OUT OF LEFT FIELD: Cop-bashing an abuse of free speech
By Kyra Hoggan
Ninety-nine per cent of the time, I’m incredibly proud of the Source, including our interactions on social media. We’ve used Facebook and Twitter to disseminate important public information, to reunite lost pets with their people, even to help find a missing child.
Sadly, though, right now, I’m both embarrassed and ashamed by what is happening on the Source Facebook page, in the wake of an officer-involved fatal shooting last week.
Now don’t get me wrong here – I couldn’t possibly care less who does and does not hate cops – that’s their issue, not mine. They want to question the cops? Doubt their motives? Want more details about what happened? Again, that’s their little red wagon, and not my concern.
I’m the first to say I think the Independent Investigations Office’s press release was very, very poorly written and actually created a lot of the speculation and concern being expressed right now.
But there is a definite line between voicing an opinion/question … and flat-out hate speech – and it becomes very much my concern when people start spewing hate on my page.
Calling them trigger-happy murderers? In a public forum? Are youkidding me?
On what planet is it okay to speak about any human being that way, ever? These people, like them or no, are not just nameless, faceless uniform stuffers – they are actual human beings who live and work in our community – they are our neighbours. Their kids go to school with our kids, they shop in our stores and eat in our restaurants. To the people who called them unethical, disgusting killers, I can only ask this: What in God’s name is wrong with you?
If someone went on The Source and spoke about you that way, you’d snap a gasket. Can you even imagine, what it would feel like to go on The Source and see someone speaking about your spouse, your father, your friend that way? Of course you can’t, or you’d never do it to someone else.
To the many good and decent readers who opposed this horrifying behavior, thank you. To those who engaged in it – you should be ashamed of yourselves. You’ll let the police stand between you and the ugliest of criminals, but you won’t accord a cop the most baseline right that the most vile pedophile gets: innocent until proven guilty. I wish police could decline to put themselves at risk to protect people like you – you don’t deserve them.
Spouting off about the man being unarmed, about how the cop could have used a taser, about cover-ups before the IIO even arrived here to investigate – well, I congratulate you on your gold medals in the conclusion jump, but you simply have no idea what you are talking about.
If anyone spoke this way about any other group of people – any race, religion, nationality or profession – everyone would freak out. Even criminals don’t get smeared like this. But hate speech directed at cops is okay? That’s some moral code you’ve got going there.
This is a community largely comprised of very good people, and I hope the caring, warm, welcoming people I’ve come to know and love can overshadow the vile, despicable things being said by the handful of angry, hateful people who simply can’t govern themselves in a social media setting.
The IIO is an independent, non RCMP organization with no vested interest or stake in making cops look good. If they find the cop was in the wrong, then you can start tossing around blame. I know for-sure you won’t apologize if they clear him – hate-ridden conspiracy theorists never do.
In the interim, I would like everyone to know that I have, in seven years, only banned two people from our Facebook page, until this all started. In one day, after the shooting, that doubled. I have no problem tripling or quadrupling it right now. So by all means, share opinions, concerns and questions. But keep the hate speech off our page, or you’re gone. It’s that simple. There is a fundamental difference between freedom of speech and allowing hate speech.
I wouldn’t allow this filth if they said it about YOU, either.
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