tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91788266290263767992024-03-13T10:11:06.548-04:00Border CrossingBoonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857832534463228577noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-17839167608350010732012-06-01T16:20:00.001-04:002012-06-01T16:41:32.828-04:00I am at war and I know what I am fighting for<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0in 13.5pt 0pt 0in; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric;">
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I am a great transgender woman because I am unrelenting, friendly thoughtful and funny. I was born male and my transition is still ongoing. I can be horribly lazy, selfish and pessimistic time mind you, but I am a great woman at heart and I am tired of seeking men or society for validation of my own worth. </div>
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Throughout most of my life, I‘ve been seeking approval from men for self worth. I realize it is a game I don’t need to play anymore. Building confidence is a life time continual work of progress. Being a confident woman takes a lot of work, and being transgender makes it that much harder. </div>
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Women are often judged on our appearance, physical desirability. Unmarried women in their late 20s and 30s are often described as “left over women” in China. They are also called spinster or old maid in the western world. These terms left us with an image of women losers that are left over on the shelves awaiting expiry dates. </div>
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It also reminds me of my experience of being the last one to be picked in gym class or school projects. Since grade five, I’ve been heavily bullied. My sense of worth plummeted to almost zero after many years of confined torture also known as homophobic bullying. I wanted acceptance but what I received was abuse, contempt, harassments and alienation. I wanted friendship and love but what I live with is depression, anxiety and self loathing. As an adult, when I think about the men and women who reject me outright or gradually disappear from my life because of my transgender status, I feel like history is repeating itself. Am I going to remain in loserville for the rest of my life? </div>
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Then I think about my single mother, who I considered to be the most beautiful woman on earth. My mom gives me love each day through her words and actions. She never let the fact that she is single bring her down, she does everything for her children out of love and I almost think there are no men on earth that is both man enough and good enough for her. </div>
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I become stronger when I think about my mom and the love she has for me, as well as the few <a href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/users/steven-boone">men </a>and women who has shown true love for me in the past. There’s no better way to honor the love I received than to deeply love myself and accept myself. From now till the day I die, I am going to go on a battle with self hatred and I am going to win love – for myself. </div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqmORiHNtN4">This is a cold war and you better know what you are fighting for</a></div>
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</div>CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-60741264286589311232012-05-24T23:37:00.001-04:002012-05-26T19:48:54.218-04:00There's something about Montreal<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体;">In 2010, the Ontario government passed a secret regulation to drastically expand police power to arrest, search and detain without any legislative vote or publication during the G20 summit; Ontarians hardly cared. </span><span style="font-size: small;">In contrast, when the Quebec government passed an emergency law, Bill 78, to restrict any public demonstration<span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"> over 50 people, the public in Quebec responded decisively. </span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: small;">The annual Earth Day in 2012 draws </span><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Earth+march+fills+Montreal+streets/6500400/story.html"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">a quarter million Quebeckers to march for the environment and against climate change</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> and the <a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Reader+week/2753945/Scientists+journalists+call+Harper+order/6171398/story.html">anti-science measures</a> taken by the Harper government. On May 22, 2012, tens of thousands of Montréalers again marched to mark the 100 days of student protest in Quebec and in defiance of the restrictions imposed by the recently passed (and very likely unconstitutional) Bill 78.</span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even though a recent G20 report conducted by the Office of the Independent Police Review director condemned Toronto police and their use of kettling and various police aggressions during the G20 summit, the </span><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/02/22/g20-secret-law.html"><span style="font-size: small;">Ontario government</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> as well as the </span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/torontog20summit/article/1180467--g20-aftermath-toronto-police-chief-bill-blair-to-seek-permission-to-lay-more-charges"><span style="font-size: small;">Toronto Police Chief Officer</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> both refuse to apologize for the way police exercised their power during the G20 summit.</span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: small;">When authorities deny any wrongdoings, it is so no wonder that history is repeating itself in Montreal.</span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Montreal police used their newly legislated power to </span><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/05/is-kettling-a-valid-police-tactic.html"><span style="font-size: small;">“kettle"</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> thousands of protesters and bystanders and arrested 518 people this past Wednesday, May 24, 2012.