02.13.2017 09:14 AM

Cowardly, pathetic little men threaten a female politician: lock them up

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The statistics show that from 2003 to 2015 — a period that saw six different premiers — Alberta sheriffs recorded a total of 55 security incidents involving the premier.

Nineteen of those came in the last half of 2015, which happened to be Premier Rachel Notley’s first months in office. At least three of those incidents required police intervention.

Then in 2016, protection services changed its process of reviewing and monitoring security threats, in part to include more surveillance of social media. That year, there were 412 reported incidents involving Notley, 26 of which were forwarded to police as they were deemed to have approached a criminal threshold.

In the women-hating Trump era, these types of incidents are almost certainly going to get more numerous and more serious, everywhere.  It’s important, therefore, that the Crown and police agencies aggressively investigate and prosecute each and every one of these threats.

Protection is one principle of sentencing that is important here.  But so, too, are deterrence and denunciation.  Canadian society needs to collectively and clearly express its revulsion with these pathetic little men.

And, once we successfully prosecute them, lock them up.

 

 

21 Comments

  1. Jim Keegan says:

    Agree whole-heartedly that these jerks should be vigorously prosecuted and, if convicted, sent to jail. However, I suggest these incidents are likely more related to Notley’s policies than her gender.

    • Derek Pearce says:

      Bullshit. A male NDP Premier implementing the same policies would not be threatened as much.

    • Doris says:

      “However, I suggest these incidents are likely more related to Notley’s policies than her gender.”

      Bollocks, these attacks came about because of mysogeny and hate and if Gord thinks it had to do with her policies he is full of shite

    • Deb Lindenas says:

      Wow, so death threats against the Premier are justified because of policy and it’s just a coincidence she is a woman. What a truck load of bullshit. Your explanation and attitude is what is wrong.

      • Jim Keegan says:

        Go take an English comprehension course, Deb, and then go back and re-read my post. You might then note that I said these jerks should be jailed, which is a tad different than saying death threats against the premier are justified.

    • Dan F says:

      False.

      Attacks on women in politics hit all women politicians, of all political stripes. Policies are irrelevant to the correlation between gender and misogynist attacks. Just ask Kim Campbell. or Michelle Rempel. or Kathleen Wynne. or Christy Clark. or Hillary Clinton. or Nancy Pelosi. or Kellie Leitch. or Lisa Raitt. or Rona Ambrose. or Candice Bergen.

    • gyor says:

      I agree, its a Tory freak out over a carbon tax, which is still no excuse.

  2. dean sherratt says:

    A practical matter…and how do we know that the 26-412 persons who threatened the Premier to one degree or another are all men? That would appear to be your suggestion. And if the Alberta premier was not a woman but a man with similar and apparently unpopular policies, how do we know that the number would be dramatically lower?

    For myself, I am an Ontarian very much opposed to the Wynne government…and the McGuinty government before it. But I have never sought any punishment for members of the two governments beyond being denied re-election.

    Now there are provisions of the Criminal Code readily at hand and the Alberta Premier has to be able to do her job safe from credible threats or technically those utterances that infringe the Criminal Code. Those wishing physical ill of the Premier are no friends of any political party and have the support of none…to the extent that such people of whatever sex or other demographic are found, they must be stopped.

    • Deb Lindenas says:

      I suggest you take a look at news releases and tweets by Premier Notley and spend some time looking at the comments after. There is nothing mild about any of it. It’s the WORST thing I have ever seen. The hate & threats are off the charts. It’s personal and almost never mentions a disagreement with policy. It is worst than what Rebel publishes, although there is certainly a common hate threat. Since I saw the 1st twitter threats after her election, I have repeatedly forwarded them on to the RCMP. I think they are doing a shitty job of it. AND now Notley is joined by Sandra Jansen as a hated woman politician in Alberta. It is stunning to see the amount of death threat, hanging threats, being roped and pulled behind a horse until dead. Just saw that one last week. Not the first time either. Policy disagreements that require death? It’s sick. That part of society is sick, sick, sick. I have friends in Alberta who are normal citizens. One of them is leaving and coming back to Ontario once he retires.

      • Ted H says:

        Very glad to hear that there are some normal citizens in Alberta, actually more than a few since a progressive mayor and premier have been elected. Still lots of regressive sentiment around however that will hopefully be flushed away some day.

        • Deb Lindenas says:

          For sure there are progressives in Alberta. I apologize. But boy do the crazy people get a lot of air time & news space. Not nearly enough progressive voices being heard. AND my friend may be moving back to Ontario, but I guarantee if he moves to the area we all grew up in. it’s going to be more of the same. I can’t count how many FB high school friends I unfriended for their less than progressive & racist views. There are pockets all over our country. I have probably called equally as many women as men hypocrites on their politics, but I have never for a moment wished death or envisioned any of the horrors I read on any of them. Woman or man.

      • dean sherratt says:

        And where does the word “mild” occur in my post, explicit or implied? Based on your comments and critique I am unable to revise or repent of any of my post.

  3. SmallTownON says:

    Have a related story to tell from my neck of the woods (east of Oshawa.)

    A Muslim lady whose kids attend the school I where I work was spat on and insulted by a 45-year old man in the parking lot of a local grocery store. She had just unpacked her bags into the trunk of her car and the man, under pretense of taking her cart off her hands, approached and then attacked. What a hero.

    The best part is that he took off like a scared rat when a gaggle of passersby sprang to the rescue.

    As disgusting as the incident is, the victim told me personally that she was heartened by the immediate support and that it reflected what “real Canadians” are all about.

  4. Bill Templeman says:

    All very well that so many on this site jump to the defence of female leaders of left & centrist parties plus Muslim immigrants. Heartening indeed. But is this defence also extended to women like Kellyanne Conway? She gets lots of online abuse. What’s good for the goose has to be good for the gander, no?

  5. Peter says:

    I don’t think there is any doubt that women politicians are targeted more than male politicians. The questions is, are we going to punish more harshly when it’s a woman politician, and if so, on what legal principle?

    • daveconstable says:

      Would hate speech apply here?

      • Peter says:

        You could try to go down that route if the threats were sexual or openly misogynist. Lots of problems though, including the fact that hate speech is directed against a group or class, not an individual. Also, the optics wouldn’t be great for someone like Notley if her own Attorney-General is the one who decides. But if it’s just your garden variety murder threat, I don’t see it.

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