Welcome Back!

Well, I guess we all had a little rest what with Blogger being down for a couple of days, then me taking the weekend AFK (away from komputer, isn't that right?), but it's time to get back to work. I mean there's lots to talk about about, even if none of it is good news. I don't even need to tell you how disturbing I find this story to be. Of course, the local news sources are sparse with the information, but it's just one more example of just how pervasive the rape culture we live in is becoming. Women aren't safe. It doesn't matter if they're young or old, thin or large, able or not, women are at risk. I wonder how this douchebags' lawyer will manage to blame the victim in this case.

Then, across the country, we have this. More deplorable actions from more deplorable police officers. I haven't had a chance until now to discuss my feelings about police, so please allow me to do that here. I have respect for what the police are supposed to be. I think our society, most societies need what the police are supposed to be. However, for the most part, the individual officers I have met, the individuals whom I know went on to train to become or became police officers and the individual officers I read about in the news fill me with dread. The police is an institution rife with misogyny, homophobia and xenophobia. All over the world, where there is police, there is police corruption, brutality, rape and abuse of power. And we're taught at a young age that these are the good guys? That if there's a problem, go to a police officer? It sucks, because I know that there are good officers out there, but I never know if the one I'll have dealings with is one of those.

But, getting back to the incident at hand, these four officers are definitely NOT the good ones, and that's putting it mildly. I'm so sure that they just watched and had no involvement and didn't coerce these intoxicated women into any action at all. I'm so sure that they're just innocent victims of circumstance and their male sex drives and all. I mean, if they didn't force the women to have sex so they could watch on the closed circuit cameras, don't you think they should've, oh I dunno, intervened when it happened? I mean, that sort of stuff isn't supposed to happen in jail. But, I guess when it's two ladeez and you've had a hard day of policing, you let it slide, amirite?

Bullshit. These dudes were involved somehow. And the fact that one of the victims is coming forward, saying not only was she assaulted in prison by her cellmate, not only did the officers not stop the assault but watched for their own personal pleasure and amusement but that she may have been exposed to HIV, as well.

What. The. Fuck. Police.

How is any woman supposed to feel safe calling the supposed "guardians of the peace" when victim blaming and abuse of power are so rampant? Where are women supposed to turn when they need help? Is the possibility that they may be raped and beaten BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT THEM FROM BEING RAPED AND BEATEN a reality that women have to live with?

The police forces of not just Canada but the whole world need an overhaul. They need to be rebuilt, practically from the ground up. No, I don't know how to go about this without bankrupting every city, state, province and country. But something's got to give. The people who need protection most deserve to be protected, not further endangered by their protectors. And that's all people, not just white, heterosexual males. Both genders and people of all sexualities and all races deserve to be protected from the things in society that may harm them. I hate to be that guy, but my tax dollars go to fund the police. I should be able to be proud of them. To not fear them. To not fear for any woman that has to make the call to them for help.