Shocking News:Black Action Defence Committee Suing Toronto police for $65 Million Dollars!!!
Toronto Police Services Board Chair Alok Mukherjee has made recommendations on changes to carding, to be discussed at a public meeting Monday Nov. 18.
By: Jim Rankin Feature reporter, Patty Winsa News reporter, Published on Sat Nov 16 2013
A proposed class-action lawsuit seeks $65 million in damages and other remedies from Toronto police for alleged racial profiling practices and documenting of citizens.
The suit, filed Friday by the Black Action Defence Committee, comes in advance of a special Toronto Police Services Board meeting to be held Monday on the controversial police practice of carding — encounters where police question citizens and document personal details in stops that typically involve no arrest or charge.
Police Chief Bill Blair and the civilian police services board are named as defendants in the suit, which alleges police and the board have failed to adequately address a problem that has impacted blacks and other minority groups for decades.
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The committee seeks to have the suit certified as a class action, and have itself named as the representative plaintiff, but it estimates there are hundreds and “perhaps thousands” of citizens who would fit into the class.
“The Plaintiff believes the only way to litigate and seek remedies to uproot the acknowledged scourge of racial profiling and carding is a frontal attack” like a class-action suit, reads the statement of claim. “There is no other effective way.”
The suit alleges police and the board “have failed to prevent the violation of the equality rights of African-Canadian residents of Toronto and Ontario,” resulting in discrimination under the Charter.
Police have not had a chance to respond to the proposed suit. They defend the practice of carding citizens as a valuable investigative tool that allows investigators to make links between people and places, and say they target areas where violent crime is taking place.
But they also have acknowledged carding interactions with citizens can harm their relationship with the public.
There has been talk of a class-action lawsuit on the issue for decades, said Toronto lawyer Munyonzwe Hamalengwa, who filed the suit on behalf of the committee and spoke on its behalf.
After many reports by academics, the media and court decisions, the police and board “haven’t done anything to address this at all,” so the committee is hoping a class-action lawsuit will allow for a “holistic comprehensive judicial remedy” to carding and racial profiling.
“The black community has now reached a point where talking has been going on, not much has been happening, so it’s time for action,” said Hamalengwa.
In addition to monetary damages, the action, which has not been certified or proven in court, seeks remedies that include:
A declaration that police have breached the Charter and an order requiring them to “desist from engaging in and condoning racial profiling” of blacks and other “colourful” minorities.
A declaration that racial profiling is a criminal offence.
A written police apology to the committee and “all African-Canadians for their being targets and victims of racial profiling and carding.”
Mandatory reading for officers, including books on racial profiling, the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s 2003 report “Paying the price: The human cost of racial profiling,” the 1995 report of the Ontario Commission on Systemic Racism in the Ontario Criminal Justice System, and several Toronto Star series on carding, including 2003 report “Paying the price: The human cost of racial profiling,” published in September.
Class-action lawsuits in Canada can be expensive and lengthy and orders difficult to come by, but as Toronto lawyer Murray Klippenstein recently told the Star in a story about carding, they can prompt change.
“By declaring a practice to be illegal and awarding a significant amount of money to a group of people as compensation, the incentive or pressure to change the practice becomes pretty substantial,” he said.
The Star has published four series — in 2002, 2010, 2012 and 2013 — that examined Toronto police arrest and stop data and found patterns that shown disproportionate treatment for blacks, and to a lesser extent, “brown”-skinned people.
Between 2008 and 2012, police filled out 1.8 million contact cards, involving over a million individuals, and entered their personal details into a database.
A Star analysis showed that blacks over that period were more likely than whites to be stopped, questioned and documented in each of the city’s 70-plus police patrol zones. The likelihood increased in areas that were predominantly white.
On Monday, the special public police services board meeting on carding, scheduled to be held at city hall, will address recommendations from both the police and board chair Alok Mukherjee to change the way police card and interact with the public. Mukherjee has said the Star’s latest findings on contact cards “devastating” and “unacceptable.”
While there has been an acknowledgement by Blair and the board that profiling exists and that carding is problematic, the lawsuit alleges little has changed to deal with it.
Although no individuals are named as plaintiffs, Hamalengwa expects many will come forward and take part.
