Oh, I certainly realize there’s something to the claim that the Canadian media trends to the left. Heck, I listen to Radio 1, and I’m not blind…errr…deaf. The thing is, the Canadian public trends to the left as well. It’s not like there’s some nefarious plot afoot to skew things.
But here’s the real question: why is this all coming as a surprise to Harper? It’s not like any of this is new. The media is as it has been for years and years, and Harper’s not exactly new to Parliament Hill. He’s not even new to the scrums outside Parliament. Dealing with a pack of guys shouting questions you’d probably rather not answer is the price one pays for being in government. How can Harper possibly not know that? Know it, and understand it, and accept it. If he doesn’t want to talk to a somewhat hostile press, he’s made some really, really bad career choices. And of course, he’s make it worse for himself. Can he possibly think the press will cut him more slack after this, rather than less?
Yes, I feel it’s the same as Liberals telling us to fear the Conservatives.
Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in the middle of a “Yah well Clinton did it too!” bipartisan debate?
FWIW I’m not much impressed with any of the federal parties. Please don’t pretend that my criticism of Harper has anything to do with partisanship.
I’m not saying it’s rhetorical, I’m saying that it’s not at all the same thing as overall violent crime going up.
Your other cites are similarly no good: you have repeatedly asserted that violent crime is increasing, but have demonstrated that gun-related crime is increasing (as a proportion of violent crime, which is not increasing), and that Jamaicans are responsible for a lot of crimes in Toronto. You still need to counteract the claim of Statistics Canada (which I think is somewhat more reliable than various columnists) that violent crime is not increasing.
Well, the problem is your Stats Can numbers are dated July 2005, for the year 2004. Your numbers are dated. You have to admit things have changed, in Toronto specifically, in the last two years. My numbers, as cited repeatedly, are proof of this.
I have made some claims, and have been able to back them with current cites and data. I don’t know why this bothers you so?
Those are all columnists, friend. They are cites for precisely their own opinions. Now I know what Margaret Wente thinks. Hallelujah! So if Andrew Coyne asserts tomorrow that dog shit can cure cancer, we’ll all know what to do.
Okay, then please show me more recent numbers from Stats Can having to do with a rising or falling rate of violent crime.
No, I will not admit this because I have no reason whatseover to believe that the trends of the past 20 years have suddenly and sharply reversed, in the total absence of evidence.
Your numbers have nothing whatever to do with a rising or falling rate of violent crime, simply with changes in the proportion of different types of violent crime. Completely different.
Furthermore, as has been pointed out, “your” numbers come from the asses of columnists, where “mine” come from a world-respected statistical organization.
Their own opinions based upon real crime facts and interviews with the police, etc. You think there is actually a database somewhere that stores information on crimes committed by racial profile? I’ve never seen one. Besides, I highly doubt that every columnist is simply making these stories up. What, there’s a conspiracy against Jamaica here by columnists from all of Canada’s leading papers? Unbelievable.
And I do have data; for the third time:
That’s not data? I’m confused as to why there’s even a discussion at all here. Crap, all I started out doing was defending the comments made by Gwyn Morgan. Comments shared by national newspaper columnists, with supporting gun-related numbers?!?!?!?!?!
The number of gun-related homicides in Toronto practically doubled in one year: 27 vs 51. This is a fact, not a columnist’s opinion. My personal opinion is that this is statistically significant. YMMV.
As of 2004, the most recent stats we have available, the violent crime rate was not increasing. (We have no evidence whatsoever to suggest that the violent crime rate has increased since then)
The number of gun-related homicides (note, we do not know anything about homicides that were not gun-related) in Toronto increased
These together do not for one moment imply that the rate of violent crime is increasing. The possibility I would suggest is that the number of homicides in Toronto has remained approximately the same but that a larger proportion of them are committed with guns than, say, knives or poison or cucumbers, than have been in years past.
You need to find a statistic that says violent crime has increased. Not gun-related homicides.
Either that, or you need to retract what you have repeatedly said about the “truth” of the “fact” that violent crime is increasing.
My two cent’s worth, as a Torontonian: the incidence of violent crime is not increasing; gun homicides make up a very small portion of violent crime; there have been a lot of well-publisized gang-related gun murders in Toronto, more so than in past years, and many of which have been caused by Jamacan gangsters; the actual number of gun murders remains very low, but they are of course very traumatic and noticable events.
I get the impression that it is more of a “news panic” than anything else. The average Torontonian does not walk in fear of being gunned down by Jamacan gangsters, but it would be foolish to ignore that the Jamacan community here has a problem with gangsterism and gun violence - much of which preys on other Jamacans.
The overall murder rate remains quite low, as does the rate of violent crime generally. It is a problem, but one which should not be exaggerated or made subject to hyperbole.
Look, I love Toronto. It’s a great city. (Note my username?) I stated earlier on that overall Toronto is still a relatively safe North American city. The cites and stats I quoted are not from me, obviously. You can find similar comments by Googling.
If anyone out there thinks that “X2” is not statistically significant then they’re dreaming. What if I was to state that the birth rate in Toronto remained constant from 2004 to 2005 but the number of Caesarean births doubled? Would you consider that statistically significant? Of course you would. So, stating the murder rate has remained constant (although it has in fact increased marginally) but gun murders have increased by two-fold and not recognizing the significance is ludicrous.
Something need to be done about gun control in Toronto. Specifically among young, black, Jamaican would-be gang members. End of story.