And it's the same old song - by Jon
Turns out, being black in a bank while a robbery is being committed is a crime.
I suppose it's hypocritical of me to criticize the American penchant for optimism without touching on the Canadian. Sure, ours is a much more benign kind of cultural blindness, but tell that to the guy that just got beat up by Peel Police.
Is there racism bubbling underneath the surface of Canadian society, or were these just two cops with a serious problem? I want to believe the latter, but I'm a bit too old for fairy tales. The myth of the multicultural paradise has blinded us to the possibility that we might, in some ways, be no better than our counterparts to the south. After all, didn't we have segregated schools in this country until the mid-1960s?* Wasn't Truro, Nova Scotia colourfully referred to as "The Alabama of the North" for its intolerant reputation? The first step to solving our social ills is to open ourselves up to the possibility that we might have a problem.
Admittedly, I smacked the back of my head into the glass-back of the squash court tonight, so I hope this post makes sense when I read it tomorrow. In the meantime, I'm going to lie down in a dark room, and try not to swallow my tongue.
posted by Jon @ 10:23 PM
1 comments
1 Comments:
My son recently got beat up by Peel's finest and wrongfully accused of possessing narcotics. My son is mulatto - brown - and it's hard to believe this is not a racially motivated police crime. They threatened that if he said anything to the Chief of Police, they would find him and do further damage. He's had two court appointments so far and is due for another soon, and they've yet to present him with an affidavit. In the meantime, his job is jeopardized by time taken off to attend to this matter, and apparently a lien could be put on his house if he is fined. He certainly cannot afford a good lawyer, yet he cannot afford to hedge on the quality of representation he will need to clear his name from these false charges.
Peel police have a reputation for planting drugs and falsely accusing black men. I hope with this new police chief on board, the integrity of the police force will come under investigation.
Post a Comment
<< Home