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Navigating the Legalities of Racial Carding in Peel

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BY ALYSSA MAHADEO 

Over the years the issue of racism has caused an unsettling amount of concern in regards to how we interact with people in our society. It has been identified as the root cause of many social justice issues, a product of the race-based worldwide view of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Racism can be found in social actions, practices or political systems that support the expression of prejudice or aversion in discriminatory practices. It is the division of people into distinct groups categorized by race, and subdivided by social behavior, ranked as inferior or superior.

The practice of carding isn’t something new, and it is very familiar on the streets of Toronto. For years these random police checks have been targeting young African-Canadian men, in unjust association with criminal activity.

According to a series of investigative reports conducted by the Toronto Star, people stopped for the sake of engagement between 2008 and 2013 were more likely to be African-Canadian than white and the vast majority of encounters did not involve an arrest or charges. Nevertheless, details about each individual including one’s name, age, perceived skin colour, estimated height, and weight, and often the names of one’s friends were recorded and entered into a massive database. The Star reporters found that city police filled out at least 2.1 million contact cards involving 1.2 million people between 2008 and 2013.

On Tuesday March 22nd, the government released its final regulation on street-checks/carding in Ontario.

While this regulation is noted as a welcome and important step in the direction of increasing accountability for the prevention in Anti-Black racism in policing, this band-aid solution isn’t the ban on carding social justice groups were looking for.

NDP MPP for Bramalea-Gore-Malton, Jagmeet Singh, invited the public to a town hall meeting in Brampton to have an open discussion about the new carding regulations, and also brainstorm ways to help reduce police harassment in the Peel Region. Last year Singh voiced his concerns about the problem of carding, and how it isn’t a practice that can be regulated, but should be banned altogether. As an individual and a criminal defense lawyer who has been subjected to carding himself, he has personally experienced how this practice violated two fundamental Charter rights: the right to not be arbitrarily detained, and the right to not be subjected to unreasonable search and seizure.

Singh organized a panel of community and social justice activists that included San Grewal Urban Affairs Reporter for the Toronto Star, Anthony Morgan Policy & Research Lawyer at the African Canadian Legal Clinic, Knia Singh Law Student and Chair of CARIBANA Arts Group, Roger Love Lawyer at the Human Rights Legal Support Center and Nicole Bonnie Senior Service Manager, Community Engagement and Partnerships at Peel Children’s Aid Society. Each panelist brought their own informative and educational content regarding the issues of racial carding listing out the new regulations and what they covered.

Urban Affairs reporter San Grewal was able to provide some interesting insight on the statistics of carding within Peel Region. Based on the information and data they collected from Peel Police through the channels of gathering public information, and the freedom of information they were able to discover where specific carding stops had occurred within Peel. “By gathering this information we were hoping to locate where the specific patrol zones are in Peel, however the data we were given did not correlate that information,” explained Grewal. “Although the data didn’t reflect the patrol zones we were able to find 159,000 carding interactions between 2009-2014 by Peel Police and found that black individuals were 3.6 [times] more likely to have been stopped over that period opposed to white individuals.”

The main issue to be addressed in light of the new regulation is taking a closer look at out- of-place carding stops happening in Peel Region. Unfortunately the new government regulations are not something that can be regulated throughout the province and is relative to the practices of the regions’ police. This issue then leaves full authority in the hands of the police when it comes to how they deal with specific unwarranted carding instances.

Anthony Morgan Policy & Research Lawyer at the African Canadian Legal Clinic listed out for everyone present all 10 of the new regulations referencing what had changed from before the regulation was implemented, and also how there was still much room for improvement. “Standardization of carding is open to interpretation, lacking in language and legal terminology that draws a very thin veil over what is and what is not allowed,” says Morgan.

A few examples brought to light by the new regulations does not prompt police to properly communicate the cause for the interaction. There is clear evidence of the limitations of the regulations and the degree to which carding can take place.

