My Frustration with Canadian Police

It’s no secret that the public’s trust in police officers is at an all time low. This isn’t because Canadian police are dirty, in fact I will fight that allegation until I’m blue in the face. The problem is the American media’s portrayal of police in the United States. Things are different down there, especially when it comes to policing. Canadians have a sense of all being in this together. In the States, they are indoctrinated into a militaristic capitalist society. This means they glorify violence and strive to compete against each other, rather than cooperate. While related, that’s an entirely different essay. My point is policing competitive violent people is much different than policing cooperative people. They have to play by a different set of rules than we see in Canada, so it’s a lot rougher and the media has a heyday selling newspapers and web hits based on the violence, which is often necessary down south.

In Canada, we don’t have nearly as much violence, and our police get to be nice guys more often. However, our brainwashing by the American media is changing our attitudes towards police so that we’re afraid of them. When we fear them we will lash out at them. When we start to lash out at them, they will fear us. When the police fear us, they’re more likely to hurt us. Let’s stop this downward spiral of hate and fear. Fear is the path to the Dark Side.

Now, we’re getting close to where my frustration with police happens. Policing standards and professionalism dictates that police agencies do not engage the irritated public on social media. This makes sense. I’ve attended several training sessions on how to handle online reviews, and they all say “don’t feed the trolls.” If you engage the morons that just want to be heard, the noise will far outweigh any useful information. Where this differs in policing and public relations is, the morons that just want to be heard are being heard, and nobody is hearing any useful information.

In a very recent case in Edmonton Alberta, a man protected his mother from two hijackers. He tackled and subdued the first one, and then he tracked down and dragged the second one three blocks back to his place to wait for police. Police arrested and charged the carjackers, but they also arrested and charged the man who defended his mother. Link to the Edmonton Sun's Story

Naturally, people are jumping all over this. There’s comments about dirty police, stupid police, corrupt systems, corrupt police, and evil police. I don’t believe this is the case. There are several sections of the Criminal Code at play here, plus some of what I think is fine police work.

Any person in Canada may use reasonable force to stop an offense. Beating the tar out of possibly armed men while they are threatening your mother, without getting into too many detailed variables, is fine. Morally, I think you have a responsibility to do so. Also, any person may arrest without warrant any person they find committing a criminal offense, and deliver him forthwith to a peace officer. This means that tackling and holding the first one while you wait for police is just fine. In fact, I believe this was the morally responsible thing to do again. Assuming he didn’t go overboard and continue beating the guy’s face into hamburger after he was subdued, the police would not have a problem with this.

He caught up to the other guy 3 blocks away. This is where the law starts working against our hero. After he subdued the first guy and go looking for the second, he was no longer using force to stop an offense. At the same time, the “finds committing” clause in Section 494 of the Criminal Code also no longer applied. He found someone who he believed had committed an offense and assaulted him. This is assault, black and white. Citizens can’t do that. There are other factors involved the media doesn’t report on, like the level of force used, but since it wasn’t reported, I won’t elaborate on those laws.

Now with this knowledge, do you still believe the police are out of line? I hope not. They are enforcing the law as it is written, and what more can we possibly ask of them? That’s their job. You don’t get to pick and choose what parts of your job you’re going to do, and neither do they. Was this guy in the wrong to go get the second guy and bring him back for police to deal with? I don’t think so, but the Criminal Code says he is. I think this is fine police work, but a flawed Criminal Code. It is up to the Federal Government to change that statute in relation to defense of self, others, and property. Possibly also a change to the citizen arrest section.

If you still think the police are out of line, you’re either not paying attention, or you’re just not very smart.

Now this is where I get frustrated with Canadian Police. I should not be explaining to anybody how self defense and citizen arrest law works in Canada. A Deputy Chief of the Edmonton Police Service should be holding a public press conference, and posting it on their Facebook page.

The public’s distrust of the police comes from a lack of understanding. Since we started watching cartoons as a child, we’ve become familiar with the phrase, “People fear what they don’t understand.” For fuck sakes, because of liability concerns, most police services don’t even do ridealongs anymore!

It is the moral responsibility of Canadian Police Services to inform and educate the public. Rather than allowing a watered down, just-the-facts press release let the media tell part of the story and then let everyone else’s imagination run wild with the rest, tell the whole story. Explain why charges were laid. This isn’t pandering, and this isn’t just good public relations.  This is officer safety and long-term survival of Canadian police officers.

I hope that important people within policing read this. I hope that politicians read this. And for goodness sake, if you’re a member of the media, ask why once in a while.

