Of Witnesses and Weakness

One week ago, the trial of the suspected murderers of Jordan Manners -- a grade 9 student shot to death in the halls of C.W. Jeffery's Collegiate in Toronto -- concluded with a verdict of not-guilty. The trial really hung on the testimony of two witnesses, one of whom retracted testimony and another that changed their testimony significantly.

In this case, the witnesses were too scared to testify.

This week, the SIU concluded it's investigation into the beating of Dorian Barton, a protestor at last year's G20 summit. The SIU determined there was not enough evidence to lay charges against the police officer accused of the beating even though a photographer witnessed the beating, identified the officer and provided a photo of the officer.

The police no doubt knew which officers were assigned what areas. Process of elimination alone would have been enough to figure out this bully with a badge. Even with all of this, none of the officers in the vicinity of the beating would identify the accused. Not even the roommate of this officer during the summit.

In this case, the police are too scared to testify.

Two crimes. Same problem. Same results: justice denied.

How can we as a society expect citizen witnesses to face their fear, stand up and testify against criminals if the police themselves won't? How can the police expect cooperation in the prosecution of criminals if they themselves will not cooperate? Do they really expect that citizens will bend over backwards -- such as freely providing DNA samples -- when the police give them every reason not to be trusted?

This is a sad, sad week for Canadian justice. I am a big supporter of our police officers having a cousin who is a member of the Ontario Provincial Police. But I expect more of them than this, certainly more than citizens who live in an area with one of the highest crime rates in the entire country. It is a tragic statement on our society when even the police are actively involved in the denial of justice.

Cowards.

Voting Laws Don't Count For Obama

So, it looks like Michelle Obama has stepped in it again.

Bad enough her Marie Antoinette trip to Spain a few months ago and the criticism it brought onto her as somebody above the common folk, now she has to go and break Illinois state voting laws by electioneering within a polling place.

Of course, some people are coming to the defense of this Harvard educated lawyer from Illinois saying that because she's the first lady and is "liked" that she should be cut some slack. Yeah... because you wouldn't expect a lawyer from Illinois who has helped out with her husband's political campaigns to know anything about Illinois law as pertains to political campaigns.

Who are the genius' who think up these excuses? I have some ideas.

But ultimately who really thinks that anybody would go after Michelle Obama for breaking voting laws? After all, we know how well the idea of enforcing voting laws goes with this administration.

The Echo Chamber Repeats the Echo Chamber Repeat

"The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance." - Benjamin Franklin

If there is any one argument for the creation of Sun TV -- a.k.a. in Canada "FOX News North" -- it is the one-message pipeline that is the Canadian media. There have been endless incidents of North American news items the Canadian media has reported on without either context or clarity.

One simply need look at the reporting of the proposed Arizona immigration law that would allow Arizona police to request proof of citizenship. The Canadian media has reported much of the accusations of racism and have echoed the left-wing propaganda that this offers Arizona police carte-blanche to stop anybody for any minor offense and grill them on their race... er, sorry... nationality.

And yet those who do not simply swallow what the Canadian news or the left-wing mainstream media forces down our throats know that the Arizona law is in fact less arbitrary than the federal law that has been in place for decades.

But have we heard a single Canadian news organization speak of this more than in passing? Are you kidding?

And in Canada it is no different. In fact, I'm quite inclined to believe that the journolist fiasco that is brewing in the USA is probably already a well established entity in Canadian media circles. After all, how many times have we read an article that criticizes the Harper government for some small, insignificant and not particularly note-worthy issue only to find that the same day you could throw a stone and hit a dozen other media figures who just happened to be touting the same nothing story?

If anything, an alternative source for news that skews the left-leaning mainstream media in this country should be welcomed by all Canadians. After all, we can only better ourselves by challenging our beliefs, no matter how well-informed we believe we are. Because without a view from the other side, one simply cannot be well-informed at all.

One can only be ignorant.