The New Regulations are as follows:

  1. Carding Permitted During Investigation – Can ask for info without having the regulation apply during an investigation in the area.
  2. Regulation Permits Sharing of other individuals’ information without their knowledge – Nothing in the regulation prevents the sharing of that information and the regulation only applies when you are giving out info about yourself.
  3. Use of Vague Suspect Descriptions Permitted – Allows street checks to occur even on the basis of very vague identifying information of an individual.
  4. Weak Rights Notification – Regulation does not require that officers tell individuals at the start the reason for interaction or inform them of the right to walk away in a circumstance in which they have that right i.e not being charged with a crime or being arrested.
  5. Receipts without reason – Officers not required to indicate the reason for stopping and collecting data on the receipt they are required to give as proof of interaction and information collected.
  6. Children and youth documented without parental consent – Regulation does not allow for youth 18 and under to be informed that they can contact parent or guardian before giving out identifying information to police.
  7. Indefinite Data Retention – Data is always available to be accessed.
  8. No standardization of Data Collection – Standardization on how the data is collected in every region is different.
  9. Regulation Permits Carding Performance Targets for Police Divisions and Units – Incentive to collect data cards has been forbidden, regulation does not prevent individual units from this, higher carding rates get better incentives, whole units can be incentified for their benefit.
  10. The Absence of Training on Anti-Black Racism and Racial Profiling – Officers do not have to be trained in racial profiling, Anti Black Racism.

The most important things we can do as a community when it comes to dealing with street checks and carding is to be informed. The most valuable form of knowledge and information is stated in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many of the panelists and citizens of the community who were in attendance revealed to being carded multiple times. This problem will continue for generations to come without the understanding of how or why, and  knowing what rights you have in that situation.,.

In instances where you have felt that you have been stopped and carded in illegitimate circumstances there are resources at your disposal. The first thing you can do is submit an applications to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario if you feel you were stopped because of your race. In such instances, you will need to prove that it was a factor in the carding stop. If you aren’t sure race or religion was a factor, you can submit an application to the Office of the Independent Police Report, a check on police conduct OIPRD needs to be filed in 6 months. Ontario Human Rights Commission, has special powers and can conduct an inquiry into and individuals human rights and what is happening in Peel with HRI Human rights issues. You can also take it straight to police themselves, speak to the sergeant, if you have the badge number, start your own investigations. Lastly, an FOI request can be filed to records management, for all of the instances where you have been carded, you can get that record cleared as long as you have the evidence in hand.

It is imperative that the community continues the conversation on carding, knowing there are safe spaces in the community where we can enforce safety while also abolishing racism. Knowing our human rights, educating the younger generation and also keeping open lines of communication with the police in Peel will present the opportunity to express our concerns and understand the policies put in place to protect us. “The problem with carding is that it is confusing, advocating since 2011, it exists within a legal loophole and gray area,” states Roger Love Lawyer at the Human Rights Legal Support Center.  “There is a movement happening, and it is our job to hold the government accountable.”

To find out more about the new carding regulations please visit the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services at http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/

For those interested in joining the discussion, there will be a Police Board meeting in Peel on Friday April 22nd following the theme: Action and Movement in Numbers at 10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton at 9:30 a.m. Let us take action and help abolish racism in Peel!

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Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive

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BY KHADIJA KARIM

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name, or where you left your phone and thought, “Why can’t I remember anything?” Forgetting might feel frustrating, but it turns out that forgetting things can actually be good for you. Experts believe forgetting might be an important part of human survival and could even have benefits.

You probably think that remembering everything would be better, right? If you remembered every tiny detail, like what you had for breakfast three weeks ago, or the colour of every car you saw today, you would be overwhelmed. Our brains are constantly receiving information, and if we didn’t forget some of it, we wouldn’t be able to focus on what really matters at that time.

Forgetting helps you clear out information you don’t need, and it helps your brain remember the most useful memories. Think about how hard it would be to focus on important things if your mind was filled with random thoughts. Forgetting helps you stay focused and keeps your mind from getting lost.

So, why would evolution make us forget things? Early humans had to deal with dangerous environments that changed quickly. They needed to remember things that helped them survive, like where to find food, or how to avoid predators. They didn’t need to remember every small detail, like what happened last week. Forgetting information, they didn’t need allowed them to make quick decisions based on what was most important at that moment in time.

For example, if you remember a recent storm, you might make sure to stay inside or find shelter. If you remembered every storm you’d ever seen, it would be harder to make decisions about the present. Forgetting irrelevant details helps you stay on your feet and helps you react faster to new situations. This ability to forget likely helped early humans survive and make better decisions in their everyday lives.

