Toronto Police Service: To Serve and Protect what?

When not pumping nine bullets into an 18 year-old from 20 feet away on the street, at the curb; and then using a taser on him whilst ten cops standing around looking on as he is alone on a streetcar with only a 3" knife in his hand posing no immediate threat to police, this is what Toronto's not-so-finest are up to.

Political correctness has become fascism. 

Pride just about says it all.

Chief Blair needs to resign.

John and Sammy, rest in the peace of the Lord

John Anthony Domet on Queen Street

I've been very angry over the murder of 18 year old Sammy Yatim in Toronto by police, he was a young immigrant to Canada from the trouble in Syria. I say murder because that is what it was. Yatin was 18, a graduate of Brebeuf College School in Toronto. Last Friday night he was on a streetcar tram. He allegedly exposed himself and ordered the riders and driver off or at least, that is the narrative. Odd how our police ensure that we know that he was "exposed" considering they stood by only a few weeks ago whilst some so-called men paraded exposed in a parade. Sammy was apparently brandishing a knife with a 3" (7.5 cm) blade. Police arrived and within less than a minute fired at him nine times, then tasered him, he was dead. Sammy was wrong for brandishing a knife in public; wrong for exposing his private parts, if he indeed did. He may have been drunk, experimented with a drug or had one slipped into a drink, it was an area known for this. We really don't know. There seems to be no apparent history of mental illness; but coming from a country that is torn by war, we don't know what was going on in his mind. His crime was not punishable by death. The police were at the curb, they were not in danger and neither was anyone else; Sammy was on the streetcar behind where the driver would sit, police were not threatened. It was all caught on video. 

Before you jump in to defend Toronto Police, they could have turned the door close switch at the front of the streetcar trapping him inside and pulled the power feed of the line cutting the power. He would have then been secured. They could have waited him out, talked him down or waited for a higher authority; instead, and against their own policy if dealing with distraught individuals, they escalated the situation. They could have used teargas, used the taser before they shot him nine times, (isn't that what it is for?) or pepper spray or rubber bullets. Or they could have been men instead of pansies on bicycles wearing shorts and ttackled him with physical force and used a billy club.

He was one, they were ten, at least and they all stood around whilst one cop shot nine times, three times waited six seconds after he was down and then shot again, six more times.

They stood around and watched an execution. Then they tasered him and watching the video it even appears that they kicked him whilst he was down inside the trolley, the cameras inside will reveal the truth.

It seems to me that if there were no public videos, no YouTube, the story-line would have been much different from Chief Blair, "He was a mad-man, we tasered him without success, we had no choice but to bring him down, it was a good shoot." Lots of people are angry, some are the usual anti-police suspects and anarchists, but why am I so angry, other than for the loss of young life unnecessarily and for his family and my City. 

The man pictured above is my late uncle, John Anthony Domet. John died at the age which I am now of a heart attack. It came after years of psychotropic drugs and electroschock therapy treatments. John literally spent his entire life on Queen Street, only a few blocks from where Sammy died. He was born in 1924 at home above the family grocery store at Queen and St. Patrick Streets and went to St. Patrick's School and Church. He opened a Lebanese restaurant, the Arabian Village, in the early 1950's, long ahead of its time and it too was on Queen Street, it later became George's Bourbon Street and was next to the Rex Hotel where John would down a beer, because he had no liquor license next door. Later, after schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder set-in following his mother's death, John spent much more time on Queen Street at the mental hospital and for a time at the then Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital only a few blocks from where the story below unfolds. John lived his later years in a rooming house in Parkdale just south of Queen Street and his funeral was at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Church on Queen Street. His entire life was lived on one street within 3 kilometers. I helped carry him to his grave. He was a much-loved uncle by all of us, our gentle giant.

When I was about six years old, (1962) Uncle John was suffering some kind of delusion. He was at the house and upset. He picked up a kitchen knife and threw it across the room in anger, not at anyone in particular. He then ran out of the house. My mother who loved him like her own brother called the family doctor, a man with a rather odd name, Dr. Jolly. She told him what happened and said that I was alone at home and she was going out to look for Johnny.

A few minutes later, Doc Jolly's black Lincoln Continental pulled up in front of the house, he came to get me not to leave me alone, I imagine in case Uncle John came back. John would never hurt anyone; we never had any fear of him, we loved him deeply and he knew it. Doc's daughter was in the car. I sat in the back seat.

It seems that somewhere in that period, Doc called the police.

The Lincoln pulled away from the house and went straight down to the "highway" as we called it then, it is now a street with streetcar trams that John often took and which Sammy died on.

As we got to the corner, there, outside the Laundromat, now a Sushi restaurant, was Uncle John. He was lying on his back, with two cops over him and guns drawn pointed at his head. Mike Offstein, my Lebanese uncle's good Jewish friend and the best Variety Shop owner one could ever know as a child, was there talking the police down to ensure that his friend John was safe.

