This is a topic that I have been fuming about for the past several months. For well over a year now I have watched while numerous negative articles have been released by the media about the RCMP. All the while the Bullshit alarm was going off.
To those of you who are visiting from the planet Neptune or another country on this planet you may not know very much about the RCMP so first lets take a quick look at just what they are.
The RCMP is Canada. Without the RCMP Canada would not be Canada. Canada is something special in this world and there are certain key components that make Canada. Hockey is one, the Maple Leaf is another, Ottawa another. The Provinces are key components too. Canada wouldn't be Canada without Ontario or Quebec or Nova Scotia or BC or Alberta or any of the other Provinces or Territories which are just as important. Here is the test. Take the component away and is the result still Canada? Or something else.
In the case of the RCMP or Royal Canadian Mounted Police this is a Canadian institution founded in 1920 based on a merger of the earlier Royal North West Mounted Police founded in 1873 and the Dominion Police founded in 1868. The Force as it is called is comprised of recruits from all across Canada and all are trained at the RCMP Training Depot in Regina Saskatchewan in a 24 week training course. The selection process to become a Member starts at the time of application where there are 10 to 15 times as many applicants as openings. There is a long careful recruitment procedure to select applicants for Depot training. The Members were traditionally white males but this has changed as the Force changed its selection process to include more visible minorities, first nations and women. The percentages do not reflect percentages in society.
The Members of the RCMP are above average Canadians in that the recruitment process filters out those with health, mental or other problems that would prevent or reduce their chances of being good serving Members. People join the Force because they wish to be part of the institution with its proud history, they wish to earn a good income and benefits and they wish to serve in a public service oriented job with travel and adventure. There are approximately 25,000 serving Members of the RCMP and they are tasked as both the Federal Police Force and as Provincial and Territorial Policing in several provinces.
The RCMP have a legendary reputation both in Canada and in the world. They are considered to be one of the best Police forces in the world. The Red serge dress uniform is the most recognizable and most impressive police uniform on the planet. Over the years Mounties have earned and maintained an excellent reputation with Canadians which helps to set the bar for performance. Most Canadians know a Member of the Force from connections with family and friends. When we loose a Mountie killed while on duty the entire Country is saddened. There are few institutions in the world where ties between the population are as strong as between Canada and her Mounties.
Traditionally, we may think of a Mountie in the red serge uniform and Stetson hat on top of a large black horse and this vision is kept alive today with the RCMP Musical Ride and the mounted horse logo on RCMP patrol cars.
I remember the first time that I saw the RCMP Musical Ride. I had never seen it before and to tell you the truth the phrase "Musical Ride" sounded sort of wimpy to me. Nevertheless, an opportunity arose to see it and as I recall it was in the evening and the show was under lights. The first part of the show was actually very impressive and seeing the magnificent horses and the flags and the red serge and the precision was a real eye opener. I had never seen anything like that before. But what caught me by complete surprise and held me in awe with memories that I carry to this day was the CHARGE! Now that was impressive!
You must see the Musical Ride! It's not just something you see you also hear it and feel it because the thunder of the hoofs and the big horses and red serge and Stetsons and lances and Mounties all combine into something that is as close to a sacred event that any Canadian will ever see. Its something like the start at a Calgary Stampede chuck wagon race only even more Canadian. There is danger and excitement and pride and strength and tradition and a bunch of other stuff all rolled into one. Watch that once and you suddenly understand what "we stand on guard for thee" means.
Now the press and media. In the USA CNN is noted for concentrating on the worst parts of life. The murders, disasters, tornadoes, floods, wars, Hollywood starlets in trouble, explosions and the morbid. Why? Simple because that sort of coverage attracts viewers like flies. And viewers attract advertisers and advertisers supply revenue. In other words there is good money in bad news. Well the same thing is happening up in Canada.
In the case of the RCMP, in a given day 25,000 go to work and do their jobs protecting Canadians. But that's not the news the media is looking for. They don't want to report that an RCMP officer went to a residence at 3 am and prevented a drunk father from injuring himself or his family. They don't want to report the story about the Mountie who attended to an accident victim in Northern Saskatchewan and took off his jacket so that the victim could survive the cold until an ambulance arrived. In fact they don't want to report anything about the great job the Mounties do every day. Shit no -they want to report that a Mountie tasered a drunk man on drugs who subsequently dies. Or that a Mountie crashed into an innocent victim during a high speed car chase. Or anything that causes the RCMP to look bad. Why? Because it attracts viewers and sells advertising and ....makes money! This is bullshit.
