Police cannot ever solve broad social and political problems created by the neglect of the neoliberal state. They will forever be locked in a chase to find more crime which is continuously generated by our economic system. A dog chasing its tail. Alternatives must be found.
Continue readingTag: mental illness
THE CAREGIVERS' LIVING ROOM A Blog by Donna Thomson: THE MUSIC BETWEEN US: Memoir of a Bedside Musician
I am always fascinated by stories of personal transformation. How does anyone achieve redemption, wisdom, grace and meaning after experiencing or witnessing prolonged suffering? I’m especially interested when those stories come from caregivers. Steve Litwer is a volunteer guitarist for patients in hospice care. His book, The Music Between
Continue readingmark a rayner: Writing as Therapy
“Writers get a nice break in one way, at least: They can treat their mental illnesses every day.” ~Kurt Vonnegut Photo by Ruslan Alekso from Pexels The post Writing as Therapy appeared first on mark a rayner.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Two Faces of the Shameless Andrew Scheer
As we all know Andrew Scheer likes to pose as a nice guy with a glued on smile, who is always inviting Canadians to hear what he calls his "positive message."But let nobody be fooled, even some of his own Cons admiringly call him Andrew Smear.Some of his opponents claim that he gets
Continue readingA. Picazo: On assisted death and psychological suffering
This column was published at Maclean’s on March 28, 2017 In 2015, a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the federal ban on physician-assisted suicide, solidifying the charter right of competent, consenting adults who are “suffering intolerably as a result of a grievous and irremediable medical
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Mental illness the go-to excuse for white men committing acts of terrorism against people of color
The label “mental illness”, when referred to white men who’ve committed acts of terrorism against people of color, downplays racism and elicits sympathy for the bigoted murderer, argues Zenobia Jeffries, YES! Magazine’s racial justice associate editor. The post Mental illness the go-to excuse for white men committing acts of terrorism
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Abominable Cruelty of Rona Ambrose
As you may know, I have absolutely no respect for Rona Ambrose, the monstrous leader of the Harper Party.I can't forget how that cruel Con put her inhuman ideology before the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in this country.By trying to close down the Insite clinic in Vancouver,
Continue readingMy journey with AIDS…and more!: Meanderings of a mental health client in good company
Originally posted on My journey with AIDS…and more!: Would it be much of a surprise, even to the casual reader, that I am a mental health client? I have been since soon after my conclusive HIV diagnosis in 1990, although I wish now that I had sought such accompaniment long
Continue readingcentre of the universe: Frozone
I have Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have, in the past, taken medications to deal with some of the symptoms. I have used light therapy (I had this great doctor who had therapeutic lamps in his office and I could just stop in a few times a week to read/study under
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Sammy Yatim and the Legacy of Hope
In one of my last posts I looked at the tragic case of Sammy Yatim who was killed on a Toronto streetcar by police officer James Forcillo.Who shot the troubled teenager barely a minute after arriving on the scene, rather than take the time to negotiate…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Sammy Yatim and the Day of Justice
It's been three years and one day since 18-year-old Sammy Yatim was shot to death on a Toronto streetcar by police officer James Forcillo.But yesterday his killer was finally sentenced.A Toronto police officer who gunned down a troubled teen on an…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why the Liberal Government is Defending Bill C-14 So Strongly
Because I know a lot about death, and I've seen a lot of people die, some of my friends have been coming up to me and asking the same question:Why is Justin Trudeau's government clinging so stubbornly to its assisted dying bill C14?My blogging …
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Police Murder of Sammy Yatim: The Shocking Verdict
It's one of the most bizarre verdicts I've ever seen. A Toronto police officer is found guilty of attempted murder for shooting a troubled teenager on a streetcar.But not guilty of murder.Even though he killed him.Read more »
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Danger of the Lone Wolf
Canada’s had its share of lone wolf terrorism. In fact, most of the worst incidents have been the work of lone wolf terrorists. They’re loners, often unhinged and looking for whatever “cause” they can latch onto. Then they grab a gun or a car and make headlines for opportunistic politicians
Continue readingdrive-by planet: RCMP backtracking on release of video by Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau reeks of political influence
After we were told the video made by Ottawa shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau would be made available to the public, the RCMP has changed its mind, or had it changed for them. RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson wasn’t exactly clear on the specifics. He said there may be a release of “some aspects of a transcript of the video”… whatever that means.
