Paragraphs Of The Week

From an editorial regarding RCMP lies about the death of Robert Dziekanski:

They didn't have to taser Mr. Dziekanski a number of times because he refused to go down, as they told investigators. The victim wasn't tackled to the ground by officers because the taser wasn't working on him. The man collapsed in a writhing, yelping heap after he was blasted the first time - and before he was jolted four more times.

Mr. Dziekanski wasn't yelling and wielding a stapler above his head as he moved towards the officers - as they suggested in notes and interviews. He held a garden-variety stapler in his hand at waist height, while not yelling or advancing in a menacing manner.

There you have it, the RCMP lied. Can you hear the heads of taser fanboys exploding? They've been faithful parrots for the "menacing with a stapler" lie. This has to sting.

Enough about them though. While I do love some schadenfreude, I think it's more important to ask, "What's next?" Is it finally clear that the police cannot police the police? The editorial ends with exactly that crucial conclusion:

I'm afraid this case is just another example, number 7,340, of why the police should not investigate themselves. The public doesn't trust the police, and especially the RCMP, to do a proper job. And the information that has recently come to light in the Robert Dziekanski case is precisely why.

Somehow that sensibility needs to make its way south, to America, where stories about drug-addicted right-wing radio celebrities and American Idol dominate.