ITV Reporters Discuss Whether Morrissey Autobiography Is Good.
I love Morrissey, and yes I purchased my copy of his autobiography from Ebay. Morrissey’s book is not available in Canada yet. I have read the early sections of the book Morrissey is a talented writer. Morrissey is famous for being outspoken. Morrissey’s autobiography debut at number one on Amazon.com!
Why Are Canadian Media Ignoring Rob Ford White Skin Privilege In Crack Scandal?
The issue of race has been ignored by the Canadian media in relation to the Rob Ford crack scandal. The question is why?
Canadians are not comfortable discussing race issues. Canadians pretend race is an American issue it is
not a problem in Canada. There is a facade that Canadians are not prejudiced or racist.
Canadian culture is indeed racist, but the racism is more covert not overt. Canadians engender this mythology race should be ignored.
An African American website, Uptown magazine has published an article about Toronto’s trainwreck crack smoking mayor and the subject of white male skin privilege. Why hasn’t the Toronto Star published an article about this issue? Where is the Globe & Mail editorial?
It seems to me the silence about Ford’s white privilege speaks volumes about Canadian society. By pretending race is not a factor in this crack scandal, the Canadian press are also a part of the quandary.
Ford’s whiteness is an integral part of the scandal. The shock and the horror Canadians have is, due to the fact Ford is white middle class. Since Ford is a public figure, and he’s hanging out with drug dealers, gang bangers, and other underworld people this upsets the Canadian media.
Smoking crack is associated with subaltern people not rich white folks like Rob Ford.
The lack of press about the ways in which white privilege works is due to the fact white people control the Canadian media.
The privilege being a white man grants Ford the ability to get a pass for his deleterious behaviour.
Does anyone honestly believe if Ford was a man of colour his supporters would be so forgiving? Ford’s white constituents give him a pass for his unprofessional behaviour because he is a white man. People of colour are judged at a higher standard than white folks. The people supporting Ford have sympathy for him because they identify with him.
The paucity of news or television broadcasts about the issue of race is not surprising since Canadians have polite bigotry. Canadians are polite racists, they are just bigots in private not public.
Link: http://uptownmagazine.com/2013/11/white-privilege-torontos-crack-smoking-mayor/
Robyn Doolittle Talks About Rob Ford Crack Video Homophobic & Racist Comments.
The Rob Ford Circus at Toronto City Hall about the crack video has ignored an important component, and that is what Ford actually said on the video. According to Robyn Doolittle a Toronto Star reporter who watched the video Ford uttered racist and homophobic comments. Ford called Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau a “fag” he also made a disparaging comment about “fucking minorities”. Is this what the people of Toronto want a racist and homophobic mayor?
Obnoxious Mayor Rob Ford & Press Argument On His property.
Once again, Rob Ford makes a fool of himself after the police chief Bill Blair announces a crack video does exist. Blair has seen the video, and despite Ford’s lies his days are numbered as mayor of Canada’s largest city. Ford says he will not resign but he is a disgrace to all Canadians. Ford has a serious attitude problem and a sense of entitlement. Ford is acting as though he is some victim when he is not. If Ford had any class he would resign. Since Ford has no class he has the audacity to believe he can be mayor. Even right wing conservative media are not supporting Ford anymore. Ford connections to a drug dealer are serious. How can people take Ford seriously? Ford needs to go away and disappear he is such a joke.
German Gay Storyline: Christian Cheats On Oliver With A Woman They Decide To Have An Open Relationship.
I am disappointed the German soap Verboten Liebe, once again returns to the storyline of Christian cheating on his husband Oliver with a woman! How many times can Christian cheat on Oliver with a female? Christian uses the same excuse that he got drunk in England and blacked out. Why can’t Christian admit he is bisexual? Christian has an urge to have sex with a woman. I think Christian cheating on Oliver with a woman hurts him even more than if he slept with another man. I don’t understand what the writers are trying to say? If Christian is bisexual, then the writers need to make him declare it. Maybe the writers are going to make Christian leave Oliver for a woman? When Christian and Oliver started dating five years ago, Oliver went after Christian despite the fact he was dating a woman Coco.
