The woman in question has launched a $1.6 million lawsuit against the Toronto Police. Yesterday, the Toronto Police finally opened a criminal investigation against officers into the use of rubber bullets on protesters at point-blank range.

Here’s a video from the incident, clearing showing police advancing within several meters of a protester and unloading several rubber bullets into a woman:

Personally, I believe this officer should be charged with reckless endangerment of human life, and assault with a deadly weapon with the intention to cause bodily harm.

I also think he should be shot with rubber bullets at point blank range without body armour on, in order to feel what it’s like. But that’s just angry-Mike talking.

Here’s hoping for a conviction and a severe sentence. And extra intellectual demerit points for every conservative police defender who uses the “cut the guy a break, he was doing a tough job in a tough situation” argument. A ridiculous argument which said morons only prescribe to police and military, to the exclusion of everyone else.

Said morons want tougher penalties, longer sentences and stiffer enforcement. But when it comes to police, they want “understanding” for the “tough job” that police do.

I expect to hear such sympathy from these authoritarian masturbators, the next time a guy has a tough day at work, comes home and beats his children and wife. Or steals food from the grocery store because he’s short on cash.

Yeah, when I hear conservative, pro-police morons extend such “understanding” universally, I’ll consider it a valid argument position.

Okay. The headline is not charitable. But I’m not feeling very charitable towards Mr. Peter Worthington of the Toronto Sun.

Worthington, is a well-known conservative pontificator in the Greater Toronto Area. And he’s someone who I never really liked, personally. Even back when I had more partisan leanings. When I was still wet behind the ears.  Mainly because his commentary doesn’t even really come off as anything approaching intelligent.

If you want an intelligent socially conservative commentator — even if they’re still all wrong — there’s plenty to go around. But Worthington doesn’t get to bear the distinction.

Let’s explore why:

When Ontario ombudsman Andre Marin calls security operations at the G20 “the most massive compromise of civil liberties in Canadian history,” either he is indulging in hyperbole (as often is his wont), or he doesn’t know much history.

To many, the implementation of the War Measures Act during the 1970 FLQ crisis was a greater “compromise” of civil liberties than the G20 — as was the 1919 general strike in Winnipeg that saw the Royal Northwest Mounted Police ride horses into strikers, clubbing them down, and killing two.

Judged by demonstrations in other parts of the civilized world, the G20 excesses were modest and limited. But this is Canada, not the rest of the world, and much of what happened is distressing to Canadians.

We tend to work ourselves into a lather over inconsequentialities.

For one thing, police — maybe 100 of them — removing their identification badges was both cowardly and wrong. And is rightly condemned. Pity that Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair wasn’t more distressed at that violation than he appeared to be. (Source: The Toronto Sun)

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