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Letters to the Editor: Lesson from G20, cops a necessary evil

Lesson from the G20: cops a necessary evil

If there is one positive that came out of the G20 (NOW, July 23-29) it’s that many people in the city had their rose-coloured glasses removed regarding the police, who previously could do no wrong. 

One video from the G20 that stands out in my memory is that of a faceless officer in full body armour, wielding a high-powered rifle with rubber ammunition, creeping up to a young woman and shooting her in the chest. I wonder how brave that officer would be in her place. 

But alas, the police are a necessary evil. And the degree of their evil varies from city to city, and country to country.

Casey Irwin

Toronto


G20 conspiracies 

The massive police misconduct that occurred at the G20 began on Saturday, June 26, 2010, with a pre-dawn raid and arrest at gunpoint of the so-called G20 ringleaders Alex Hundert, Leah Henderson, Amanda Hiscocks and Peter Hopperton.

In all, 17 people were charged with conspiracy in arrests that were the culmination of a year-long investigation by two undercover officers and eight different police services. Six pleaded guilty to counselling to commit mischief to property, and the charges against the 11 others were dropped.

Why is it that 20,000 police were unable to maintain the peace?

Ted Turner

Toronto


Julius Harper and G20

Jonathan Goldsbie’s and Joel Elliott’s infuriating fifth-anniversary meditations on the G20 disaster are timely indeed. 

Those readers interested in art being used to address the G20 should experience Estelle Shook’s superlative version of Julius Caesar, playing on alternate nights at High Park. The tyranny of Caesar and his doomed machinations are linked to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the G20 throughout the play. Definitely not to be missed!

Gary Wright

Toronto


Pan Am fireworks, but were Games best ever?

Very appropriate that the Pan Am Games (NOW, July 16-22) thankfully expired in an explosion of fireworks – lots of noise and flash but no substance. 

Predictably the announcements of “Best Games ever!!” and talk of going for the Olympics have started to clutter the media. Saner heads might reflect on whether any city, not just Toronto, needs to have one more bloated, self-serving, overhyped sports event inflicted upon it. 

These are private, for-profit events that benefit those who organize them and few others. Simply put, there were better places for the Ontario government to dump $471 million of your money. 

Nat Green

Toronto


Sex work crusader no friend to the exploited

Rarely if ever have folks had more reason to be grateful to the powers of Pax Americana than in the case of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and his campaign against Backpage personal ads (NOW, July 23-29).

Backpage, which charged $10 for its adult personal ads, is offering them free after Dart successfully lobbied MasterCard and Visa to stop accepting payment for the ads. 

Thank you, sheriff Dart, from all the sex workers everywhere. You are a true friend of the downtrodden and the exploited.

C. Wilson

Toronto


Getting serious about a minimum bike grid

Thank you, NOW Magazine, for sharing Cycle Toronto’s Toronto vs Montreal comparison in your recent cycling coverage (NOW, July 16-22). It’s essential that Mayor John Tory and city council understand that while Toronto’s got a fantastic off-road trails system, we have to get serious about building a city-wide minimum grid of protected bike lanes and bicycle boulevards to unlock cycling across the city. 

That means boosting cycling’s infrastructure budget from $8 million to $20 million a year now. 

Jared Kolb

Executive director, Cycle Toronto


Disrespect for cyclists far and wide

Re Mean Streets (NOW, July 16-22). Disrespect of cyclists in Toronto is indeed widespread. 

On two occasions I have nearly been hit by cars on the Bloor-Danforth bridge. In both instances I signalled left while at least 15 metres ahead of the car behind me in order to turn south on Parliament. And in both cases the drivers completely ignored my signal as they raced to the intersection. 

On another occasion I was travelling north on Pape, signalling to turn left onto Gamble. A car about 10 metres behind me passed on the left just as I was turning. 

Extending my arms to protect myself, I broke the car’s side mirror and scuffed up the side of the car (licence plate BNFB 534). My front wheel was bent, I was cut on the forehead and leg, and my fender and kickstand were broken. 

Believe it or not, now I had to pay for the damaged mirror.

Gunnar Sewell

Toronto


Will council move to save 250-year-old oak?

Re Money Does Grow On Trees (NOW, July 23-29). We must plant new trees, but we must also protect our ancient trees, the few that have stood for over a hundred years in an urban environment. I’d like to make you aware of a motion that will hopefully be heard during the September meeting of council to protect a 250-year-old oak at 76 Coral Gable Drive. I am under the impression that this has never happened at City Hall. Now, that’s what I call sucking up the carbon for a healthier environment.

Edith George

Toronto

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