Male bisexuality isn’t really explored a lot in pop culture, perhaps the writers are trying to illustrate Christian still desires women too? Christian has never had a sexual relationship with another man besides Oliver. Are the writers are trying to create an interesting storyline about Christian leaving Oliver for a woman? The rumour is, Thore Scholermann, the actor who plays Christian is only returning for the short term and the gay storyline might end soon. If Christian leaves the show then I will have to stop watching because Christian is my favourite character!
I am frustrated with the writers because, Christian insists he isn’t bisexual but his actions speak louder than words.
I wish the writing was better, why return to the same storyline? It would be more interesting, if Christian had an affair with another man and a gay love triangle emerged. A lot of fans are upset with the writers of Verboten Liebe, because Christian has slept with multiple women before on the show.
Also, the concept of an open relationship is actually quite common for gay male couples. I know my comment might sound sexist for some readers but, gay men we understand the difference between love and sex. I think heterosexual men also understand the difference too. For men, we have sex drives, we want pleasure, and even though, a man might love his partner he STILL wants some variety in his sex life. The gay bathhouses are a perfect example of gay men having the sexual freedom and understanding to explore our sexuality. Gay male culture in the western world is all about sexual freedom. I am not sure, this open relationship is going to work for Christian and Oliver though. I guess, Oliver is going to get a new boyfriend to piss Christian off just like he did last time.
Gay American Singer Steve Grand New Video Stay!!!
Gay singer Steve Grand’s second music video Stay was released today on You Tube! I love this song, it is very different from Grand’s first viral hit All American Boy which was a sad depressing song. Stay is more upbeat, hopeful, and it shows Steve in love with another man, but this time he gets the gay guy! I think Steve Grand is so refreshing, it is so nice to see a young gay male singer, be unapologetic about being GAY.
Of course, a major reason Steve Grand is receiving a lot of media attention and also the public’s attention is due to the fact he’s a handsome young man. However, so what? Steve Grand is hot, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to be attractive especially since he’s a singer.
Some gay men are critical of Steve Grand because they feel the gay male community is a bit superficial and people are obsessed about Grand’s good looks.
I agree that Steve Grand receives a lot of attention because he’s HOT. However, I also believe there is a yearning from a lot of gay men, to finally see gay love in a visual form and in music. I believe, a lot of gay men like Steve Grand because it is great to see a gay man sing about being in love with another man.
There is still a lot of homophobia in society, and in the entertainment industry although barriers are breaking down there is still a lot of blatant discrimination.
It is great that Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis can make Same Love a huge international hit. Meanwhile, for me personally, it is great seeing Steve Grand an actual gay man be confident and be proud about his homosexuality. It just means something more to me, as a gay man to see another gay man, in pop culture be a successful entertainer.
Having straight allies such as Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis is good, but it is even better for the gay community when gay men actually stand up and be proud. The confidence that Steve Grand demonstrates with his music is very empowering to the gay community.
Steve Grand is a proud gay man and that’s very refreshing to see, he isn’t hiding his love for other men in his music videos.
If you notice, a lot of gay male entertainers such as Adam Lambert, Frank Ocean, or Ricky Martin, they only came out of the closet after they had a certain level of success. Also, unlike Ricky Martin, Adam Lambert, or Frank Ocean, Steve Grand came out as a gay man from the VERY BEGINNING! It is nice that there are a few queer male entertainers in the music industry, but there is still a problem.
The openly gay male singers on the major music labels, they seem to have a marketing strategy of not appearing “too gay”.
It isn’t very powerful, when Frank Ocean sings about loving a man yet he can’t make a music video about loving another man.
The visual aspect of music videos are very important, because I believe it is imperative for gay male entertainers to claim their space.
The mainstream record companies seem more concerned about record sales, and also appealing to heterosexual women. Even though Frank Ocean, Ricky Martin, and Adam Lambert are out of the closet, they clearly are being marketed to women not gay men.
The gay male market is virtually ignored, by the mainstream record companies.
Also, I have noticed the other openly gay male singers, their music videos are not very gay nor do their videos deal with gay male romance. Even though Ricky Martin is out as a gay man, a lot of his music videos still involves him singing to a woman.
Steve Grand is a breath of fresh air, I can’t wait until Steve releases his first album.
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