Fight Back Against the Police!!! Wait, that was a bad idea...

Don't fight the police on the street. If you do, you'll get hurt. Fight them in the courtroom. That's what it's for. If you don't like the court system, vote for a candidate that will fix the court system, or run for office yourself.

Don't ambush, assassinate, execute, hunt down, and murder police. You think they're violent now? Just wait. While this certainly isn't the most scholarly thing I've ever said, WATCH ROBOCOP. Ignore the story of Murphy, and just pay attention to what the city of Detroit looks like. That's what you're working towards. Eventually, some corporation is gonna come along with the genius idea of privatizing policing, and using military grade drones to get the job done. The government is gonna be like, "Awesome. We want nothing to do with this shitstorm anymore. Take our money and have at 'er."

The premeditated and organized killing of police will have one of two effects in each jurisdiction, and every jurisdiction will see it happen to varying degrees.

Option 1: The police will step it up. You're looking at martial law. If you see a police officer, you know he will be scared and angry at any given time. Any sudden movement, and you're dead. Police will no longer patrol as we know it now. Police will travel only in force, and respond to calls only with overwhelming force. If someone gets called in for driving unsafe, they will be stopped with a spike belt, approached by a fully armed and armoured tactical unit, and taken down hard. Only once the suspect and police are secure in the fortified compound will the investigation begin.

Option 2: The police will protest. Do you know what a police protest looks like? It's not picket signs and irritating traffic. THEY GO HOME. If police officers obviously aren't safe at work, they're going to stop going to work. This goes one of two ways:

Option 2 A) Seriously understaffed police services cannot help people who need help. Anarchy takes over. This isn't the overly romanticized punk rock anarchy. This is the only the strong survive, everyone is out for himself, whoever has the most guns is in charge anarchy. Justice is out the window, now it's just a power game, and there are no bystanders or innocents. Eventually it evolves to a feudal system.

Option 2 B) Police leaders don't give up, but they can't hire good police anymore. They can hire only the losers off the street that really enjoy hurting people. Take what you can get. Now there are no good police. Now the police are the corrupt, evil bastards that you see in other countries. The good police officers that kept the bad ones in check have gone home and circled the wagons to protect their families.

The answer is absolutely NOT "fight back." The answer is "stop making the police fight you." Some of them really enjoy the excuse. Just comply. If they're in the wrong, attack their career.

CNN's Story

What I Want From My Government

I think of myself as a free market socialist. Here's what I want from my government:

- Stay out of my life. It's not your business what I put into my body, or do/have in my home. However, if you ask politely, and have a legitimate reason, I'll gladly give your agents a tour.
- Stay out of my business. Unless it has a direct effect on public safety, what I sell and how isn't your concern. How I run my business and what I'm willing to pay is also none of your concern, unless I am doing evil, like defrauding my customers, employees, or tax collectors.
- Keep me safe. Give police and military the training and tools necessary to protect me from people who would do me and mine harm. Allow them to perform their function, and hold them accountable with fair consideration for the position they're in.
- Don't waste time and resources. Pass legislation that makes sense and has a purpose. Don't just pass laws to keep the media saying nice things about you.
- Educate me. Education certainly isn't my right, but it is an investment that will almost always pay huge dividends to the community.
- Keep me healthy. Also not a right, but definitely an investment in the community. I can't contribute if I'm ill or injured, so give me a boost.
- Tax me fairly, in a way that makes sense. Current taxation is far too complicated. How many resources are wasted in simply interpreting the policies and procedures?

Retraining our Society of Victims is Necessary for Survival

When I was studying Terrorism Survival and Crime Survival, we learned the difference between a soft target versus hard target, and a low value target versus a high value target. The worst situation of course is to be a soft target of high value.

Now, you take a soft target like a Pokemon tournament. Typically not very high value, so you don't need to worry, right? Wrong, apparently. Whiny little bitches who haven't been taught how to manage their emotions now target places like schools, movie theatres, and goddamn Pokemon tournaments just to make themselves feel better.

What's the world coming to? It's coming to a place where the criminals are treated like the victims because they had shitty upbringings. The police are neutered by both the court of law and the court of public opinion, so they are completely powerless to protect us. Simultaneously, our legislators continue to pass laws restricting our rights and abilities to protect ourselves from the bad guys. We don't learn to stand up to bullies in school anymore. We're taught to comply in an armed robbery. Our emergency response procedures involve appeasement and cooperation. The bad guys are being given all the cards.