That was 1962. I remember it as if it were yesterday. 

The police have learnt little over the years. John could have been Lestor Donaldson or Wayne Williams, Edmund Yu, Otto Vass or Sylvia Klibingaitis or others who had some form of mental illness or distress and were shot by Toronto Police because it was the easier way out.

It could have happened to John Anthony Domet if not for Mike Offstein and I could have witnessed it all at the age of six.

God rest you Uncle John.

God rest you Sammy Yatin.

Martha, Martha!

On this Feast of St. Martha, my late mother's name Saint, Vox brings you:

What does Summorum Pontificum really say?

With due apologies to Father Z and a hat-tip to Neil Addison in the combox at Rorate for reminding us what Summorum Pontificum really says:

Art. 3. Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, for conventual or "community" celebration in their oratories, may do so. If an individual community or an entire Institute or Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by the Superiors Major, in accordance with the law and following their own specific decrees and statues.

The Protocol issued states:

"... Holy Father Francis ordered that religious of the Congregation of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception celebrate the liturgy according to the ordinary and that, where appropriate, the use of the form extraordinaria (Vetus Ordo) must be explicitly authorized by the competent authorities every religious and / or community who makes the request.

Look, we keep saying "read the documents of Vatican II!" 

Well, read Summorum Pontificum!

So, where's the conflict?

Father Paul Nicholson's comments earlier were right on.

Now, get back to work and organise a Mass, send a priest for training or form a schola.

CONGREGATIO

PRO INSTITUTIS VITAE CONSECRATAE

ET SOCIETATIBUS VIATE APOSTOLICAE

PROT. N. 52741/2012 

DECRETO


La Congregazione per gli Istituti di vita consacrata e la Società di vita apostolica, attese le consiedrazioni formulate nella Relazione presentata dal Rev.do Mons. Vito Angelo Todisco a conclusione della Visita Apostolica disposta con decreto del 5 luglio 2012, al fine di tutelare e promuovere l'unità interna degli Istituti religiosi e la comunione fraterna, l'adeguata formazione alla vita religiosa e consacrata, l'organizzazione delle attività apostoliche, la corretta gestione dei beni temporali, ha ritenuto necessario nominare un Commissario Apostolico per la Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata con le conseguente attribuite dal diritto particolare ed universale al Governo Generale del citato Istituto religioso. 

Atteso che la suddetta decisione il 3 luglio 2013 è stata oggetto di approvazione in forma specifica a norma dell'art. 18 della cost. ap. Pastor Bonus dal Santo Padre Francesco, con il presente decreto si nomina

il Reverendo P. Fidenzio Volpi O.F.M. Cap.

Commissario Apostolico

ad nutum Sanctae Sedis,

per tutte le Comunità e i sodali della Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata

Nell'espletamento delle sue mansioni, il Rev.do P. Volpi assumerà tutte le competenze che la normativa particolare dell'Istituto e quella universale della Chiesa attribuiscono al Governo Generale. 

Sarà inoltre sua facoltà avvalersi, se lo riterrà opportuno, di collaboratori scelti a sua discrezione e da lui nominati previo assenso di questo Dicastero, a cui potrà chiedere il parere quando lo riterrà necessario. 

Il Rev.do P. Volpi ogni sei mesim, dovrà informare questo Dicastero del suo operato, inviando una dettagliata relazione scritta circa le dicisioni adottate, i risultati conseguiti e le iniziative che riterrà utili realizzare per il bene dell'Istituto. 
Infine, spetterà all'Istitutodei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata sia il rimborso delle spese sostenute da detto Commissario e dai collaboratori da lui eventualmente nominati, sia l'onorario per il loro servizio. 
In aggiunta a quanto sopra, sempre il 3 luglio u.s. il Santo Padre Francesco ha disposto che ongi religioso della Congregazione dei Frati Francescani dell'Immacolata è tenuto a celebrare la liturgia secondo il rito ordinario e che, eventualmente, l'uso della forma staordinaria (Vetus Ordo) dovrà essere esplicitamente autorizzata dalle competenti autorità per ogni religioso e/o comunità che ne farà richiesta. 

Nonostante qualunque disposizione contraria 

Dato dal Vaticano, l'11 luglio 2013 

f.to Joao Braz Card. de. Aviz 
prefetto 

+ José Rodrìguez Carballo, O.F.M. 
Arcivescovo Segretario 

Sammy Yatim: Requiescat in pace

I am disgusted to be a citizen of Toronto and Ontario. Following on the heals of the brutal beating of an 87 year old man by the police in London, Ontario is the murder of an 18 year old distraught man on a streetcar in Toronto. I was going to vent my spleen here over the fascistic Toronto Police, these cowards who during the G20 stood by whilst black-hooded thugs burned public property and caused destruction to private property only to round up and detain without justification innocent bystanders and law-abiding protesters. I was writing that I was going to but I can't do nearly as well as Barona!