The press has now fabricated a perception that the RCMP is in trouble. That there are many issues and problems with the Force. That the institution is under attack and that it is crumbling. This is all bullshit. And its about time somebody said Excuse Me! Your reporting sucks!
Lets consider the very unfortunate and sad case of the Polish immigrant who was tasered at the Vancouver Airport and who almost immediately died. The press continually played a video of the scene and it achieved world coverage. The message from the press was completely biased and it seemed that they were placing 100% of the blame for this unfortunates death at the hands of the RCMP. Lets look at the facts.
First of all, the situation is very sad. Sad things happen every day but that doesn't mean that this one was any less sad. This was a tragedy for the individual, his family, the attending police and the nation. Here was an individual who wanted to start a new life in Canada and due to a series of problems at the airport and the way he reacted to them he entered into a situation where the taser was administered and his death resulted. It would be impossible to relate all the details of the case here. I do suggest there are a few high points. The individual was a large man of well over 6'5". He was very upset and was breaking items in the airport. He was unable to communicate in either of the official languages of Canada. He may have had something in his hands that could have been used as a weapon. The attending officers attempted to subdue him by administering the taser. Very unfortunately the taser which is not considered to be a deadly weapon, apparently caused the man's death. The press continually played the video over and over showing the man flipping around on the floor after being tasered. Why? There was absolutely no attempt to give a balanced report on what happened. Why? Simple - a balanced report doesn't attract viewers or make money.
The RCMP pension fund was under investigation and I watched the proceedings on CPAC when Barbara George the RCMP Deputy Commissioner was interviewed by the Commons Committee. Ms. George is a 30 year veteran of the Force. I am not sure what will eventually happen there but I did detect the ring of truth from Ms. George. I also witnessed the Committee members engaging in partisan political behavior and immediately detected the ring of...bullshit. Time will tell on that one.
So what the press appears to be doing is to select unfavorable biased stories on the RCMP and then make them cumulative by constantly referring them as a group so that the institution is effectively attacked and damaged by a media feeding frenzy. The viewer is left with an impression that there are deep problems at the RCMP and that the institution is in mortal danger. Bullshit.
The facts here are pretty simple. Without a doubt the RCMP is one of the best and most professional police forces on the Planet. Members of the RCMP do a terrific job day after day. The RCMP has a proud history and forms an integral part of Canada. Nearly every Canadian knows a serving or retired Member of the Force and has a high opinion about them. Every Canadian feels a personal loss when we loose a Mountie. No Canadian can see a Mountie in a red serge uniform and Stetson and not feel proud to be a Canadian. We depend on our Mounties every day. We love our Mounties! So there!
Update April 10/2008 MP's found Deputy Commissioner Barbara George in contempt of Parliament today. I still have a nagging doubt about this one. When I listened to her testimony I detected "the ring of truth" When I listened to MP's interview her I detected extreme Partisan politics. Now clearly the Liberal Party is mad at the RCMP for what they feel was an unfortunate timing of the announcement of an investigation into one of their MP's just before the last election which they feel helped result in the loss of the election. I just don't trust these rascals. This member has 30 years service with the Mounties. If I had to bet money on it today I would put $50 on Ms George as being innocent. And as far as contempt of parliament goes a certain ex Prime Minister certainly showed that when he refused to go back to the Ethics Committee to testify and every week you see pretty contemptuous behavior between members so ....I think Ms. George is being screwed. So to speak. But as we sometimes say here-
Update April 18/2008 The latest attack on the RCMP is almost beyond human comprehension. Apparently a cadet released because of substandard performance from depot training was after 8 years re-instated with full back pay by a Canadian judge. This gentleman who is a Muslim claimed his rights were abused and that his religious beliefs were why.
Apparently the taxpayers of Canada will be required to pay back approximately $600,000 to this individual. The news article went on to note that in the 8 years since he was drummed out of Mountie training he went on to try several careers but failed at all of them. Just the type of person we don't want as a mountie.
So the attack on the worlds best police force continues. This is
What do you do When you live in a shoe?
The RCMP is so popular in the world that right now the following items are on auction:
