Here’s a gold medal for Vancouver in repression
I very rarely express my opinions or thoughts publicly and not in an internet blog but I just read this article below and am now sitting here just fuming with discuss! Personally, I think the Olympics, Summer or Winter are a huge waste and strain on any tax paying citizen in any country but beyond the money aspect this action taken by VANOC is outrageous and flies in the face of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms because it will come here to Windsor;
“The expression of ideas through the written or spoken word is fundamental to democracy
and the rights of all individuals and groups,” it says. “The right to be one’s self through words is a pillar of a civil and democratic society.”
Of course that’s not likely to be the end of it. Far from it.
Municipalities all along the Olympic torch route have been asked by Vanoc to prohibit signs and pamphlets during the relay”
So when we all join in to watch the Olympic torch come to Windsor, take a look around the crowds and look to see who is taping you if you dare to protest the waste the Olympics are.
There’s a knock at the door. It’s the police and they want to talk to you about your political affiliations.
They go door-to-door asking neighbours about you. They call your family and co-workers and suggest that they might call your employer.
You’re driving down the street. Police stop you and, over the next 40 minutes, you are questioned and your foreign visitors are warned they need to carry their identification documents with them at all times.
China? No, Vancouver. It’s all part of the security shakedown before the 2010 Winter Olympics are held in what is supposedly one of the freest, most open and transparent democracies in the world.
The Games don’t even start for another seven months, yet the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been all but thrown aside by Vanoc (the organization in charge of the games) and the Integrated Security Group.
Here’s a gold medal for Vancouver in repression
Tags: Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Olympics, Vancouver, VANOC, Winter
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Remember how I said “the problem” just keeps getting bigger.
I heard audio of Janet Napolitano last week, here’s a comment on it with a link to a news account of her statements.
http://rabble.ca/babble/international-news-and-politics/coming-soon-your-neighbourhood-war-terror-starring-janet-napo
We’re getting a little closer to brown shirts and jack boots and I’m not very comfortable with it.
If Canadians really do care about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, there should be a natioinal ourtrage and protests in the streets from coast, to coast to coast over the above behaviour by the brown and black shirts in Canada. Imagine being listed as a terrorists because you disagree with something like the Olympics and the total waste of tax payers money for a few priviledge atheletes and spoiled corporations.
Instead of national pride that the Olympics is “suppose” to bestow on a country, it is turning into a national shame this isn’t China nor Munich in 1936 but it is starting to look at like it.
A national boycott of all sponsoring corporations should be spearheaded now. Heck! A boycott of the Winter Olympics should be started!
I agree James, the brown shirts and jack boots are getting closer.
Has Homeland Security of the US come to Canada now?
I must admit that the issue of privacy, online security and the misuse of the information we all leave behind in our wired world has struck a nerve with me lately. The reason has to do with my disappointment at realizing that an idea I have been tossing around about creating a kind of online community watch program to help reclaim our core neighborhoods probably can’t overcome the privacy and security issues as a result of those sinister types that would abuse the system. It is a shame because I’ve seen an impromptu community watch program do wonders in my neighborhood.
As many of you know I live in what, I would describe and many others would probably agree with, is ground-zero in the battle to reclaim Windsor’s core neighborhoods. I’m talking about the area around Bruce/Janette and Park. Dave can describe the problem of the area much more eloquent than I. Just ask him.
But I can see signs that my good neighbors are gaining some traction, and dare I say it, maybe even beginning to turn the tide in the battle to reclaim this wonderful Windsor neighborhood. It is almost imperceptible. But I’m almost convinced you can see evidence of the small pockets of victory in some of the crime stats.
From what I can gather, the momentum began to change around the time the house fire in this story happened:
http://www.internationalmetropolis.com/?m=200612
My theory is that the neighbors viewed this event as a kind of second chance at taking back their neighborhood from the drugs and prostitution that was taking over. Up and down my street, I see a community resolve to defend the neighborhood and pushback against the forces that look to destroy it.
It is an impressive impromptu community watch program. With mother, father and baby in baby carriage strolling up and down the street. With friendly and helpful neighbors looking-out for one another. With courageous neighbors patrolling the dark unwelcoming alleys at all hours of the day and night dragging a heavy stick wording-off those that would love nothing else than to scare and intimidate people away so they can continue with their sinister ways.
My neighbors seem to be trying to communicate a message to the drug dealers, prostitutes and anyone else looking to destroy their hood. From what I can discern the message seems to be this: Don’t confuse our altruistic motives, unthreatening appearance, and polite demeanor for weakness. We have been around the block a few times and understand your goals and ways and are not going to allow you to destroy our hood without a fight.
My neighbors’ sense of community, courage and resolve has inspired me. In my wanderings, I find myself increasingly venturing into the dark and unwelcoming alleys that present more of a threat to my hood and family than the safer streets.
Dave, you should hear some of the horror stories my neighbors tell about some previous neighbors. Likely, I missed most of that.
With the previous comment I guess I’m asking: What is the right balance? There is a right fto privacy and there are benefits to a type of “culture of collective responsibility.” How do we balance the two? especially in our wirded world.
Kassie Kicks Monsters Ass
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMbww-nCVQg
Andrew, I loved your Merry Christmas story in the link international metropolis above. My reference to “dragging a heavy stick and wording-off” was meant to that story. It reminds me of this wonderfully poetic story Mark found and shared in one of his news links:
Detroit Mayor Throws First Brick In Glass-Breaking Ceremony For New Slum
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/detroit_mayor_throws_first_brick
There is a rental house in my part of the neighbourhood that was a bit suspect when new neighbourds moved in. At frist they were loud, boorish, yelling all the time, just downright rude especially as new neighbours.
But as soon as they had noticed a few homeowners taking the time to care for their properties, they started to clean up the sidewalk of debris, install new plants on the porch along with bamboo blinds, kept it down and even said “hello”.
Vigilance works miracles as does being neighbourly. The more you know your neighbours the more cohesive of a neighbourhood you create.
Now if we can only get rid of the crack apartment on Park between Church and Bruce things might start taking a turn for the better.
as for those brown shirts…bring on the fight!
Mark, part of the problem as I see it is that technology is presenting new dilemmas to some previously accepted social norms in many of these areas.
Sure the Vanoc example is a clear case of unnecessary censorship.
But how do we deal with this.: What is the right balance between a desire to create personal conversations when in a public forum like a blog? What is appropriate in this environment? How do we balance the dual-role of comments that are both personal and public? Can we balance the conflicting roles? Are we limited to the lack of civility created by anonymous comments? Or maybe, we are limited to politically correct PR type of public statements?
Edwin, the answer is to take our posts with a boulder of salt.
If I feel that I have to scrutinize every single word I write, the conversation will be stifled.
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“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
We need to get over ourselves and lighten up a bit. Have I made mistakes in the past, sure. It doesn’t nullify my experience and shouldn’t allow people to dismiss my points.