Sunday, January 25, 2009
Charles Leblanc
CANADA
New Brunswick blogger Charles LeBlanc was arrested in June 2006 while taking photos of demonstrators outside a conference in Saint John, the only known instance of an imprisoned blogger in Canada. LeBlanc spent four hours in jail and was later acquitted of all charges. One of the arresting officers had testified that LeBlanc was targeted for arrest because he looked “scruffy” and his digital camera appeared unprofessional.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Marvin's war ended at 4:23 PM. Highway to hell
KILLDOZER
Go Marvin, a man of action, just don’t piss him off!
52 year old welder Marvin Heemeyer lived in Grunbee
vehicle mufflers. His small repair shop was located near a concrete
factory called
owners of
people living near-by to sell their land to
Sooner or later the factory's neighbors gave up, except for Marvin.
Having tried every way possible, the owners of the factory failed to
acquire his land. However all the surrounding land was now owned by
the factory, which resulted in Marvin's shop getting cut off from the
rest of the world.
Marvin tried everything in his powers to restore justice. Obviously, the
city council and other politicians of the state were on the factory
owners' evil capitalist side.
It's not surprising that Marvin lost the case to the owners, in court.
After that Marvin was also given a $2500 fine for not having a
connected sewer line. When paying the fine, Marvin attached a note to
the check and ticket that read "Cowards".
He was just one of those who would not give up.
On the 4th of June, 2004 during a rainy day Marvin rolled out into
town on a bulldozer reinforced with metal sheets.
He started with the
concrete factory,
destroying building
after building, until
the factory was
demolished. Then it
was the city council's
turn followed by the
town hall, then the
bank, the public
library, the fire
station, a warehouse,
the local paper and other buildings belonging to the mayor.
Having tried to stop Heemeyer, the police finally understood that
Marvin's bulldozer was unstoppable. More than 200 bullets were fired
at the vehicle, causing no harm at all. The police force then decided to
battle the titan with hand grenades. Once again their efforts were
useless. Later a vehicle rigged with explosives was put in Marvin's path
to destruction; it also had little luck in stopping him.
Marvin returned fire using two semi-automatic .23 caliber rifles and a
single .50 caliber semi-automatic rifle through specially designed holes
in the vehicle's
front, left and
right sides.
All the police
were able to do,
was evacuate
1500 inhabitants
(the town's
population was
2200) and block
all the roads,
including a
federal highway
that lead to the
town.
Marvin's war ended at 4:23 PM.
Having just finished
destroying the
Gambles Mall, the
bulldozer suddenly
stopped. The only
thing that could be
heard coming form
Marvin’s death
machine was smoke
out of a damaged
radiator.
At first the police officers were too afraid to approach the thing. Trying
to get Marvin out of his fortress, they had to make a hole in the armor.
When they finally got through, Marvin was already dead. He wasn't
going to get into the enemy's hands alive.
Despite the great damage to property (13 buildings were destroyed,
most requiring hundreds of thousands of dollars to be replaced), no
one besides Heemeyer was injured; observers noted that Heemeyer
appeared to go out of his way to avoid injury to bystanders.
The governor said that the city looked as if a tornado had just gone
through.
Later an investigation was carried out. It was discovered that Marvin's
creation was so strong that even a powerful artillery blow would only
cause minor damage. The bulldozer was totally covered in sheet metal,
with each piece being at least half an inch thick. In places, the
vehicle's armor was over one foot thick, consisting of concrete
sandwiched between sheets of steel to make ad-hoc composite armor.
To fit the
bulldozer with
this shell,
Marvin had to
use a self-made
crane.
"Lowering the
protective
armor onto the
vehicle, Marvin knew he wouldn't be able to get out"- said police
officials.
Marvin packed the interior with supplies such as water, food, ammo
and a gasmask. To control the killdozer, Marvin used 3 monitors and a
couple of video cameras. In an event of the cameras being blinded by
dust, they were fitted with air compressors.
It took Marvin 2 months to design the Killdozer, and according to
sources, 1.5 years to build it.
"He was a fine lad", - said the people that were close to Marvin. "They
shouldn't have made him angry". "If he was your friend, he was your
best friend. And if he was your enemy, well he was your worst and
most dangerous enemy." - said Marvin’s friends.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
part Two
The big Tobacco Companies raised their tobacco product prices twice over the last two years. Is it just a coincidence that the extra profits raked in adds up to more than the fines imposed? Why does the punishment not fit the crime? Why did the criminal tobacco company exectives that masterminded the plot walk free but the tobacco farmers and their communites are the only ones who are going to suffer the penalties? What if this does not satisfy the debt to banks? WHY are the hundreds of social, civic and legal rights groups hiding their heads in the sand on this undervalued lawsuit and two tiered injustice carried out?