</span></span><br /><br /><span lang="EN-CA" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s not a surprise to learn that many people, especially those from the English speaking part of Canada, berated these protesters for their supposed sense of entitlements about a free public post secondary education, or that these young protesters are simply punks with no jobs. What I found surprising, however, is that Quebeckers actually take their politics and their distinct </span><a href="http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2012/05/24/how-did-quebecs-student-standoff-come-to-this/)"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;">Quebec Charter of Human Rights</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> (for a free public education) seriously, unlike their peers from the rest of Canada. Quebeckers stand up proudly to march for their freedom to assemble and free education night after night despite severe police aggressions that led to the </span><a href="http://www2.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=6673791"><span style="font-size: small;">largest ever mass arrest in Canada's history.</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Canadians need to take inspiration from the students in Montreal<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and assert our dignity, which is being eroded by the Charest government, as well as the Harper government as they continue to bully </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">unemployed <span style="color: black;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1143899--walkom-ottawa-abuses-the-law-by-forestalling-air-canada-strike"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">unionized workers</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, <a href="http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/25/11880288-budget-cut-overkill-canada-axes-entire-marine-pollution-program#.T8DDNCtDNng.facebook">dismiss scientists</a>, and restrict the</span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1183097--nearly-one-million-young-canadians-not-at-school-or-work-statscan-says"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> voices of young people</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> who can’t find a decent employment due to the increasing disparity and inequality echoed by the Occupy Movement.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The people in Montreal believe that civil rights, and social democracy are not “just words on a piece of paper”, it is time the rest of Canada joined in and keep our country and our streets from becoming a police state. </span></div>
</div>CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-53394946947850930482012-04-21T23:50:00.001-04:002012-04-22T00:02:15.088-04:00Living While Black and Transgender<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CeCe Macdonald is charged with second degree murder in Minnesota because she refused to be a victim of her own gender identity and race.<br /><br />While CeCe, a black transgender woman, and her friends were walking one day on June 5 2011, she was harassed by a group of white men for wearing girl clothes; she and her friends were also called "faggots", "niggers," "chicks with dicks." Instead of accepting public harassment and insults as an inevitable part of being transgender in public, CeCe walked up to tell them she would not tolerate their hateful words. Subsequently, one of the women in the group smashed her glass into Cece's face. A fight broke out, and one of the men in the group was fatally stabbed and died. CeCe required 11 stitches to her cheeks; she is now in solitary confinement and standing trial for second degree murder.<br /><br />It is not uncommon for trans women to be harassed in public. A video that went viral on the internet last year showed<br /><br /><br />On </span><a href="http://supportcece.wordpress.com/category/ceces-blog/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CeCe’s blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, she wrote that "being African and Trans is an ultimate challenge.” As with many GLBT kids abandoned by their own family, Cece’s biological family did not support her. While self acceptance is a hard fought battle for any transgender person, this is especially true for transgender women of color, who must deal with the day to day reality of violence. In an annual report released by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence programs,</span><a href="http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/07/70_percent_of_anti-lgbt_murder_victims_are_people_of_color.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> transgender women make up 44 percent of the anti-LGBT murders in 2010. Transgender people of color are also almost 2.5 times as likely to experience discrimination as their white peers. Even when transgender women survive from attacks, they were the least likely to report an attack because the authorities are overwhelming viewed as "indifferent, abusive or deterrent."</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-mcdonalds-beating-plea-20110804,0,1587469.story"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a 22 year old transgender woman dragged by her hair and then beaten for using the women's restroom at a McDonald restaurant</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Transgender people are often assaulted and killed for simply living their life. Prior to 2009, hate crimes committed against transgender people were not recognized in the U.S. (</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-ozOgwOi_Q"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allen Andrade</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> of Colorado was the first U.S. man to be convicted of murder and a hate crime for killing a transgender teen in April, 2009.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite her hardships, Cece is not ashamed of herself, and she paid a horrendous price for refusing to be victimized based her identity. Cece is an inspiring woman to me because she reminded me that we should never accept our own marginalization, or to stand down and accept having to live in fear. The road to justice might not be favorable for CeCe, but we must still walk through it together so justice will prevail for all of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can</span><a href="http://supportcece.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> visit this page</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to support CeCe and get updates on her case</span></div>
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<br /></div>CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-4964924907666181102012-03-31T21:25:00.012-04:002012-04-01T17:44:18.690-04:00The hero never cameIt’s becoming a pretty unremarkable sight to see people suffering from homelessness in Toronto. So it wasn’t a surprise to see a homeless man laid down on the empty seats on a subway train. One of the cleaning crew members yelled out to the man, “this is not a hotel; you can’t sleep on the train.” It was harsh but I see his point, empty seats are valuable especially on a crowded subway train. Anyways, nothing was going to stop the man from sleeping on the train; I suppose anyone who is homeless and hasn’t showered or eaten for days must be living in their own world with very little care about manners or <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_2246601_follow-subway-etiquette.html" target="_blank">social etiquettes</a>.<br /><br /><br />I examined his face more closely, he looked aged from homelessness and crushing poverty but aside from that and the bushy grey beards, i could tell he was otherwise a young looking man . I had the sudden urge to bring him home and give him a nice warm bath and a clean razor.<br /><br />I imagined myself sleeping on a train. It’s not a farfetched idea. I have no savings and I have credit card debts that can take years to be paid off. On top of that, I just lost my job. The future <a href="http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1143367--jobless-gen-y-young-unemployed-and-giving-up-hope" target="_blank">job prospect</a> isn’t good either. Thankfully, I have a mom who works everyday to pay for the rent and bills, so we don’t have to sleep on the subway. The man sleeping across me must not have a mother or anyone to rely on. I can’t help but wonder what would happen to me if I didn’t have anyone who loves me enough to make sure I have a roof over my head every night. I will never understand why anybody has to suffer the fate of homelessness and loneliness.<br /><br />Nobody on the train said anything to the man. The outside world must seem like the most inhumane and ugly place to those living on the street. Could this man be the foreshadowing of what will become of me? I lamented at the lack of sanctuary in our indifferent world. I was waiting for a hero or a daring soul to suddenly stand up and condemn the transit passengers for failing to care about another fellow human being. Of course, no such thing happened. This is <a href="http://blog.rogersbroadcasting.com/billhart/files/2009/08/billboardcoors.jpg" target="_blank">Toronto the Cold</a> after all. I was no better; I got off the train just as expected. (Okay, to be fair, Toronto apparently has <a href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2011/04/1951519/first-rate-second-rate-and-out-soup-kitchens-toronto-and-new-york?page=1">first class soup kitchens</a> for the needy, at least according to writer Steven Boone)<br /><br />We have a reached a new millenium; the dramatic increase in internet accessbility, along with free Wi Fi spots, and relatively cheap smart phones allow humans to be more informed and more connected to each other than ever imagined possible. However, our <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_nature" target="_blank">state of nature</a> is still persistently and stubbornly indifferent to personal sufferings. Maybe there's an app for changing that?CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-22810233898860838502012-03-29T22:12:00.003-04:002012-03-30T13:47:08.084-04:00Easy come, Easy goI saw the writing on the wall. I knew that I was going to be terminated from my position very soon. It was expected because my contract was ending on April 30th. The only surprise was that I became unemployed sonner than I anticipated<br /><p><br /><br />Fate had it that March 28, 2012 would be my last day of work; after I finished work and went home, I received a call from the temp agency that I didn’t have to return for work tomorrow. This was the longest full time job I’ve ever hold, it lasted six months. I thought I would have the chance to say goodbye to my colleagues, and to clean up the desk that I became very familiar with. I tried everything I could to save myself from being laid off; I never missed a day of work nor have I been late and I did my best to be the most productive employee but none of that seem to be acknowledged, let alone appreciated. <p><br /><br />My desk sits idle now; I wonder if all the paper and post it notes with my scribbles and thoughts were cleaned up immediately after I left for work? The management team never recognized the temp workers, we were the “invisible workers” (the irony is that most of us are visible minorities); after all, we are from the agency. In an “us versus them’ world, we are more than expandable, we are simply refugees with no nationality, we have never existed and we never will. Nevertheless, I made my presence known in the company. My desks were occupied with my workbooks, notepads, and water bottles. To my supervisor’s annoyance, I put up dozens of work sheets on the wall of my station like a teenager who covers her room with posters.<br /><br /><p><br />I imagine the management team working hard to delete all traces of myself off the company. The fact that I didn’t get to say goodbye to the people I saw everyday for the past six months was pretty brutal; on top of that, I was warned that I am forbidden to contact anyone from the company after I sent an email to my (now former) supervisor after my termination. Oh well, Easy come easy go, right? I want to be strong and keep my dignity but I can’t help but feel like a whore being kicked out of the church. Apparently, my ass belongs to the agency. <br /><p><br />I naively thought that my perfect attendance and hard working ethics would have allowed me to at least work until the last day of my contract. I am unemployed and broke again. My temp work has allowed me to live with dignity for the past six months but I have to hustle for another job soon or I am going to fall further into credit card debts.<p><br /> In this brave post Occupy world, I know I am not getting any bail out, and sadly, there might not even be light at the end of my tunnel. It’s not right but that’s okay because I am used to being wronged, my tranny badge of honor is my living proof. There’s nothing I can count on, but I am not ready to count myself out just yet, my short term goal is finding a job, my permanent goal is resistance thorough existence. “They” can certainly take away my livelihood and all personal belongings, but my dignity is my own.CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-90911289491023802282012-02-12T20:37:00.001-05:002012-03-30T13:55:01.845-04:00You can't fix meFor the past 10 to 15 years, I’ve been suffering from depression, and I don’t feel like a fully human at least for a few hours every day. I spend 30 minutes running on a treadmill. The remaining time is for working or sleeping or surfing the internet. Sleeping gives me the breathing room to be away from my own conscious s hell. Running has allowed me to be productive while I am awake; it gives me the boost I need to get on with each day. On the rare occasions that I don't run, I feel extremely negative about myself and life in general. Specifically, I would feel uncomfortable with the way I look, and I’d get so nervous and close to having panic attacks.<br /><br />Running is just a band aid solution for me though. As the effects of endorphins die down, and the euphoric feeling I get from running dwindles, I start losing my concentration, Negative thoughts resurface and multiply, and I go back to my old habits of numbing myself with unrestrained internet surfing, binge eating and other self-sabotaging behavior.<br /><br />Years of depression and social anxiety have caused me to lose touch with myself. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t medicated with one pill or another. On my good days, I feel like a walking shell. On my bad days, I cannot stop thinking and worrying about people and everything that goes on in my surroundings.<br /><br />I haven’t always been this way, not until I was into my adolescent years. The most important lesson I learned in high school was self-loathing. I was called a loser and abused everyday at school by bullies, and I was paralyzed with fear. The bullies made me feel worthless. I also started hating myself because I believed I was an ugly faggot, not worthy of having friends, let alone being loved.<br /><br />Since the bullying, I became desperate. The way I feel about myself depends entirely on whether I have a boyfriend or any friends at the moment. II came to see myself as someone who cannot be fixed because I internalized myself to the extent that my entire identity is my depression, social anxiety and self loathing. Since I spent my formative years hating myself and living with the mental health issues that have arisen due to bullying, I never had a chance to develop fully into the person I was meant to be, nor have I really come to term with who I am. I was labeled a faggot before I became aware of my own sexuality, and my gender identity came into question when life became unbearable for many different reasons, such as never feeling like I was a man to begin with, and never feeling self acceptance or acceptance from others. What will my identity be if I am ever fixed?<br /><br />Different psychiatrists and psychologists have worked with me, to no avail. I was put on one medication and another. Nothing changed how I feel about myself or about life. One mental health professional told me my depression is not related to my gender identity or sexuality, and that I should not transition to a woman until I made the transition to be a fully functioning human being. I did not take his advice. Instead, I felt rejected. I visited another psychiatrist and he told me I have gender identity disorder after half an hour of speaking with me. He gave me the green light to start hormone therapy and I never saw him or any other psychiatrist again.<br /><br /><br />My life hasn’t gotten any easier since I began my hormone therapy. In some ways, I met even more discrimination and prejudices. On the other hand, the way other people see me, and the way I see myself has improved as I start looking more like a female with each passing day. I met a few men who have shown me true understanding and love, who made me feel better about who I am. Nevertheless, I still have trouble changing the way I feel about myself. It is true that “the more things change, the more they remain the same.”<br /><br />My issue with self acceptance is made even more complicated as I continue to struggle with my identity: Am I a woman or a man, or both or neither? More importantly, depression and social anxiety are still my only constant companions and reminders of how little I have changed over the years and how much my history of being bullied informed the kind of person I am today. The paralyzing effect of fear and self loathing continue to put my life on hold, perhaps indefinitely, so the only thing left for me to do is to run.CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-67721088476064455802012-01-28T21:18:00.000-05:002012-01-28T22:02:29.735-05:00The political isnt very personalThe longer I spend in the workforce, the more unfairness I’ve experienced. I used to be idealistic and I believe in unions (I still do), but I am no longer enthusaitic about unions and the idea of workers solidarity that entails. Even though I am still against conservatism and trickledown economics, the problem with both left wing and right wing ideologies does not accurately account for how people act in a real life setting. We hear a lot about income inequality and workplace exploitation, but I never hear politicians or social activists protest against cronyism, bullying which is the daily reality of today’s workplace. This is not a surprise since bullying starts at the very top; the Harper’s government in Canada is a good example of the effectiveness of <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/another-day-another-round-of-bullying-and-hypocrisy/article1558119/">bullying</a> at the political level<br /><br />As someone suffering with depression and doesn’t particularly enjoy social interaction because of my social anxiety, I continue to have a difficult time in the workplace and in other areas of my social life. I made myself a easy target for <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201010/the-unholy-trio-bullying-cronyism-and-narcissism-work">bullying </a>because I don’t make friends easily with supervisors and managers; I simply can’t wait to find out the treatment I will receive from co workers and managers when/if they found out that I am a pre op transgender woman. That’s a whole can of worms I am not going to open for now.<br /><br />I see co workers who work less than me, but are treated more leniently because they carry favors with the supervisor, while I am often being harassed for being lazy even though I am always taking initiative to find work where there is none to do. I am being misjudged simply because I like to sit at my own desk and close my eyes when I am on my break so I can reduce my anxiety (which in the long run increase my workplace productivity). I have to say my supervisor is not the most competent person, and I don’t understand why someone with little job knowledge should be given the job of supervising and (bullying) those with less power.<br /><br />Despite the unions’ rhetoric on fairness, I do believe that seniority in unions can contribute to workplace unfairness and even bullying.<br /><br />Why is it fair for people to have their jobs protected simply because they have been employed the longest and belong to a union? For those who never had the opportunity to belong to a union (including myself), we are the first to let go whenever there is any layoff; however, we are also asked to extend solidarity to workers by putting ourselves on the chopping block so we can protect those who‘ve been employed the longest, despite the fact that they might not have worked very hard to being with and they had only been employed because of cronyism or family connection, how is that fair to most of us who never had the privilege, social background or luck to join a union?CYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05635763666848531044noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-19360661408699324822011-01-15T14:23:00.000-05:002011-01-26T21:31:39.646-05:00Your Recession is My Depression<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">by CY</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It may not be unusual for those who are mentally ill to have run-ins with the police. Nigel Elder suffered from schizophrenia and life was confusing for him. On January 12, the police were called because someone saw a man waving a gun from a moving vehicle. 50 officers, including police negotiators and tactical squad officers, soon chased Nigel. </span></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Nigel was confused. He didn’t have any gun, and he just wanted to get a slice of pizza. It may very well be that his unusual behavior partly caused by schizophrenia, in addition to the fact that he is black, contributed to the police standoff. <br />
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Nigel was eventually charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and driving without a driver’s license. The mother, Maria Elder, believed her son should have been treated as someone with a mental illness, not a criminal. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Even though I do not suffer from schizophrenia, I know the last thing a person dealing with mental health challenges needs is to go through a traumatizing experience with armed police officers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">I also know the outside world is a cruel and painful place to live in for someone who is considered a visible minority and experiencing mental health and employment difficulties.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">We also know from research that mental health issues like depression, anxiety and psychosis are linked to discrimination based on a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Many immigrants and former immigrants, including myself, struggle everyday to find or work at low pay and highly stressful employment. According to psychiatrist Kwama McKenzie, our risk of developing mental illness increases every time we experience discrimination, feel threatened or attacked by our employers, police authorities, or suffer verbal/physical abuse.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">According to Steve Lurie, the executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association, people living with serious mental illness are likely to die 25 years earlier. <br />
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Even though I have a university education, I accept whatever job is thrown at me, despite the fact that I have never had a full time job and all my jobs have been of extremely low pay and temporary in nature. As a result, I have accumulated a huge load of debts and I live in fear when I am unemployed. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Lately, I notice my mental state is worsening everyday as I realize that no one has called me for an interview or a job offer. Even though I am regularly taking my anti-depressant pills, I am becoming paranoid, and unemployment is eating away at me that I found it increasingly difficult to cope with daily life in a healthy way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Maybe, just maybe, my situation is partly due to the fact that Canada spends only 5% of its health budget on mental health share services, less than most OECD countries, and the province of Ontario, where I reside, spends less per capita that most other provinces on mental health. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">We have enough pundits trying to convince us of an economic recovery. When are they going to start talking about our mental recovery? </span>Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857832534463228577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-32829943982731190732011-01-12T20:54:00.001-05:002012-03-30T13:59:29.078-04:00Hellbound Call Center<div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;">by CY</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;"></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;">As a part time telemarketer, I often notice people ranting online about how much they hate telemarketers, brainstorming ways to annoy us for revenge. I tend to empathized</span><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;"> with those who take out their frustration on the relatively innocent telemarketers. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;">I admit I was rude to telemarketers several times too. I once loudly yelled, “Good Luck!” to a telemarketer trying to sell me credit cards. </span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Times;"><br /></span></span></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:large;"><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';">Despite what telemarketing companies claim, I believe nobody becomes a telemarketer selling credit cards over the phone by choice. </span></span></div><br /><div style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:large;">I have been underemployed or unemployed for long periods of time. On top of my credit card debts and student loan, I have to confront my worsening mental health. Being underemployed or unemployed makes me feel even more clinically depressed, anxious and hopeless. The last thing I need to hear is someone telling me how I need to get a real job instead of bothering him or her with my phone calls. Yeah, tell me something I don’t know already... </span>Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857832534463228577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-28765395480228321572011-01-12T01:22:00.000-05:002011-01-26T21:32:07.315-05:00Is it Any Wonder?by CY<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">We all know life is unfair. Life is particularly unfair for many who suffer from mental health issues or other disabilities. While we often hear public lip service about the need to respect and treat mentally ill people, I believe one of the biggest problems facing many people suffering from mental health issues is related to employment, or the lack thereof. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Many people who suffer from depression and anxiety are not qualified for disability benefits. We are forced to work, but what happens when nobody will hire us? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">I want to work and be a productive member of society, but employers do not hire people who don’t appear “normal” or “ideal," particularly during periods when there is a scarcity of jobs. We are caught in a Catch-22. We can’t find work because of our depression/anxiety, which worsens our mental health condition. We have no income, and our mental health is further worsening but we have to wait until the point of severe mental illness or physical disabilities before we become eligible for disability benefits. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: large;">Is it any wonder that the Canadian Addiction and Mental Health Centre states that depression is the most significant cause of suicide for both younger and older Canadians? </span>Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857832534463228577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9178826629026376799.post-59680066833194509802010-12-12T05:20:00.000-05:002011-01-26T21:32:23.362-05:00To protect and shield their wrongdoings?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">by CY </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Over the past six months, I talked with some people who either oppose or support the actions of our police forces during the G20 summits. While I didn’t participate in any of the G20 demonstrations, I am saddened and disappointed that our police force is given the power to harass and, in a few cases, cowardly beat people, such as Adam Nobody, for simply congregating in a public setting like Queen’s Park. While politicians and our police force are quick to condemn and arrest the people responsible for the vandalism that took place during the G20 summits, none of the complaints filed against officers who allegedly used excessive force during the weekend on June 26, 2010 have resulted in any charges, let alone criminal convictions. </span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn1" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref1" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">i</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">No one wants to live in a country controlled by gang leaders or criminals. Our police forces play an important role in ensuring our security. However, abuse of power is abuse of power, whether the perpetrator is a police officer, a government official, or a protestor. I don’t want to live in a society where young people can be harassed, beaten or criminalized simply because some of them, wisely or not, decided to exercise their constitutional right to protest. In Canada, young people are constantly being told about the value of living in a democracy while recent events have exposed the true coercive nature of state power; that police officers are often treated as above the law right here at home.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">According to the report entitled <i>A Breach of the Peace</i>, released from the Canadian Civil Liberty Association, riot police targeted and in some cases, physically abused, some of the demonstrators and innocent bystanders at Queen’s Park, a designated protest area. </span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn3" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref3" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[ii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">While it is understandable to establish high-end security to protect our world leaders, it is a fear-mongering tactic and a trait of a police state to put the entire downtown area into a security lockdown. Even though police officers have every right to stop people from committing property damage, they do not have the right to remove their identification badges in order to anonymously intimidate, harass, or physically force people from exercising their right to peaceful assembly, especially in an area designated as a demonstration site. </span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn4" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref4" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[iii]</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Under our laws, the Canadian government as well as the Ontario government is ultimately responsible for the actions of our police force during the G20 summits. Six months after the G20 summits, </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">the Liberal Ontario government still refused to apologize for its role in enabling the abuse of power despite the “mass violation of civil rights”, or the secret regulation (Regulation 233/10) issued by the Ontario government to drastically expand police power to arrest, search and detain without any legislative vote or publication. <a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn5" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref5" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc;">[iv]</span></a></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">While Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his dismay at the “few thugs” responsible for smashing window during the G20 protests, his government is silent on the loss of civil liberties and abuse of police power during the G20 summit. </span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn6" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref6" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[v]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Federal public safety minister Vic Toews denied having anything to do with the secretive new police power during the G20 summits even though they are responsible for spending a billion dollar on security for the G20 summits.</span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn7" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref7" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[vi]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> Just recently, Tom Flanagan, a former campaign manager for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, openly suggested that Wikileak founder Julian Assange should be assassinated. How can we trust our government when one of its advisors is advocating the murder of a man because he distributed information public to the general public?</span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn8" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref8" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[vii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> Last but not least, Mayor Rob Ford is completely supportive of the actions of the police officers and their "aggressive measure to get the situation under control” while Toronto’s deputy mayor, Doug Holyday stated, “We should be paying more attention to the vandals and thugs who tried to wreck our city.”</span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn9" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref9" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[viii]</span></a><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn10" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref10" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[ix]</span></a></span><span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><br />
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After six months of investigation by the Special Investigation Unit, an Ontario’s civilian police watchdog, and intense media attention from the Toronto Star, five officers have finally been identified in the beating of Adam Nobody during his June 25 arrest at Queen’s Park.</span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn11" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref11" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[x]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> Although our police force is quick and decisive in arresting several people responsible for violence and vandalism during the summits of world leaders, the SIU has been unable to lay a single charge against any police officers for injuries to civilians during the G20 protests. </span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn12" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref12" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[xi]</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, SIU is often seen as a “toothless tiger and muzzled watchdog” as it does not have the power to require police officers to submit to questioning. A review from the Ontario’s Ombudsman has deemed the SIU for being timid when it comes to investigating the misconduct of police officers. </span></span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn13" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref13" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[xii]</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="color: #2a2a2a;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Until recently, I have always thought all citizens are equal and are given the same rights and protection, and that the rights of a protestor and a citizen are just as important as the right of a taxpayer. However, I am increasingly becoming cynical about today’s politics because of the lack of mechanisms to prosecute the criminal actions of police officers, as well as our mayor’s replacement of the word “citizens” with “taxpayers” when referring to Torontonians.</span><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_edn14" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__ednref14" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">[xiii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"> No one should be surprised if young people, particularly the many who are hurt during the G20 protests, as well those with little or no taxable income are turned off from politics and the usual rhetoric of justice, equality and democracy from our supposedly honorable political leaders.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /></span><br />
<div></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref2" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn2" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[i]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Dimanno, Rosie. (2010, December 9). DiManno: More needed than ‘glib’ answer on G20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i>The Toronto Star </i>Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/article/904988--dimanno-more-needed-than-glib-answer-on-g20" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.thestar.com/news/<wbr></wbr>article/904988--dimanno-more-<wbr></wbr>needed-than-glib-answer-on-g20</span></a></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref3" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn3" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[ii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> A Preliminary Report on observation during the 2010 G20 Summit (2010, June 29). Canadian Civil Liberties Association Retrieved from </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://ccla.