"Cowboy hat" protest planned against Harper crime bill
By Contributor
Canadians across the country are mobilizing to oppose the rushed passage of the Omnibus Crime Bill. If passed, Bill C-10 would shift Canada to a cruel, costly and failed fill-the-prisons approach to justice. The 150+ cross-country actions at MP’s constituency offices are focused on Thursday at 1PM, with some taking place throughout the day and Friday.
Canadians will be arriving at their constituency offices wearing cowboy hats to call attention to the fact that American states, like Texas, have tried and failed to reduce crime by putting more people in jail with longer sentences.
“Texas came out of the experience poorer, but wiser. Republican lawmakers and judges from Texas are warning us not to repeat their mistake. Texas is now investing in crime prevention and rehabilitation,” said Jamie Biggar, Executive Director of Leadnow.ca. “Our Conservative government is ignoring the evidence that mandatory sentences will make Canada meaner, not safer.”
Two national grassroots organizations of concerned citizens, Leadnow.ca and Reclaim our Democratic Canada, are working in a coalition to coordinate the events. MP’s will be presented with a petition organized by Leadnow.ca with over 29,000 signatures, and a copy of the Canadian Bar Association’s damning 10-point critique of the Omnibus Crime Bill.
The Crime Bill rejects proven crime prevention and rehabilitation strategies, and instead imposes mandatory sentences that will create hardened criminals, target the most vulnerable in our society, and force prison expansions that will cost our provinces dearly.
“The Omnibus Crime Bill is tough on taxpayers, democracy, and Canada’s most vulnerable. It’s wrong on crime,” said Susan Berry, a representative of Reclaim our Democratic Canada.
On Thursday November 24 and Friday November 25th, Canadian’s from coast to coast will be putting on their cowboy boots to send our MPs a message: don’t mess up like Texas – make Canada safer, not meaner.
To see a dynamic map of the actions, find local actions near you, and read background, go to: http://www.leadnow.ca/stop-the-crime-bill
Submitted.