After three years of MP Diane Finley stating she is working hard on the tobacco file exit plan for tobacco farmers comes months of the absolute "NO" word for a buyout! Then out of the blue came the announcement, go to the Delhi Tobacco Auction Centre, Agriculture Minister and other MP’s will make an announcement (Aug. 01/08) to tobacco farmers. Federal Minister Ritz stated that part of the court fine imposed would be used as the federal protion of a qouta buyout. With the provincial portion this would make a payment of $1.74 total. "No strings attached!"? With the ooh’s, aah’s, no’s and boo’s tobacco farmers felt the insulting stinging slap across their face.
The Federal government has had individual private meetings with the Tobacco Companies on the tobacco file during the past two years while their lawsuit was in the courts. Is this legal or ethical? My hypothetical question is this, could a person think that $10 billion dollars may have changed hands under a boardroom table in private meetings? The court could have levied a $2 billion dollar higher fine on the tobacco companies. The feds could have given tobacco farmers a decent honourable exit plan of one billion dollars. One billion dollars could have went to the province of Ontario as compensation.
When Diane Finley was running in the last election, people were extolling her virtues. After she got elected, it was always, I am working hard on the tobacco file. Two seconds later she told farmers they had to serve their customers needs (tobacco companies). This is the last election that I will vote on. The old expression "If you do not vote, you get the government you deserve". I vote in every election but this is not the government treatment I as a Canadian Farmer needs or my community deserves. If the Haldimand-Norfolk PC Constituency Association thinks or agrees with this unjustifiable kind of two tier justice of treating criminals better than its follow citizens, then they can go to hell! Unlike the lucky tobacco companies, my famlies life and lots of others will never be normal again thanks to Daine Finley’s failure to perform! With this punitive arbitrary payment, Diane Finley let the tobacco communities down. I am disapointed in her leadership as a cabinet Minister of Canada!
Regards,
John E. Cowan,
R. R. # 1 Vittoria,
Ont. N0E 1W0
519-426-4803
Scales of Justice
Which high ranking Canadian Government Conservative Party member tipped the scales of justice in favour of Imperial Tobacco vs Government of Canada and Rothmans Benson & Hedges vs Government of Canada on customs charges in connection with aiding illegal contraband tobacco sales? The tobacco companies pleaded guilty to the charges against them. The tobacco companies agreed to pay as much as $1.15 billion in fines and civil payments in connection with aiding illegal contraband tobacco sales.
The settlement should have been for 6 billion per year for 10 years (minimum)! The RCMP’s costs for eight years of investigation, legal fees and court costs could be more than the fine levied. WHO manipulated the calculations in the pursuance on this file? WHO gave the Tobacco Company executives get out of jail-free cards? What happened with the anti-smoking tobacco groups’ venomous wailing? All the anti-tobacco groups did was post the news release of the court settlement on their Web Sites around the world. WHO put velcro on the lips of these groups to keep their mouths locked shut? Did someone from the Prime Minister’s Office threaten to slash their budgets again? No more international airplane vacations for anti-smoking conventions in exotic places around the world? No more plush executive offices? No more big expense accounts for fine dining? No glittering gold chain watch? No freedom 55 retirement package? Please ask Garfield Mahood of the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association (416-928-2900) why! It appears that the Tobacco Companies had their wish list granted with this civil settlement. By whom, I am asking? A "piss in the ocean" fine from their profits! Fifteen years to pay the fines! No jail time for the masterminds. Good going Howard. The big Tobacco Companies proudly flaunted their 2007 year-end profits. Nothing has changed to interrupt the Tobacco Companies’ operations or profits in Canada or worldwide. The illegal black market will only flourish. Guess who supplies the tobacco product for it today?
Again, I am asking WHO put their finger on the scales of justice and interfered by tampering to give a lenient, benevolent deal for the big tobacco companies contrived scheme carried out? Are there no investigative reporters that cannot inhale the odour from the aggrandized press release statements of Gordon O’Connor and Mike Cabana. Maybe another cabinet minister will fall like Maxime Berbier if a person digs in the right spot! Second part of letter on civil injustice carried out on tobacco farmers to follow.
Regards,
John E. Cowan,
