certain circumstances.
• Alters the administration of parks, meaning shorter seasons and fewer services at parks and historic sites.
• Cuts spending on culture, foreign aid and future health-care transfers to the provinces.
Like the cowards that they are, the Harper regime has refused all opposition demands for a legislative breakdown of the omnibus bill that would allow full and public debate on each of its elements.
Like all evil that thrives, the Conservatives know that it is only through the shroud of secrecy and darkness that their vile efforts to reshape Canada can succeed.
And like the true betrayers of democracy's ideals that they are, Harper Inc. is doing everything within its power to keep the people who will be most affected by this reshaping, i.e., the majority of Canadians, as ignorant of its plans as possible.
If you want to know more, including some of the details of the bill's scrapping of environmental regulations that has prompted Greenpeace Canada spokesperson Keith Stewart to describe it as an attack on nature and democracy. It’s being done, basically, on behalf of the big oil companies, I hope you will check out the article.
Environment minister’s office urged bureaucrats to blame media for recycling controversy
Nope, no surprises here in the depth of contempt both the P.M. And Peter Kent feel for the people they 'serve'.
