# Canada's Mounties: Upholding the law for 140 years and counting **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116 "2013-05-23T13:52:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/21 "2013-05-27T08:14:28Z")
> [@detop](#): > > [Let’s not forget their barn burning, their attempted bombing and the infamous taser incidents, among others](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_controversies_involving_the_Royal_Canadian_Mounted_Police). Not to mention their racism. It’s no wonder that in Quebec, their reputation is barely higher than that of a criminal gang. Racism? Where? Is the RCMP kicking First Nations people? Black people? Indians or Pakistanis? Folks confined to wheelchairs? Women? Gays? What is the RCMP doing, beating them up? Preferring straight white folks over all these other folks? Where? How? Yes, the Vancouver Airport incident should never have happened. I think it was caused by too many rookie cops who were given too much equipment. No matter how regrettable, it happened. History cannot erase it. Now. You, **detop** , are posting from Quebec, which does not use the RCMP for policing purposes; and as such, I would suggest you do not know the Mounties in their everyday role. Here in western Canada, where they fulfil the role of the Surete de Quebec and the Qntario Provincial Police, their public regard is pretty high. Sure, they make mistakes, but so do the SQ and the OPP. Hell, I’d rather deal with the RCMP than the SQ. At least the RCMP are constitutionally-required to speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/22 "2013-05-27T08:42:29Z")
Just to add… > [@Starbucks for the Brain-cell Impaired, Lesson One (a bit long)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starbucks-for-the-brain-cell-impaired-lesson-one-a-bit-long/82534/58): > > Here in western Canada, where the [RCMP] fulfil[s] the role of the Surete de Quebec and the Qntario Provincial Police, their public regard is pretty high. The RCMP issues speeding tickets, non-seatbelt tickets, and texting-while-drving tickets; and the like, for infractions on public highways. In western Canada, I have to be careful, lest I run afoul of the RCMP on the roads. In Ontario, I need to be careful of the OPP. In Quebec, it’s the SQ. In New Brunswick, it’s the RCMP again; and the same for Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador. My best suggestion? Drive the speed limit in every province. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/23 "2013-05-27T12:14:19Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Racism? Where? Is the RCMP kicking First Nations people? Black people? Indians or Pakistanis? Folks confined to wheelchairs? Women? Gays? What is the RCMP doing, beating them up? Preferring straight white folks over all these other folks? Where? How? They sure did their best to discourage non-English speakers to join. True nowadays not as much, but the undercurrent is still there. > [@](#): > > Yes, the Vancouver Airport incident should never have happened. I think it was caused by too many rookie cops who were given too much equipment. No matter how regrettable, it happened. History cannot erase it. > > Now. You, **detop** , are posting from Quebec, which does not use the RCMP for policing purposes; and as such, I would suggest you do not know the Mounties in their everyday role. Here in western Canada, where they fulfil the role of the Surete de Quebec and the Qntario Provincial Police, their public regard is pretty high. > > Sure, they make mistakes, but so do the SQ and the OPP. Hell, I’d rather deal with the RCMP than the SQ. At least the RCMP are constitutionally-required to speak English. Doesn’t mean that I have a high opinion of these other police forces either. Yes, you’re right, I don’t have experience about dealing with them on a daily basis. We only had mostly the **special** branches operating here (you know, the barn-burners, bomb planting, wannabe “plumbers”, etc.). Whenever I see someone payin tribute to cops or other authority figures, I’m the one who reminds them of their wrong doing. It isn’t healthy to keep reminding people of all the good work done, while omitting the wrongs committed. Let’s see both faces of the coin people. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/24 "2013-05-27T12:36:26Z")
> [@detop](#): > > They sure did their best to discourage non-English speakers to join. True nowadays not as much, but the undercurrent is still there. > > Doesn’t mean that I have a high opinion of these other police forces either. Yes, you’re right, I don’t have experience about dealing with them on a daily basis. We only had mostly the **special** branches operating here (you know, the barn-burners, bomb planting, wannabe “plumbers”, etc.). Whenever I see someone payin tribute to cops or other authority figures, I’m the one who reminds them of their wrong doing. It isn’t healthy to keep reminding people of all the good work done, while omitting the wrongs committed. Let’s see both faces of the coin people . Except your opinions are not based in fact. I’m sorry but the “\*\*special \*\*branches” you refer to have their hands full with the rampant prostitution, smuggling, drug trafficking, organized crime and government corruption so there’s no time for barn-burning and bomb planting anymore. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/25 "2013-05-27T13:25:05Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I’m sorry but the “\*\*special \*\*branches” you refer to have their hands full with the rampant prostitution, smuggling, drug trafficking, organized crime and government corruption so there’s no time for barn-burning and bomb planting anymore. Also, the security intelligence functions of the RCMP [were transferred to CSIS in 1984](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Security_Intelligence_Service). ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/26 "2013-05-27T13:28:41Z")
I see, then we should just forget the whole thing ? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/27 "2013-05-27T14:53:24Z")
> [@detop](#): > > I see, then we should just forget the whole thing ? No, but it’s worth putting some of your criticisms in historical context (e.g. they’ve mostly been out of the dirty tricks business for 30 years). ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/28 "2013-05-27T15:31:55Z")
Random thought 1: Is it just me, or does the whole RCMP barn-burning thing make anybody else smile at what constitutes a scandal in this great nation of ours? Random thought 2: [Sgt. Renfrew]. . . .when I regained consciousness . . . [/Sgt. Renfrew] Random thought 3: **horgarth** : Mostly? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/29 "2013-05-27T15:34:39Z")
> [@D18](#): > > Random thought 3: **hogarth** : Mostly? :dubious: I just enjoy using weasel words. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116/30 "2013-05-27T16:00:52Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > No, but it’s worth putting some of your criticisms in historical context (e.g. they’ve mostly been out of the dirty tricks business for 30 years). True, pat them on the back for jobs well-done, but also keep in mind and **remind** people of their wrong doing, so as to prevent re-occurence and be careful of the height of the pedestal you put them on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadas-mounties-upholding-the-law-for-140-years-and-counting/659116.md?page=1)