In spite of all this, there are some obvious flaws – like the fact it is against the law to insult the dignity of a public official. If there is going to be a law concerning the alleged dignity of a public official I think it should be mandatory to insult the dignity of a public official at all times and I am surprised the Israelis haven’t thought of this – in fact, its kind of a let-down.
I believe there is a great deal we in Canada can learn from the Israelis but emulating a stupid Israeli law shouldn’t be one of them. The Toronto Star:
MONTREAL–Montreal police have asked the city to make it illegal for citizens to hurl insults such as "pig" and "doughnut eater" at officers. Mayor Gérald Tremblay said yesterday his public security committee is mulling the request by Montreal's police brotherhood to slap offenders with fines. The union wants Tremblay to make it illegal for the public to fire insults at police, regardless of whether they are profanity-laced.
As long as I can call my neighbor a putz, I should be allowed to say the same thing to a police officer, because sometimes a police officer can be a putz or at least act like one. I realize there are some of you who are going to suggest the police have a dirty job with little gratitude. Well, so does a plumber, and if we aren’t going to enact laws sparing the dignity of plumbers; why should police officers be a protected speech class of citizenry? We have laws against incitement and uttering threats of bodily harm. That’s enough or it should be.
One more thing while I can still say it – Fuck the Montreal Police Union.
4 comments:
"...it is against the law to insult the dignity of a public official"
Hmm... is it? I have to erase half the posts of our place then. Interesting.
Oops, almost missed this one: wht should "doughnut eater" count as offense? It's practically a job description ;-)
Better start erasing - this is the law Nadia Matar is accused of breaking and is currently on trial for.
In Canada, the police are often accused of spending more time eating doughnuts rather than policing the streets...as it is rare to find a doughnut store where a police cruiser or two or three is not parked outside, hence, it has come about to refer to a certain slackness in the police mindset...
I have also been corrected via email - it is not against the law to insult the dignity of a public official - it is just against the law to 'insult' a public official...I blame my poor hebrew...anyway, I am not sure this is any better - I mean, how do you only insult the dignity of a public official and not have the po feel insulted?
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