Raging Moderate
by Will Durst
Dear Canada. Way to go, you hosers. Did yourself proud and put on one heck of an Olympics. Congratulations for providing an incredible 17 days of thrills and spills on the ice and snow and in the slush and fog. That was a winter games for the ages, except for that excruciatingly obvious lack of winter thing. As it turns out, Washington, D.C. might have been a better host city, but who knew? Although, a quick call to Al Gore might have been worth the international toll-call charges.
May I also offer up a big old heaping pile of thanks for keeping Celine Dion out of the Opening Ceremonies. I’m sure it was under the direction of Prime Minister Harper, counseled by a group of high-powered Ottawa lawyers to comply with certain articles of the Geneva Convention, but still, please accept the grateful indebtedness of an entire planet. Then again, no Neil Young? I think you missed a slam-dunk there, eh?
And good on you for winning the most golds. You may not have owned the whole podium but you certainly did hog that center platform, didn’t you? You really deserve to go out and celebrate. Use a pocket full of loonies and buy yourself some extra gravy to pour over your poutine.
March 5th, 2010 | Posted in Web-Only Content | Read More »
By C. Ross Tobaire
According to ICE.gov, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement website, ICE is “the largest investigative agency in the U.S. Department of Home-land Security. Formed in 2003 as part of the federal government’s response to the 9/11 attacks, ICE’s mission is to protect the security of the American people and homeland by vigilantly enforcing the nation’s immigration and customs laws. With more than 19,000 employees in over 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world, ICE plays a vital role in … protecting the nation…. [with] innovative investigative techniques.”
Indeed.
Reports from the New York Times and the ACLU suggest that ICE has been intentionally covering up evidence of mistreatment and death in order to avoid inquiry and embarrassment.
On January 9th the New York Times reported several troubling stories about what was occurring to people in these ICE facilities. For example, as one man lay dying of head injuries, ICE was busy at work, not figuring out how to get him medical assistance, but rather held conferences discussing whether the man should be released and sent to Africa in order to avoid publicity.
In another case, a 22-year-old-detainee was in severe pain due to a broken leg and, according to his family, denied his prescription pain killers. ICE medical records show that he was given Motrin…the only problem with ICE’s account is that by the time the medication was given, he was already dead…he committed suicide.
January 15th, 2010 | Posted in Print Edition | Read More »
-
Designed by