Our neighbors to the north seem like such a benign country. Universal heath care and no death penalty. A parliamentary government with, from what I can tell, fraud free elections. They don’t invade countries for fake reasons. Heck, even the Canadian Royal Mounties don’t appear threatening in any way.
My image of them was shattered when not long ago Canadian border guards detained Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman. I was stunned and apparently so was Amy. Grilled about what her planned talk at the Vancouver Library was to be about, she was finally asked if she was going to speak about the Olympics. She thought they meant Obama’s attempt to score them for Chicago but was told they were talking about the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She told them she had no plans to speak about that. Not believing her the guards rifled through her and her companions belongings and two of their three lap tops.
They were finally let in with documents stapled to their passports stating they had to leave Canada within two days and had to check in with the border agency prior to leaving. Once in Canada and at her speaking event Amy discovered there has been a crackdown on things anti Olympic. Protesters and activists have been identified as the number one security threat to the games.
From forcing the homeless into shelters away from the sensitive eyes of the world to infiltrating anti Olympic groups Canadian authorities are gearing up. Activists are contacted by authorities for posting anti Olympic posters. There are concerns about the private security forces being hired to police the event. Vancouver police have even acquired a crowd control devise.
I am disturbed and dismayed when a country that I considered “one of the good ones” behaves in this matter. If this is what happens when a city is awarded the Olympics I’m glad Chicago didn’t get it. Sorry Joseph…….