If we change how we think, if we make the conscious choice as a collective to stand up to bullies, we can make a real difference. I don't just mean stand up to bullies when you're being bullied, but when anyone is being bullied. That is the best way to discourage bullying. Youth suicides will all but stop, because they will feel safe and protected.

Continue this new mindset to the "real world." If everyone makes the conscious decision to stop the armed robber when he shows up, they'll stop. If everyone makes the decision to learn how to defend themselves, when someone shows up to shoot up the Pokemon tournament, someone is going to stop him before the body count gets high.

We learn in biology class about the Fight or Flight response to fear. There is a third option: Submit. The accurate response to fear is Fight, Flight, or Submit. I think you'll find that in most situations, people will simply submit. This is partly because of how we're hardwired, but this is also largely because of the society of victims that we are raising. Everything is always someone else's fault. Blame society. Blame the Jews. Blame the government. Blame the police. Blame the whites. Stop it. Stop being pussies and take it by the horns. It's on you to fix the problem. Do you know what to do if you're standing in line for the bank teller and someone pulls out a gun? Are you going to submit? Probably.

I'll probably submit, too. Any level of martial artist, soldier, or police officer out of uniform and in that situation will probably submit. The difference between us and most of you is that while we submit, we'll be looking for a tactical advantage. If and when we find that tactical advantage, that sunuvabitch will no longer be an entity unto himself. We will own him.

The world needs more people who think that way. Right now, the bad guys do what they please because they know we'll all submit. We, as a society, need to teach them that we will not submit. That we will own them. We will take away their power, and we will lock them in a cage to consider their life choices. If they truly repent and make amends, then we will forgive them and allow them to reintegrate into our society, but we will not forget. If they think we will allow them to fool us twice, they're done.

There, in a few short paragraphs, I have solved violent crime in North America. Now the problem is convincing people. Seek out some classes. There are classes for everyone. If you have years to learn and want to master something, there are traditional martial arts out there that can adapt to real world situations. If you like to compete, there's competitive arts like Taekwondo, MMA, Boxing, and Kickboxing. If you just want to learn some self defense, seek out Reality Based Personal Protection or Krav Maga. It's not the techniques that matter, it's the mindset. It's the conscious decision made ahead of time to take action, and the conflict rehearsals that prepare you to do so.

As one of my instructors always says, Be a Hard Target. I'll see that and raise it to Make Everyone a Hard Target.

The Warrior Creed

by Robert L. Humphrey(Marine Rifle Platoon Commander on Iwo Jima
& Bujinkan 10th Dan)

Wherever I go,
everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.

Wherever I am,
anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I return home,
everyone is happy I am there.

Policing Freedom

On the day that America celebrates its Independence Day, I reflect on the main tenet America was founded upon - freedom. Canada was founded in a much different way, but on the same basic tenet. What happened to our freedom?

Sure the United States passed its Bill of Rights, and we passed our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Now, slowly and democratically, we are giving our freedom away. Especially in America, we have recreated the aristocracy. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer, just like so many times in history before violent uprisings.

We elect our representatives, considering a 40% turnout to be an excellent turnout of voters. That means that the majority of the minority is actually electing our representatives. The rest of us can't be bothered, because we simply can't be bothered. Even if we do vote, we fill out our ballot, and stop paying attention. Whomever we elected can do whatever the hell they want, and we don't pay attention. We are actually happier being told what to do... until someone tells us what to do.

When someone tells us what to do, it is usually a police officer, speaking on behalf of the democratically elected government, which was "democratically" elected by the majority of the people who could be bothered to give a shit and vote. Then we vilify the police officer, who is obviously being an asshole and infringing on our freedoms because he is a jackbooted thug with a gun who feels entitled and is powertripping. Right? Right?

When a democratically elected government, whether municipal, provincial, or federal makes a stupid law, don't fight the guy who has been told by that government to enforce it. He is going to win. It's not his job to debate with you, or explain it to you, or reason with you, or even decide if it's right or wrong. It's his job to impose the will of the government on you. If the will of the government is stupid and unfair, it's still his job. He doesn't have to like it, but he does have to win the fight. Period. The police officer's job description in two sentences: "Impose the will of the government. Period." Fortunately, we live somewhere that the government's will is usually benevolent, so Community Policing, involvement, serving, and protecting, is part of that will.

Before you get pissed off at a police officer for enforcing a stupid ass law, maybe take a look at the jackasses that voted for the people who passed that law. Then go have a chat with the elected officials. Take part in the democratic process. Don't complain that the rules are stupid and get mad at the guy whose job it is to enforce them, get involved and help CHANGE THE RULES.