Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Conservative MPs double maximum penalty for masked rioters to 10 years

OTTAWA - Conservative MPs have agreed to impose a maximum 10-year prison term on protesters who wear masks during a riot.

A proposed private members' bill would make it a crime for protesters to wear a mask or disguise while participating in a riot or unlawful assembly, and this week the Harper government put its weight behind the legislation.

The Conservative majority on a House of Commons committee that's examining the bill has taken matters a step further by doubling the proposed maximum prison term to 10 years from five.

Government MPs passed the amendment over the objections of the NDP opposition, who argue the bill is a sham because wearing a mask to commit any crime is already an offence under the Criminal Code.

Blake Richards, the Conservative backbencher who proposed the new legislation, has said he sees the law as being mainly preventative in nature, allowing police to step in and arrest masked participants before protests spiral out of control.

The hard-line amendment to double the maximum penalty is just the latest in a spate of government tough-on-crime measures rolled out as Conservative support appears to be slipping in public opinion polls.

Original Article
Source: winnipeg free press
Author:  CP

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