Police State Vs Rights & Freedoms!

I\'m shaking my head because this is horrible. How exactly are journalists supposed to look into things that happen behind closed doors and break stories of corruption and wrong-doing if they\'re no longer allowed to obtain \"secret documents\" from whistle-blowers--and risk a home search if they do?

Is this the Canada I love?

Times are changing fast in North America, and we all had better keep our heads up.

So much for freedom of the press. I hope the RCMP don\'t find anything to link the document with the reporter, or she could be in big trouble.

Yep, police state, here we come !!



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"Arrogance in Politics is unacceptable"
Jim Callaghan
Minden, Ontario
705-286-1860
www.misterc.ca

I should have added that it looks too much like Canada has something to hide.

That is bad news for the average Canadian. I won\'t be crossing the border to the south anytime soon, I don\'t care how cold it gets up here.



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"Arrogance in Politics is unacceptable"
Jim Callaghan
Minden, Ontario
705-286-1860
www.misterc.ca

Yes I am totally shocked by this one also, but in a way it\'s good that it happened to this person, she has the corporate(Global news) backing to fight it. Otherwise we probably wouldn\'t have even heard the report. It will bring attention to this new post 911 security law, that most people never heard of, cause we are saturated with talk of the Patriot Act, which is the America version, but for the most part doesn\'t impact us, excepting for this Canadian law which is a result of \'Patriot Act\'. Unfortunately Canada is downhill of a very large pile of b.s., flowing slowing but steadily, and will usurp our rights if we don\'t pay attention! This news is big and I hope they keep it in the press, to bring Canadians to an awareness of what is really going on in this country.

If we keep accepting that our government and police system has all the answers instead of allowing reporters(that are actually willing to investigate)do their jobs; we are really going to be in trouble. Watergate wasn\'t exposed because the U.S. gov wanted the people to know, it took some gutsy reporters to investigate and \'leaks\' to get to the bottom of the problem. I just wish there were more investigative reporters with the passion to delve into these matters, instead of just repeating whats already been said.

In discussing this with co-workers today, I've heard the phrase "What did she have to hide?" twice. I'm just shocked!<p> Have we come this far since 1945 that someone will still ask that question?<p> <p>---<br>"History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme" Mark Twain <br />"The greatest price of not participating in politics is being governed by your inferiors." Plato

We`ve lived in a fascist state for quite some time now! And yes, doc, sorry to say, I`ve encountered the all too many people who are complacent and have their heads in the sand just like the people you mention! It`s kind of like when they started putting cameras up on street corners a few years ago. I denounced it claiming rightfully that this was Orwellian and that cameras can and WILL be used for other purposes than merely trying to catch \'red light runners.\' The response from some of these brain damaged goods was, \"Well, if you`re not doing anything wrong, then what are you worried about?\" Another similar event came when I was in seminar last spring for a human geography course and we began talking about globalization, politics, and \'terrorism.\' Once again, supposed intelligent university students were telling me that because of the \'threat of terrorist attacks\' we must be prepared to \'sacrifice some of our freedoms.\' I started howling! I responded to them , naturally, that this was dangerous and that what little freedoms we have should NEVER be squandered for anything! - They still didn`t get it.

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Dave Ruston

Both CAJ (Canadian Association of Journalists) and PWAC (Periodical Writers Association of Canada) have released statements opposing the search.

Here\'s the one from CAJ:

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF JOURNALISTS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



CAJ Denounces Seizure of Reporters\' Notes.

(OTTAWA) January 21, 2004 - The Canadian Association of Journalists
denounces today\'s RCMP raids on the home and office of Ottawa
Citizen reporter Juliet O\'Neill. O\'Neill was targeted because of her past
reporting on the Maher Arar case, which cited
information from confidential security sources.

The RCMP conducted the raids under authority granted them by the post-Sept.
11, 2001 Security of Information Act, as part of their
investigation into a possible information leak in the Arar case.

The RCMP, in conducting the raids under the pretense of national security,
are threatening all journalists\' right to obtain
information from confidential sources, says CAJ president Paul Schneidereit.
This right, which was reiterated today in an Ontario
Superior Court of Justice ruling by Madam Justice Benotto, must be ensured
for all journalists and the public whom they inform.

Particularly in a story as sensitive and important as Arar\'s, where
information is often not publicly available, journalists must be
able to freely and confidently obtain information from sources whom they can
protect. Searches such as the one conducted by the RCMP
must not dissuade journalists from obtaining important confidential
information in the future.

The Security of Information Act and its broad prohibitions against
possession of sensitive government materials threatens
journalists\' right, and duty, to thoroughly and truthfully investigate
stories related to national security.

\"Is this the face of the new Canada?\" asks Schneidereit. \"Security yes, but
at what price? The legislation seems to have sweeping
reach. If today\'s police actions are any example, the consequences for
freedom of the press are ominous.\"

The CAJ has documented a steady string of instances in which journalists
have been legally threatened or forced to hand over
material and reveal their sources.
The RCMP raids today and in the National Post case follow a pattern of
police interference that treats journalists as agents of the
state.
In July, 2001, Edmonton police seized photographs and video tapes from
several local media outlets related to the Canada Day riots.
In March, 2001, police in Halifax seized audio tapes from a Canadian Press
newsroom containing an interview with a convicted killer.
In January, 2001, police seized interview tapes recorded by a television
journalist in Edmonton.
The previous month, Kingston Whig-Standard reporter Rob Tripp was forced to
hand over his notes and testify in the preliminary
hearing of a murder trial.

\"Today\'s seizure is just the latest example of the contempt with which
police view media freedom in Canada. It\'s an offence to the
public interest they claim to serve,\" said Schneidereit.

The Canadian Association of Journalists is a professional organization with
more than 1,300 members across Canada. The CAJ\'s primary
roles are to provide public interest advocacy and quality professional
development for its members.

- -30-

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Paul Schneidereit, president (902) 426-1124
Robert Cribb, past-president: (416) 869-4411
John Dickins, Executive Director: (613) 526-8061
Cell: (613) 290-2903






The CAJ has documented a steady string of instances in which journalists
have been legally threatened or forced to hand over
material and reveal their sources.
The RCMP raids today and in the National Post case follow a pattern of
police interference that treats journalists as agents of the
state.
In July, 2001, Edmonton police seized photographs and video tapes from
several local media outlets related to the Canada Day riots.
In March, 2001, police in Halifax seized audio tapes from a Canadian Press
newsroom containing an interview with a convicted killer.
In January, 2001, police seized interview tapes recorded by a television
journalist in Edmonton.
The previous month, Kingston Whig-Standard reporter Rob Tripp was forced to
hand over his notes and testify in the preliminary
hearing of a murder trial.

\"Today\'s seizure is just the latest example of the contempt with which
police view media freedom in Canada. It\'s an offence to the
public interest they claim to serve,\" said Schneidereit.

It would appear that this security law may be in breach of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms! Thank goodness, but it\'ll probably take awhile for them to figure it out, at least long enough to search all of the journalist material!

Quite right. I wonder how so many well educated people cannot see the direction we are heading. I guess its a case of juveniles raising more juveniles. The more we progress in science the more we regress in human issues it seems.