Sammy Yatim: A Petition From Change.Org
A petition has been established at Change.org. seeking justice for Sammy Yatim. At last count it was closing in on 27,000 signatures. Here is how it reads: In the early…
police abuse of authority
Sammy Yatim: One More Word
While I can’t promise this will be my last post on Sammy Yatim, I do want to direct you to Rosie DiManno’s column and a few comments from The Star’s…
Sammy Yatim Killing: The Spin Cycle Has Begun
There is no question that the police and their supporters are desperate to ‘change the channel’ from the murder of Sammy Yatim to the terrible pressures police officers face. As…
Sammy Yatim Killing: Once More, The Globe And Mail Is Out Of Step
Thanks to a tweet from Dr.Dawg, I became aware of an odious, but ultimately not very surprising editorial from The Globe and Mail on the shooting of Sammy Yatim. I…
New Footage Of Sammy Yatim’s Killing
The first shots are fired at about the 55 second mark on the video. They continue after he has fallen, his body jerking with each bullet. Sure looks like an…
Standing Up To Police Abuse Of Authority
I remember a story my son told me of being in a coffee shop in Toronto during the notorious 2010 G20 Summit, about which I have written extensively on this…
Murder By Police?
Rarely at a loss for words, I find myself in that state as I think about Sammy Yatim, the 18-year-old killed just after midnight Saturday night aboard a TTC streetccar.…
Barriers
In my teaching career, one of the most powerful lessons for my students emerged from Atticus Finch, Scout’s beloved father in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. A lawyer with…
The Insular World Of The Police Mentality
I have written several posts in this blog about institutions and their many shortcomings, shortcomings that seem directly proportional to their age. The longer one exists, the more prone an…
It Certainly Took Him Long Enough
His Mad Face? Seasoned cynic that I am, I can’t help but think that Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair’s denunciation of police misbehaviour is little more than a public relations…
Kafka, The Toronto Police, and Toronto Community Housing
“Someone must have been telling lies about Joseph K., for without having done anything wrong he was arrested one fine morning.” – The Trial, by Franz Kafka Last evening, I…
Police Surveillance
Funny, isn’t it, that while the police generally favour video surveillance cameras as a way to prevent crime, they are not nearly as sanguine when the cameras are turned on…
Our American Cousins?
One can’t help but wonder if Harper’s police force has been giving lessons to their American cousins in stifling free speech at right-wing political rallies. Recommend this Post
The West Virginia Police
There to Protect and Serve (the coal industry): H/t EcoWatch Recommend this Post
Why Peace Of Mind Eludes Me
Conventional wisdom says that as we get older, we become more introspective, philosophical and mellow. This story and the following video are just two examples of why that tranquility has…
Police Deserve Our Respect – When They Don’t Abuse It
Contrary to what one might believe reading my various entries on the police, I recognize the difficult job that they have, and I realize that they are often capable of…
Another Victory For The Star
As a direct result of their investigative series, Police Who Lie, The Toronto Star is once more contributing to the social good. The following is reported today’s edition: Ontario’s chief…