Next time you forget something, don’t be too hard on yourself! Forgetting is a natural part of how our brains work and can actually help you stay focused on the important things. It might seem annoying at times, but it’s helping you make better decisions. Forgetting isn’t just something to be annoyed about, it’s a smart way to survive in a world that’s always changing!

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Blink equity dives deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in Canadian law firms

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Photo Credit: AI Image

BY ADRIAN REECE

Representation in the workforce has been a topic of conversation for years, particularly in positions of influence, where people can shift laws and create fair policies for all races. Representation in the legal system is an even more talked about subject, with many Black men being subjected to racism in courts and not being given fair sentencing by judges.

The fear of Black men entering the system is something that plagues mothers and fathers as they watch their children grow up.

Blink Equity, a company led by Pako Tshiamala, has created an audit called the Blink Score. This audit targets law firms and seeks to identify specific practices reflecting racial diversity among them in Toronto. A score is given based on a few key performance indicators. These KPIs include hiring practices, retention of diverse talent, and racial representation at every level.

The Blink Score project aims to analyze law firms in Ontario with more than 50 lawyers. The Blink Score is a measurement tool that holds law firms accountable for their representation. Firms will be ranked, and the information will be made public for anyone to access.

This process is ambitious and seeks to give Canadian citizens a glimpse into how many people are represented across the legal field. While more and more people have access to higher education, there is still a gap between obtaining that higher education and working in a setting where change can be made. The corporate world, at its highest points, is almost always one race across the board, and very rarely do people of colour get into their ranks. They are made out to be an example of how anyone from a particular race can achieve success. However, this is the exception, not the rule. Nepotism plays a role in societal success; connections are a factor, and loyalty to race, even if people are acquainted.

People of colour comprise 16% of the total lawyers across the province. Positions at all levels range from 6% to 27%. These numbers display the racial disparity among law practitioners in positions of influence. Becoming a lawyer is undoubtedly a huge accomplishment. Still, when entering the workforce with other seasoned professionals, your academic accolades become second to your professional achievements and your position in the company.

What do these rankings ultimately mean? A potential for DEI-inclusive practices, perhaps? That isn’t something that someone would want in this kind of profession. This kind of audit also opens law firms up to intense criticism from people who put merit above all other aspects of professional advancement. On the other hand, there is a potential for firms to receive clientele based on their blink score, with higher ones having the chance to bring in more race-based clients who can help that law firm grow.

It is only the beginning, and changes will undoubtedly be made in the legal field as Blink Equity continues to dive deep into the gap between people of colour and decision-making roles in these law firms. This audit has the power to shift the power scale, and place people of colour in higher positions. There are hierarchies in any profession, and while every Lawyer is qualified to do what they are trained to do, it is no shock that some are considerably better than others at their jobs. The ones who know how to use this audit to their advantage will rise above the others and create a representative image for themselves among their population.

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“The Pfizer Papers!” Documentation of worldwide genocide

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BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We are living in a world where promises of health and safety came packaged in a tiny vial, one injection was promoted by powerful governments, supported by respected institutions, and championed by legacy media worldwide. Sadly, beneath the surface, a darker truth emerged.

Reports from around the globe began to tell a different story—one that was not covered in the news cycles or press conferences. Families torn apart by unexpected losses, communities impacted in ways that few could have foreseen, and millions questioning what they had been told to believe.

Those who dared to question were silenced or dismissed (the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper being one of those sources). “Trust the science,” we were told. “It’s for the greater good.” As time went on, the truth became impossible to ignore.

Now, I bring more news to light—information that demands your attention and scrutiny. The time to passively listen has passed; this is the moment to understand what’s really at stake.

I reviewed an interview with Naomi Wolf, journalist and CEO of Daily Clout, which detailed the serious vaccine-related injuries that Pfizer and the FDA knew of by early 2021, but tried to hide from the public. I was introduced to “The Pfizer Papers: Pfizer’s Crimes Against Humanity.” What I learned is that Pfizer knew about the inadequacies of its COVID-19 vaccine trials and the vaccine’s many serious adverse effects, and so did the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA promoted the vaccines anyway — and later tried to hide the data from the public.

