April 8, 2008
Miller Fights Guns, Gang Goes Home, Torch Causes Riots
Mayor David Miller unveiled a YouTube video asking Canadians to sign an online petition urging Ottawa to ban all handguns in Canada. While most handguns are already illegal, the gesture would serve a powerful symbolic purpose by pushing the blame for Toronto gun violence onto the feds.
CBC News says that a highly publicized series of raids in 2005, which police said took a major gang out of commission, have resulted in almost no convictions in spite of the fact that drugs and guns were seized and 1,350 charges laid. You know what would have helped? An online petition.
Police are seeking two sword-wielding men who robbed a TD Bank in the west end yesterday morning. When police arrived, they found the swords and stolen money nearby but no trace of the robbers. Police believe the bandits were either arrested by Superman and dropped directly into jail or eaten by werewolves.
In Paris yesterday, the Olympic torch had to be transported by bus after it was snuffed out three times by protesters angry at China's occupation of Tibet. The chaos followed similar scenes in London, and officials expressed concern that there would be further trouble as the torch passed through San Francisco Wednesday. A Chinese government official explained that Americans would be unwise to protest because, "We own most of your national debt."
A study out of Atlanta has found that among young monkeys, males prefer playing with toy trucks while females are drawn to dolls and plush toys. They also found that among adult monkeys, females earned 35% less money than males in comparable positions.
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The disappointing thing is that it wasn't the protesters who snuffed out the flame, it was security officials who snuffed it out in order to get it on the bus.
I totally support the protesters, but I feel a bit of pity for the torch bearers who have their once-in-a-lifetime chance scarred by all of this.
Harper has to stop being a wuss, and come out and say he is skipping the Olympic Opening Ceremonies to protest China's human rights record. We are complicit in the crackdown on Tibet if we silently let China soak up credibility with the Olympics.
Cheers,
Tuds
On a separate note, Mayor Miller is right to call for a 100% ban on handguns in Canada. Canadians will be safer and more secure, and then we should really through the book at any crime committed with a handgun (plus 10 years on top of the sentence for the crime in question). Also, 10 years for possession, and 20 years for trafficking handguns.
Handguns are a blight on a civil society.
(Phew, I'm in a frisky mood ....)
Cheers,
Tuds
Tuds: I believe Harper has already said he wasn't planning to attend the opening ceremonies anyway (not necessarily because of Tibet/human rights). If I remember correctly, it was in a statement made last week at the NATO summit.
My bank-robbery-by-sword hypothesis: The sword-weilding bank robbers were clearly ninjas who had just gone to the movies. They were able to disappear in an instant, but the money and swords slipped from their popcorn-buttery fingers. Oh ninjas, cursed by an irrepressible popcorn addiction.
Sorry, I meant to imply that Harper's stated reason for the absence is vague, and might very well be a way to avoid having to take a stand.
Cheers,
Tuds
We're already complicit with the invasion of Tibet; it happened a long time ago and hasn't stopped us from trading with China.
My theory is that the bank robbers could teleport and decided to turn to a life of crime. Only they didn't know when they teleport anything they're carrying will be left behind.
If we ban hand guns, we can expect more sword-related crime.
It is indeed vague. I don't know that a reason was even given. I don't expect Harper to ever take a stand on China's human rights record/treatment of Tibetans (other than Harper not caring, it might be a bit hypocritical considering the way our own aboriginals have been treated for the last few hundred years).
Wow... the handgun ban is the first time I've agreed with Mayor McCheese about, well, anything.
Mandatory 15 years in prison (no jail) for possession of an illegal handgun is the way to go. Enough of this shit! No wonder Canada is called the "Complacent Nation." Next, let's get together a class action lawsuit against U.S. handgun manufacturers on behalf of Canadians injured or killed by U.S. made guns.
Why doesn't the Mayor just take it a step further and ban violence? Root causes ...
Violence is mostly banned already, except for in socially acceptable cases (e.g. when a car is involved).