Month: April 2013

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April Fools, Dunce

April Fools, Dunce

By N Oji Mzilikazi

Originally published in the Montreal Community Contact Volume 23, Number 08 April 18, 2013

Centuries of Roman Catholic Church domination and absolutism left such indelible footprints on every aspect of Western civilisation, they’re oft invisible, an unconscious influence, but inescapable.

Civilization years were numbered from the birth of Jesus. Thus B.C. (Before Christ) covers the period before Jesus birth, and A.D. (Anno Domino) which has become obsolete, the years after. 2013 thus speaks to the number of years since Jesus’ birth…

 

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Reading Police, Police Unions The Riot Act Part 2

Reading Police, Police Unions The Riot Act Part 2

Coddled for too long

By N Oji Mzilikazi

Originally published in the Montreal Community Contact Volume 23, Number 07 April 4, 2013

For all the complaints from chiefs of police, police unions, and police services across Canada about the weakness in our justice system, its lack of meaningful consequences, demands for minimum and stiffer sentences, and tougher parole eligibility policies, you’ll never hear them bytch about the sadism and backwardness of their officers, the pervasive culture of racism and bias that permeate their ranks, and the culture of impunity they enjoy…

 

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Reading Police, Police Unions The Riot Act

Reading Police, Police Unions The Riot Act

Coddled for too long

By N Oji Mzilikazi

Originally published in the Montreal Community Contact Volume 23, Number 06 March 21, 2013

When I saw Yves Francoeur, head of the Montreal Police Brotherhood on television last week calling for the firing of city manager Guy Hébert, over a report that Hébert tried to get Montreal Police Chief Marc Parent fired, and for independence between police work and politics, I had to laugh – at the irony, his brazenness, the duplicity, the underlying politics, the idiocy.

And had flashbacks to Yves Prud’homme, a former head of the Montreal police brotherhood, who called for the removal of Police Chief Alain Saint-Germain. Also Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association (union), who called for the resignation of Sid Ryan, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour…