Doug Ford encouraging Defunding of Police

Vincent J. Curtis

18 Sept 20

Premier Doug Ford is doing his bit to promote the Defund the Police movement.  He announced smaller limits on gatherings and increased fines for violators of up to $10,000, all in response to rising numbers of cases (not hospitalizations or deaths) in certain regions of Ontario.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees our right of peaceful assembly, hasn’t been repealed, suspended, notwithstood, or otherwise put on holiday as a result of this extremely disappointing pandemic.  The authority Ford exercises in placing these new restrictions and fines arises not out of legal law or science, but from panic, fear, and a sense of pragmatism.  Be not afraid, and you realize the violence being done to our rights.

The police are expected to enforce these unconstitutional orders.  There is no use arguing law or science with a cop, because they don’t know and they don’t care.  What they do is enforce the rule of law as they understand that law to be.  Enforcing unconstitutional orders they still see as their job, because the unconstitutional part is a judge’s business.

In short, the police enforce unconstitutional orders under the Nuremburg Defense: I was just following orders.  Doug Ford is taking away your individual rights because it might be good for someone else.

If there were fewer police, there would be less brutal enforcement of unconstitutional orders.  Ergo, defund the police.  The chiefs would have to decide which is more important, busting party-goers or dealing with traditional crime.

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