Police and Racism in my Hometown

Vincent J. Curtis

11 April 2015

RE:  Police urged to track race during stops

My hometown newspaper ran a story about some young people who were absolutely convinced that the local constabulary were racists.  They believed this primarily because they were ideologues without experience, and had read about such things occurring in the United States.  They hoped to accumulate evidence to support their beliefs by campaigning for the city police to track race when they stopped to speak to people on the street.  The photograph accompanying the story showed one of the young ideologues carrying a sign which read, "Hands up, don't shoot," the expression allegedly used by ex-Ferguson native Michael Brown before he was shot and killed by the only non-racist police officer on the Ferguson PD.  That Brown made that statement has been thoroughly debunked, but that fact that that canard is still being paraded around demonstrates something in itself.

These young ideologues demanded to meet with the Police Services Board to press their case.


Long experience has shown that racism is not a problem with the Hamilton Police force. 

Consequently, statements like, “Hamilton Police service does not have various initiatives to curb racism, which means by nature it perpetuates the white male perspective” is itself a statement of prejudice.  It is a prejudice that arises from ideology, and from inexperience in life.

Lest there be any doubt about the prejudice in those throwing charges of racism around, one need look no further than the sign pictured on page A9, which read, “Hands up don’t shoot.”  This is a reference to events which took place in Ferguson, Missouri, a few months ago and is alleged what Michael Brown said just before he was killed by police.  This statement is a canard, and has been conclusively demonstrated not to have occurred, by the U.S. Department of Justice, headed by Eric Holder no less, in the Administration of Barack Obama.

That these youth persist in perpetuating a demonstrated falsehood shows that, for them, facts and truth don’t matter.  To say that racial prejudice is not a problem with the Hamilton Police is something they cannot accept on ideological grounds, and facts don’t matter.

If the Police services board does agree to meet with these prejudiced young people for whom facts don’t matter, after listening patiently, the Board would do well to pat them on the head, and tell them to stay away from trouble and they won’t be bothered by the Hamilton Police.
-30-