Are police in Quebec out of control? The spy scandal is getting deeper and deeper and more troubling.
The Montreal police spy on reporters and so does the SQ. In fact, more than half a dozen reporters have been under police surveillance in some fashion and some for years.
Do they think it is right to fundamentally breach our freedoms? What we learned this week about cops spying on journalists is chilling; and only steps away from living in a police state.
What is so disturbing is that the police simply do not get that they did anything wrong. For them, the ends justify the means. – and the means is simply wrong. Many Montrealers distrust police. They have become a laughing stock with their clown pants. But this goes far deeper – the right to the foundations of a liberal democracy.
But you cannot put all the blame on the police. Some of this surveillance was enabled by judges who really should know better. Judges are supposed to protect and ensure fairness for all.
But in these cases, they are judges who obviously give more importance to police work and their witch hunt for informants that to the notion of press freedom.
Now it is obvious that the police chief should step aside. Not only because all of this happened on his watch, but because he still doesn’t get it.
“From exceptional situations we can use that type of tool to investigate. That’s it. If we have to use that one, we’ll use it,” he said.
An exceptional situation indeed and, sorry, but who the hell is he to decide when rights should be abrogated? He is a public servant.
Now Quebec has launched a full public inquiry in the revelations because rightly so, the government says the population’s confidence in democracy has been shaken.
Indeed it has. This is really important stuff. I sometimes think the police have lost sight of the fact that they work for us. And they can’t cut corners. Because it’s a slippery slope and democracy is fragile.
We will soon have a new sign law in Quebec.
The big box stores will be required to add descriptors to their signs so that we all know what they sell at Walmart. The government must severely underestimate the intelligence of the population. Franchement. It’s a really dumb idea. Hmm… Canadian Tire, I wonder what they sell?
The timing, though, is a little suspect coming in the same week as the premier announces four by-elections. Never hurts to flex some language muscle at election time. As we all know so well.
I don’t know about you but Tuesday cannot come fast enough. The great American reality TV show will come to its painful conclusion with someone being voted off the island.
This Uncivil War has polarized Americans like never before. The once great Republican Party has been diminished if not destroyed and has become the party of White America. The party of anger and hate.
Americans who are living the angst on a daily basis are reportedly seeking out more psychotherapy than ever. Who would blame them? The Huffington Post issued this warning in every article it writes about Donald trump.
Note to readers: Donald Trump is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, birther and bully who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims-1.6 billion members of an entire religion-from entering the U.S.
Winston Churchill once said, “You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing after they have tried everything else.”
We pray that come Tuesday night, his words turn out to be prophetic.