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/CCLA-Report-A-Breach-of-the-Peace-Preliminary-report-updated-July-8.pdf" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">http://ccla.org/wordpress/wp-<wbr></wbr>content/uploads/2010/06/CCLA-<wbr></wbr>Report-A-Breach-of-the-Peace-<wbr></wbr>Preliminary-report-updated-<wbr></wbr>July-8.pdf</span></a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref4" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn4" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[iii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Queen’s Park now the G20 Protest Area <i>CTV Toronto</i> Retrieved </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100513/Queens-Park-G20-100513/20100513?hub=TorontoNewHome" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/<wbr></wbr>an/local/CTVNews/20100513/<wbr></wbr>Queens-Park-G20-100513/<wbr></wbr>20100513?hub=TorontoNewHome</span></a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref5" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn5" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[iv]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Marin, Andre. (December 2010)“Caught in the Act” <i>Ombudsman of Ontario</i> 64-65 Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/media/157555/g20final1-en.pdf" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.ombudsman.on.ca/<wbr></wbr>media/157555/g20final1-en.pdf</span></a></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref6" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn6" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[v]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Campion-Smith, Joanna Smith and Richard J. Brennan (2010, June 27) Thugs justify huge summit security tab, Stephen Harper says Retrieved from</span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/torontog20summit/article/829254--thugs-justify-huge-summit-security-tab-stephen-harper-says" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.thestar.com/news/<wbr></wbr>gta/torontog20summit/article/<wbr></wbr>829254--thugs-justify-huge-<wbr></wbr>summit-security-tab-stephen-<wbr></wbr>harper-says</span></a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref7" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn7" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[vi]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> No Author (2010, December 8) Toews denies role in G20 police law <i>CBC News</i> Retrieved from <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/12/08/g20-summit-law-toews.html" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank">http://www.cbc.ca/politics/<wbr></wbr>story/2010/12/08/g20-summit-<wbr></wbr>law-toews.html</a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref8" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn8" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[vii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> No Author. (2010, December 4) US embassy cables: Wiki witch hunt, Retrieved from <span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/04/us-embassy-cables-wikileaks" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.guardian.co.uk/<wbr></wbr>commentisfree/2010/dec/04/us-<wbr></wbr>embassy-cables-wikileaks</span></a></span></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref9" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn9" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[viii]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Warmington, Joe. (2010, December 9) Police chief one of the Untouchables The Toronto Sun Retrieved from <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/12/09/16495746.html" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank">http://www.torontosun.com/<wbr></wbr>news/columnists/joe_<wbr></wbr>warmington/2010/12/09/<wbr></wbr>16495746.html</a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref10" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn10" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[ix]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Ford, Rob. (2010, June 26) G20 Protesters and Destruction Unacceptable: Ford. <i>Ford for Mayor </i>Retrieved from <a href="http://www.robfordformayor.ca/2010/06/27/g20-protesters-violence-and-destruction-unacceptable-ford/" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank">http://www.robfordformayor.ca/<wbr></wbr>2010/06/27/g20-protesters-<wbr></wbr>violence-and-destruction-<wbr></wbr>unacceptable-ford/</a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref11" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn11" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[x]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Kraus, Krystalline (2010, December 11) Activist Communique: Adam Nobody vs the Toronto Police Rabble.ca retrieved from <a href="http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/krystalline-kraus/2010/12/activist-communiqu%C3%A9-adam-nobody-vs-toronto-police" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank">http://rabble.ca/blogs/<wbr></wbr>bloggers/krystalline-kraus/<wbr></wbr>2010/12/activist-communiqu%C3%<wbr></wbr>A9-adam-nobody-vs-toronto-<wbr></wbr>police</a></span></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref12" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn12" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[xi]</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Morrow, Adrian. (2010, November 29) G20 police won’t face criminal charges Globe and Mail Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/g20-police-wont-face-criminal-charges/article1813764/" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.theglobeandmail.<wbr></wbr>com/news/national/toronto/g20-<wbr></wbr>police-wont-face-criminal-<wbr></wbr>charges/article1813764/</span></a></div><div><a href="http://sn114w.snt114.mail.live.com/mail/RteFrame.html?v=15.4.0332.1110&pf=pf#_ednref13" name="12cd8f2c73f9977a__edn13" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank" title=""><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #0066cc; font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[xii]</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> Leblanc, Daniel and Bill Curry (December 11, 2010) Ontario police watchdog under investigation Globe and Mail Retrieved from </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/ontario-police-watchdog-under-investigation/article1834097/" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">http://www.theglobeandmail.<wbr></wbr>com/news/national/ontario/<wbr></wbr>ontario-police-watchdog-under-<wbr></wbr>investigation/article1834097/</span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[xii]</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> Amenta, Salvatore (December 10,2010) New low in public discourse. The Toronto Star Retrieved from <a href="http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/904877--new-low-in-public-discourse" style="color: #005488;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">http://www.thestar.com/<wbr></wbr>opinion/letters/article/<wbr></wbr>904877--new-low-in-public-<wbr></wbr>discourse</span></a></span></span></div></div>Boonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02857832534463228577noreply@blogger.com0