Post by Souriquois on Apr 25, 2018 1:03:05 GMT -4
I have been seeing Americans talk about this on Twitter. How did the cop not shoot the suspect in Toronto.
I had to make a thread about it because it's an important point to be made, and I find it odd that nobody who does political commentary in the US has pointed this out.
I mean, yes, people do get shot by the police in Canada, and we have had a few controversial shootings over the past few years. Also, 70% of Canadians shot by police have had mental health issues, pointing to a systemic problem.
Canadian police, however, do shoot less than police in many countries (something I actually did not know until watching the news on this incident). I think a major factor in this is that the police in Canada have a very strong union and worker protections.
It's not always perfect, I mean, a couple winters ago when we had more snow than usual, many police officers ended up working heaps of unpaid overtime, which is obviously bad, but generally working conditions for police officers are decent.
They are also paid quite well, and these jobs have good benefits and pensions. I think this just produces better cops. Sure, they are not perfect, but I think it helps.
I actually think the working conditions of police officers in the US is a factor in the shootings of unarmed black men, one that is often overlooked, maybe because they do not see a connection... but if someone feels insecure, they are more likely to express racial animus and they may be less likely to use deescalation and just shoot instead because "fuck it, I don't get paid enough for this!"
I think Americans should be pointing this out, to bust all the anti-union propaganda down there, to drive home why unions are important. I am aware police in the US have unions, but they are quite weak and disorganized, making any effort of collective bargaining less effective. But this isn't just about cops, but unions across the board.
And the news is reporting that the arresting officer in Toronto is taking some leave, probably because, although he was calm in the moment, he is traumatized by the whole incident, and he is able to take some time and decompress without fear of losing his job.
And yeah, cops do go on strike in Canada from time to time. Cities do not become like The Purge when it happens. If the cops go on strike, most people will support them in standing up for their labour rights (even if they don't like cops when they're not on strike lol).
I had to make a thread about it because it's an important point to be made, and I find it odd that nobody who does political commentary in the US has pointed this out.
I mean, yes, people do get shot by the police in Canada, and we have had a few controversial shootings over the past few years. Also, 70% of Canadians shot by police have had mental health issues, pointing to a systemic problem.
Canadian police, however, do shoot less than police in many countries (something I actually did not know until watching the news on this incident). I think a major factor in this is that the police in Canada have a very strong union and worker protections.
It's not always perfect, I mean, a couple winters ago when we had more snow than usual, many police officers ended up working heaps of unpaid overtime, which is obviously bad, but generally working conditions for police officers are decent.
They are also paid quite well, and these jobs have good benefits and pensions. I think this just produces better cops. Sure, they are not perfect, but I think it helps.
I actually think the working conditions of police officers in the US is a factor in the shootings of unarmed black men, one that is often overlooked, maybe because they do not see a connection... but if someone feels insecure, they are more likely to express racial animus and they may be less likely to use deescalation and just shoot instead because "fuck it, I don't get paid enough for this!"
I think Americans should be pointing this out, to bust all the anti-union propaganda down there, to drive home why unions are important. I am aware police in the US have unions, but they are quite weak and disorganized, making any effort of collective bargaining less effective. But this isn't just about cops, but unions across the board.
And the news is reporting that the arresting officer in Toronto is taking some leave, probably because, although he was calm in the moment, he is traumatized by the whole incident, and he is able to take some time and decompress without fear of losing his job.
And yeah, cops do go on strike in Canada from time to time. Cities do not become like The Purge when it happens. If the cops go on strike, most people will support them in standing up for their labour rights (even if they don't like cops when they're not on strike lol).