But I will say this, the Premier of this province needs to call an immediate public enquiry into the antics and training of these imbeciles and Chief Blair and the Chief of the London Police and these brutal bullies need to be held to account.

Here is the link to the full story and the graphic video of this poor boy's murder at the hands of a police service that has long forgotten its motto, "To Serve and Protect."

On this now, they cannot hide.

As for Sammy Yatin; may he find peace in the arms of the LORD from whatever mental pain he suffered; may his shedding of blood and suffering at the hands of evil men who had no hearts, be his purgatory and may the merciful Father who desires none of his children to be lost bring Sammy to his bosom through the grace of the Holy Spirit and the redeeming blood of Christ through his Church.

Rest in peace, my little Syrian brother.

Now to Barona at Toronto Catholic Witness:

"The murder of Sammy is a question of human rights. This is a human issue, it is a pro-life issue. The killing of Sammy was and will remain an issue of being pro-life."

Obama and Putin: two very different world views

Two must reads from:


RAYMOND IBRAHIM, a Middle East and Islam specialist, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum. A widely published author, best known for The Al Qaeda Reader (Doubleday, 2007), he guest lectures at universities, including the National Defense Intelligence College, briefs governmental agencies, such as U.S. Strategic Command and the Defense Intelligence Agency, provides expert testimony for Islam-related lawsuits, and has testified before Congress regarding the conceptual failures that dominate American discourse concerning Islam and the worsening plight of Egypt's Christian Copts. Among other media, he has appeared on MSNBC, Fox News, C-SPAN, PBS, Reuters, Al-Jazeera, CBN, and NPR.

Obama’s Proxy War on Mideast Christians

by Raymond Ibrahim on June 30, 2013 in Islam, Muslim Persecution of Christians

PJ Media

With the recent decision to arm the opposition fighting Syrian President Assad, the United States has effectively declared a proxy war on Syria’s indigenous Christians—a proxy war that was earlier waged on Christians in other Mideast nations, resulting in the abuse, death, and/or mass exodus of Christians.

Obama bows before the Saudi king, in whose country Christianity — including churches, Bibles, and crosses — is totally banned.

Ironically (if not absurdly) this proxy war on Christians is being presented to the American people as a war to safeguard the “human rights” and “freedoms” of the Syrian people.  Left unsaid by the Obama administration is the egregiously inhuman behavior these jihadis visit upon moderate Syrians in general Christians in particular, from bombed churches to kidnapped (and often beheaded) Christians.  Days ago they massacred an entire Christian village.

Full report here:

On The Wrong Side of History

by Raymond Ibrahim on July 28, 2013 in Islam, Muslim Persecution of Christians

As Obama pivots in the wind, a new moral leadership rises to defend the powerless

By Ralph H. Sidway

In perhaps the most significant reversal of political and global alignment since the overthrow of Christian Russia by the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Barack Hussein Obama has transformed the United States of America from a Christian-centric, Western democratic republic, into an Islamist-enabling oligarchy drowning in Soviet-style scandals, casting a long, dark shadow across hundreds of millions of innocent victims the world over.

Other outlets are ably covering the Obama administration’s numerous domestic scandals (Benghazi, IRS, NSA, etc.), but the unifying theme seems to be government control over every aspect of life, with rapid erosion of personal and religious liberty.

Full report here: 

Fruitcake in July

As Father Z said, "Really Excellencies, really?"

Do you really think this is going to get people back in Church?

Feel good, emotionalism?

These "youth" are not children, 18-39, give me a blessed break. In earlier generations they went to war and died for their countries, they married and had children, they worked farms or studied in universities and became leaders. Why do we keep them where they are in this puerile state? We wonder why they can't become men and women and leaders. When I was 21, I opened a business and at 24 I had eleven employees working for me and sold that successful pizzeria that is still in business today. I became a Management Consultant and later a political adviser at the federal and provincial levels in Canada and Ontario and then a lobbyist, I had a child and raised him as a single father to be a successful, independent man and all this before I was 39! But today, our 18-39's are "young adults" and we pander to them as if the world owes them something, whilst they live in mom and dad's basement and getting their laundry done and their free meals whilst they while the time on an iPad or Playstation 3.

Grow up old men and lead by example instead of being lead like lambs to the slaughter.

Tell us, Excellencies, will you follow the Son of Perdition as willingly when he emerges on the scene, very soon perhaps?

As for me, I'll be the man in the picture not giving the salute; care to join me?

"Come rack, come rope!"

Dang, there I go again, being a mad-rad-trad.