Given the terrorist narrative favored by the government and also by the police, how can the public be sure that ‘aspects of the transcript’ aren’t cherry picked to reenforce the preferred narrative. Surely the honest and transparent thing to do would be to release the video for the public to make its own judgment or alternatively release the entire transcript, rather than “aspects” of it. If as some claim, there are concerns about the video being exploited in some way for jihadi propaganda, the odds of that happening would be diminished considerably if a transcript was involved – cop out though that would still be – because there is no compelling reason to sit on the video.
There are any number of jihad-inspired videos in circulation that glorify jihad and attack the West… lots of audio-visual incentive out there for anyone influenced by such material. The release of Zehaf-Bibeau’s video – assuming it contains any such content – would not likely make a substantial difference one way or another.
In giving reasons for withholding the video, Paulson also made vague allusions to “some sort of court process.” But given what we know this doesn’t add up. Zehaf-Bibeau is dead and there were no known accomplices.
The decision to withhold the video seems to be more about political calculations. Perhaps Harper is concerned that the video’s contents might in some way influence public opinion about Canada’s involvement in the US-led war in the Middle East… part of the government’s deeply misguided foreign policy agenda.
There has been some debate in parliament about whether or not the term “terrorism” should be used in describing Zehaf-Bibeau’s actions. But from the outset it was clear that the government was dead set on labeling it a “terrorist attack” despite information about Zehaf-Bibeau’s past that indicate mental and emotional problems were a likely trigger.
Zehaf-Bibeau’s mother, Susan Bibeau, who presumably knew her son better than most, denied that he was a terrorist acting “on behalf of some grand ideology or for a political motive.” She said he felt “cornered” and “acted in despair.” She is also skeptical of the radicalization theory and said she believes “mental illness is at the center of this tragedy.”
According to a recent poll Susan Bibeau’s view is shared by a high percentage of Canadians … while 36% describe the shooting as a “terrorist attack” 38% believe mental illness played a part in it.
Although the Harper government has been careful not to appear to be chaffing at the bit to beef up enforcement powers in the wake of the attack… given the reactionary right-wing nature of this government you can be sure it wants to extract as much mileage as possible from the incident. The wheels are apparently in motion. On Monday a Commons committee passed Bill C-44 that hands additional powers to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). According to Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, another bill is in the works that will boost law enforcement powers in the areas of surveillance, detention and arrest.
In the course of conjecturing out loud when and if the Zehaf-Bibeau video might see the light of day, RCMP chief Paulson wasn’t big on specifics… “I don’t know when it’s going to be released. It will certainly be released some day, but I would be a fool to say when it will be released.”
Continue readingdrive-by planet: RCMP backtracking on release of video by Ottawa shooter Zehaf-Bibeau reeks of political influence
After we were told the video made by Ottawa shooter Michael Zehaf-Bibeau would be made available to the public, the RCMP has changed its mind, or had it changed for them. RCMP commissioner Bob Paulson wasn’t exactly clear on the specifics. He said there may be a release of “some
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Robin Williams and the Demon Depression
He was such a funny man, he made so many people laugh. Which only made his sad death even more shocking. Robin Williams, the versatile actor whose madcap comic style made him one of television and film's biggest stars, was found dead on Monday from an apparent suicide at his home in
Continue readingAlberta Diary: The NFA is right about one thing: it’s time to talk about guns and mental health
The National Firearms Association’s logo and slogan. What do you think their message is? Below: NFL President Sheldon Clare and the organization’s Executive VP, Shawn Bevins. All photos grabbed from the NFA’s public Facebook page. Enough time has passed since the shocking murders of three Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Sammy Yatim and the Fatal Legacy of Stephen Harper
When I went by Dundas Square this evening after work, a march had already departed heading for the place where Sammy Yatim was killed. All that was left was a chalk memorial that the rain will soon wash away.But I will not easily forget what happened to that troubled teenager. Not only because
Continue reading