To produce “The Pfizer Papers,” Naomi, and Daily Clout Chief Operations Officer Amy Kelly convened thousands of volunteer scientists and doctors to analyze Pfizer data and supplementary data from other public reporting systems to capture the full scope of the vaccines’ effects. They obtained the data from the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, a group of more than 30 medical professionals and scientists who sued the FDA in 2021 and forced the agency to release the data, after the FDA refused to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request.

It was then that the federal court ordered the agency to release 450,000 internal documents pertaining to the licensing of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. The data release was significantly and the documents so highly technical and scientific that according to Naomi, “No journalist could have the bandwidth to go through them all.”

The “Pfizer Papers” analysts found over 42,000 case reports detailing 158,893 adverse events reported to Pfizer in the first three months The centerpiece of “The Pfizer Papers” is the effect that the vaccine had on human reproduction. The papers reveal that Pfizer knew early on that the shots were causing menstrual issues. The company reported to the FDA that 72% of the recorded adverse events were in women. Of those, about 16% involved reproductive disorders and functions. In the clinical trials, thousands of women experienced: daily bleeding, hemorrhaging, and passing of tissue, and many other women reported that their menstrual cycle stopped completely.

Pfizer was aware that lipid nanoparticles from the shots accumulated in the ovaries and crossed the placental barrier, compromising the placenta and keeping nutrients from the baby in utero. According to the data, babies had to be delivered early, and women were hemorrhaging in childbirth.

Let us take us to another part of the world, where research has been done on other pharmaceutical companies. A group of Argentine scientists identified 55 chemical elements — not listed on package inserts — in the: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, CanSino, Sinopharm and Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccines (according to a study published last week in the International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research).

The samples also contained 11 of the 15 rare earth elements (they are heavier, silvery metals often used in manufacturing). These chemical elements, which include lanthanum, cerium and gadolinium, are lesser known to the general public than heavy metals, but have been shown to be highly toxic. By the end of 2023, global researchers had identified 24 undeclared chemical elements in the COVID-19 vaccine formulas.

Vaccines often include excipients — additives used as preservatives, adjuvants, stabilizers, or for other purposes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), substances used in the manufacture of a vaccine, but not listed in the contents of the final product should be listed somewhere in the package insert. Why is this important? Well, researchers argue it is because excipients can include allergens and other “hidden dangers” for vaccine recipients.

In one lot of the AstraZeneca vaccine, researchers identified 15 chemical elements, of which 14 were undeclared. In the other lot, they detected 21 elements of which 20 were undeclared. In the CanSino vial, they identified 22 elements, of which 20 were undeclared.

The three Pfizer vials contained 19, 16 and 21-23 undeclared elements respectively. The Moderna vials contained 21 and between 16-29 undeclared elements. The Sinopharm vials contained between 17-23 undeclared elements and the Sputnik V contained between 19-25 undetected elements.

“All of the heavy metals detected are linked to toxic effects on human health,” the researchers wrote. Although the metals occurred in different frequencies, many were present across multiple samples.

I am not going to go any further with this; I think you get the picture. We have been sold wolf cookies, very dangerous ones. These pharmaceutical companies must be held accountable. I am proud of anyone who has gone after them for retribution, and have received it. Regardless, in many ways, there is no repayment for a healthy life.

REFERENCES:

https://ijvtpr.com/index.php/IJVTPR/article/view/111

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/why-a-judge-ordered-fda-to-release-covid-19-vaccine-data-pronto

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/

Pfizer’s ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ — and Legacy Media’s Failure to Report on Them

55 Undeclared Chemical Elements — Including Heavy Metals — Found in COVID Vaccines

 

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency

FDA Should Need Only ‘12 Weeks’ to Release Pfizer Data, Not 75 Years, Plaintiff Calculates

Judge Gives FDA 8 Months, Not 75 Years, to Produce Pfizer Safety Data

Most Studies Show COVID Vaccine Affects Menstrual Cycles, BMJ Review Finds

Report 38: Women Have Two and a Half Times Higher Risk of Adverse Events Than Men. Risk to Female Reproductive Functions Is Higher Still.

 

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