I know we don’t agree often. We have a love/hate relationship dependent on my mood and whether or not it’s cold and rainy outside. To be fair, you are consistently late and often leave me standing out in the rain. You have just been voted 3rd best public transit in
Continue readingTag: Policing
Left Over: And the Drug War Drags On……
Underground grow-op found under fake horse paddock Fake fire pit, dog house and horse paddock all hid underground operation CBC News Posted: May 7, 2013 2:16 PM PT Canada’s Provincial and Federal governments can be said to be implicit partners in this ‘enterprise,’ and so many others around BC and
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: How the RCMP failed Rehtaeh Parsons
(VICE Canada) – Rehtaeh Parsons, a teenage girl from Nova Scotia, was taken off life support on Sunday after a failed suicide attempt. Her mother believes Rehtaeh tried to take her life because of severe depression, brought on by months of bullying both in person and online. It all started
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Jeremy Hammond: Aaron Swartz & the Criminalization of Digital Dissent
It is not the “crimes” Aaron (Swartz) may have committed that made him a target of federal prosecution, but his ideas – elaborated in his “Guerrilla Open Access Manifesto” – that the government has found so dangerous. By Jeremy Hammond – #18729-424 | Metropolitan Correctional Center, Feb. 20, 2013: The tragic
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper and RCMP comments ignore Aboriginal victims’ fear of reprisal: Human Rights Watch
Ensure Accountability for Police Misconduct, Indigenous Women’s Safety By Human Rights Watch (Press Release)| Feb. 13, 2013: VANCOUVER – Comments by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RMCP) on February 14, 2013, fail to address the core issue of a lack of security that prevents indigenous women and girls from
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Idle No More protests “have the ability to paralyze” Canada: Ontario Provincial Police Chief
The Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), Christ Lewis, has taken to YouTube to silence self-righteous racists who are urging the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper to apply force against the Idle No More movement’s peaceful protest actions. Only last week, an extremist Ontario Superior Court judge slammed the OPP for
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: FBI “plot to identify and assassinate Occupy leaders”?
The FBI hatched a “plot to identify and assassinate Occupy leaders”? It’d seem so, according to the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund and civil liberties activists. Information obtained by the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund via a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that the FBI: a) “collaborated with other federal agencies,
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Rolling Stone: Inside The FBI Plot Against Occupy
On this one year anniversary of the Occupy Canada movement, here’s a magnificent piece of reporting by Rolling Stone‘s Sabrina Rubin Erdely, on how the United States government “turned five stoner misfits into the world’s most hapless terrorist cell.” Five Occupy Cleveland activists “who had grown disenchanted with the Occupy movement, which they considered
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Rob Ford calls Toronto “one of the safest cities in the world” after deadly shooting
Reacting to the Danzig Street shooting, which left two dead and another 24 injured, the “furious” mayor of Canada’s largest city assures us that Toronto has “the greatest police service in the world.” He invites Torontonians to “declare war on these violent gangs.” The kind that will “catch these criminals
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Examining the status quo
If unlike me, you are not ancient, listen to Simi Sara at CKNW’s audio vault, May 31, 1 pm, to remember how excellent talk radio can be. This is broadcasting that explores why things are the way they are instead of simply excusing the status quo. Simi talked to Paul
Continue readingNorthern Insight: 5 years in jail for masked instigators of unrest
Stephen Harper’s government supports Bill C-309, a private members bill before the House of Commons. It will enable individuals to be jailed five years for wearing a mask or other disguise to conceal identity during a riot — which can be defined as an unlawful assembly that results in a
Continue readingLeft Over: Let’s “Just Do It”
There has been a call from several mayors of municipalities here in British Columbia, Canada to legalize marijuana…the arguments for it are essentially that they are tired of fighting against a mega-tide of grow-ops and drug dealers who are far richer in resources and weapons to push back than the
Continue readingNorthern Insight: Public consultation without the public
More fine work from the at The Victoria Times Colonist. Katie Derosa explores the provincial government’s fake public consultation about police reform. Province’s policing consultation called a ‘farce’: BC Liberals consult on policing plan “The Justice Ministry on Wednesday announced its “public engagement” strategy – consisting of closed-door meetings with
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Department of nothing much changes
BCCLA files complaint after RCMP Detachment Head comments “The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is filing a complaint after the head of the Langley RCMP made comments that could interfere with the independent review of the police shooting death of Alvin Wright. Wright, who had no criminal record, and no history
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: People who can do no wrong, another chapter
If you thought it was strange when West Van Chief Peter Lepine, the ‘independent’ review officer, commended RCMP after they Tasered an 11-year-old Prince George boy while arresting him last April, how about this story from Stockton CA: Michael is diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD. He is
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Investigating BC’s new police investigator
A decade ago, Richard Rosenthal left the Los Angeles prosecutors’ office to lead Portland’s new Office of Independent Police Review. L.A. Deputy District Attorney Jim Cosper said it was a good choice. However, attorney Stephen Yagman, remarking also on Portland’s selection of police chief Mark Kroeker, had the opposite view,
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Victoria’s old-time policing continues
Victoria police assault probe not over yet, CBC News, November 23, 2011: “A provincial court judge ruled [Victoria police sergeant] George Chong used excessive force in applying a chokehold that rendered Frank Blair unconscious in January 2010. “The judge sentenced Chong to one year’s probation and ordered him to take
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Rhetoric of Pepper Spray
The Rhetorica Network offers analysis and commentary about the rhetoric, propaganda, biases, and spin of journalism. This site features the Media Rhetoric Journal web log, comprehensive news media links, a rhetoric textbook, a primer of critical techniques, and information for citizens. The character of Rhetorica represents the purposes and canons
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Would law apply to all violent rioters?
News Item: “OTTAWA – It could soon be illegal for rioters to hide behind masks. “A proposed law would allow cops to arrest those participating in an unlawful gathering or a riot if they cover their faces with bandannas and balaclavas. “This is exactly the kind of thing we need
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