Guilty Until Proven Innocent–Trial By Tabloid–A Dangerous Precedent, ‘Cause We Canucks Are Just So Damned Pristine, Aren’t We?

After reading Dr. Dawg’s post, dripping with sarcasm,  a  take on the mentality of many Canadians regarding those four men arrested on terrorism charges earlier last week which included a Canadian Idol Reject and McGill University Med School Grad, Khurram Sher.  A very accurate take as Dr Dawg usually has with these things. DeBeauxOs drives it home in about ten words or less in Dawg’s comments section (sorry, I can’t link the Echo comment box for some reason, but you can find it at his post):

Trial by media.

The way things are going, Harper’s New™© Government can abolish the court system and send alleged criminals directly to their mega-jails.

Well, yes, that is more than likely exactly where Stevie Spiteful and Super Toews are headed. Trial by media; more to the point, trial by NattyPO,  Kory Klan, and other Harpercon friendly outfits.   Guilty until proven innocent is the mantra of the day being taught, particularly regarding non-whites, specifically, Muslims and accusations of terrorism and related charges.

And a devoted student following this order of the day is none other than Blogging SupposiTory, Ottawa’s Bimbo & Military trophy wife, Rightchik, Tammeee, the Tammy-Faye Baker look-a-like herself!  Yes, I caught her little open letter to none other than the Canadian Council of Immams.  Here goes. I will inserting my own quips in brackets in regular typeface, italics are her words ):

Gentlemen – it is time for you to speak out and condemn armed jihad (Translation, ex-communicate them and lock them in a dungeon if they don’t comply with this). Condemn all jihad that would use violence, deceit and threats to any and every non Muslim (I guess she means it’s ok if they use violence, threats and deceit on other fellow Muslims, though). Tell your congregations that the only way to convert someone is through dialogue (Really? Conversion? To what? Christianity?). Any other method is unacceptable. And if someone does not convert then it is the will of God (so you’re admitting that a die-hard jihadist who refuses to listen to reason from his Immam or community is in God’s hands?).

Preach a message of acceptance (They are! It’s you & your ilk that don’t accept them, or any other non-white for that matter!) . Every Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Pagan, Hindu, Atheist. Agnostic and everyone else should be loved and embraced as a neighbour, friend and brother (Really? Then practice what you preach, little girl. It seems to me you only love and embrace the God of Prada or Nine West or Gucci and faces that come from jars).

Issue a press release not only condemning the men who have been recently arrested – condemn their motivations and actions. Speak loudly and clearly as you denounce all violent jihad. (Ok, here is a classic example of what DeBeauxOs was talking about when she commented over at Dawg’s: trial by media; or in this case, trial by middle-aged barbie doll. Barbie ain’t alone, sadly. Classic example when shallow right wingnut  Barbie Dolls who have no life outside of being a military trophy wife are let loose with a keyboard. Dawg has links here and here of other wingnuts with their accusations and how they think these defendants as well as any other future off-white defendants should be handled.)

I’m going to let you in on a little secret – we’re not as stupid or gullible as you might think. (Really? Oh, this would take a novel, so I’ll just move right along here; remember, she thinks she’s no one unless she’s in 5 inch heels and 5 inches thick of make-up ) In spite of what our music, movies, politicians, liberal media (what Liberal media?) or guilt ridden lefties (guilt ridden? I’m a lefty, I can assure you, I ain’t guilt ridden! Why on earth for? I haven’t done anything to these folks or anyone else for that matter. I’m not the one preaching bigotry and injustice. Embarrassed would be a more accurate description of my feelings today)  would lead you to believe, most Canadians are very, very different (many, anyway, and not in a good way).

We’re tolerant, we’re patient and we will give anyone a chance (Really? News to me). You’re getting yours right now. But we’re not ones to be pushed around. Look at our history (Well, Tammee got one thing right; we did push Native people off their land, stripped them of their livelihood, forced them to assimilate,  kidnapped their children and hid them in Gawd awful residential schools under unspeakable conditions and forced them to convert to Christianity).

Do the right thing. Show us that you are truly Canadian (yes, do show Tammee and her friends and tough military hubby what a great ‘Canadian’ you are;  publicly humiliate and ex-communicate any member of your congregation even so much as having the same last name as someone on a terror watch list).

What I was trying to point out in the little excercise above was Tammee’s own hypocrisy and that of many who share her views, like those of the Blogging SupposiTories and other Harpercon cheerleaders.

Dr. Dawg did a fine job proving  DeBeauxOs correct  in his follow-up post, Oil on Troubled Flames, citing many of the right wingnut bloggers with links to prove this. This is troubling for Canadian society; a supposed democracy to say the least. Where would it end? Who or which group would be the next targetted? By the looks of things, it could well be the new Tamil refugees if they’re ever released from detention and allowed to stay.  Thanks to the Harpercon propoganda machine, bigotry is on the rise and now, since these kind of cases are being splashed in the media with all the  yellow journalim characteristics we’d find in some tabloid like the National Enquirer, more and more; each new case being reported with increasing degrees of sensationalism and innuendo without even hinting what evidence police or the prosecutors may have or may not have.

Those of us who dare to  vocally express our beliefs in “innocent until proven guilty” or allowing all criminal defendants, yes, including those accused of terrorism,  to a have a fair trial are given the label from these wingnuts, as bleeding hearts who would practically welcome Charles Manson in our homes.   No, gotta fill Uncle Steve’s mega prisons and how dare we speak against the great man. How dare we point out logic? In a Harpercon Utopia, I guess Defense attorneys, crown prosecutors and Judges would all end up on the unemployment line.

Over at wingnut, Jay Currie’s place of white worship,  he accuses Dr Dawg of being in denial. No, Jay, it’s just that these four suspects don’t really fit the terrorist criteria.  All four seem to be well adjusted, educated,  productive young men, who seem to enjoy life in Canada. It seems unfathomable that they would be sucked into even contemplate ruining  their lives; the lives of their families; everything they have for the sake of a terror group who doesn’t give a damn about them.   Haven’t we heard in the past that generally, the profile of  Jihadists are generally uneducated, disenfranchised youth who feel they haven’t much else to look forward to in life?

I’m not saying those four suspects are not guilty, nor am I saying they’re guilty.  We haven’t seen or heard all the evidence; the real evidence; not the vaccuum the right slanted media and the Blogging SupposiTories are only too happy to fill with their innuendo. Nor is it for me, or anyone else for that matter,  to judge.  That is up to a judge and jury of the defendants’ peers (if they can find an impartial one that is).  If they’re guilty, then let the judge assign the appropriate sentence. If they’re not guilty, then set them free and let them get on with their lives in peace, just like any other defendant in any other criminal case, be they white, off white, or yellow with purple polka dots.    I’m sure that statement to the wingnut element would  brand me as a Taliban sympathizer no doubt. Fine, so be it. They’re going to think what they like anyway, it’s what gives wingnuts  like Rightchik Tammeee  a reason to get up in the morning; far be it for me to begrudge them of that. There, some more of my lefty charity.

Another thing, I’m no legal expert, nor am I going to even attempt to pretend to be one, so, if there are any lawyers or even law students knowledgeable on the subject, please feel free to answer my following question in my comments section.  The defense attorneys for the accused must realize that their clients can’t get a fair trial with half truths and yellow journalism trying them before the court of public opinion, not to mention potentially poisoning a potential jury pool for the eventual trials; why haven’t they demanded a publication ban? Can they? Or has legislation changed on that too at the demand of  Kory and his Klan of Fox North?