An ongoing disgrace
Nothing symbolizes the pathetic gutlessness of Dalton McGuinty’s government, or that of the provincial police force that is nominally sworn to protect the province’s residents, than the saga now playing out in a Hamilton courtroom. The fate of a lawless Ontario enclave, it seems, now rests not with the province’s politicians or its police, but with a pair of scrappy Caledoni litigants who have the guts to take a stand.
What has become glaringly obvious in their civil suit against the Ontario government and Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is that within that province there are two tiers of justice, a preferential one for aboriginals and another, lower tier for non-natives. This unequal treatment throws the justice system into disrepute. The dangerous message it sends is that, in some cases, whites seeking justice against aboriginals have no choice but to take the law into their own hands.
The disparity was never more obvious than at the trial on Thursday in Hamilton. There, the court was shown two videos, one of a non-native march through the small town last May, and another of a march by the Mohawk Warrior Society and its supporters down the same street a few months later.
[More]
Popularity: 4% [?]
Male, retired and the rest is of little interest to anyone. The site keeps me busy and if it helps others to stay abreast of daily events then my time is well spent.
Cunctator Says:
And who was the head of the OPP when all this was happening?
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Philanthropist Says:
The OPP should be disbanded. Cities and towns must realize that the OPP is just a political tool of Queen’s Park and will not act to protect their interests should they be threatened by force. Local police forces closer to the people are a better idea.
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Undecided Voter Says:
Our amalgamated Municipality made the biggest mistake ever when it abandon its own police force in favor of the OPP. As I said before, their really highway rangers and do not like to patrol municipal streets, malls etc.
http://www.caledoniawakeupcall.com/
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Mac Says:
The vast majority of OPP officers are fine and diligent peace officers who don’t deserve this bash-fest. They’re stuck in a four-way tug-of-war between the government, the natives, the courts and the locals. I can’t say I’m impressed with the OPP’s leadership but I expect they know what kind of support they would get from the McGuinty government…
What this comes down to is, as stated in the article, the government is risk-adverse (code for cowardly) and unwilling to do anything, even if that brings the administration of justice into disrepute. Instead, they tried to buy their way out but that didn’t work.
The courts don’t have an ability to enforce their dictates. Issuing injunctions is like printing money. It produces paper which rapidly becomes worthless if there’s nothing to back it up.
The locals want to get on with their lives but they’re being held hostage… plus they know they don’t have the same kind of protection from prosecution that the natives seem to enjoy.
The natives have nothing to lose but everything to gain…
Posted on November 29th, 2009 at 10:12 pm