Taber AB bans swearing and public assembly at police discretion

[Derek Sutton]

I pretty much hate fm radio but this host (Kim Johnston MY96)from Medicine Hat nails it. Radio banter ends and issue addressed at 2:30
https://soundcloud.com/kimjohnstonmh...-is-being-said

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

I think it has been pointed out that the swearing and spitting are on the books in other towns and cities; making fun of that part is silly.

Wait, the fact that you can point to other instances of someone doing the same crazy thing renders it "silly" to criticize? By what convoluted logic? If other municipalities have instituted stiff fines for swearing and spitting, I'm fine criticizing those measures as well.

If the bylaws are unconstitutional, then I imagine they won't last long. I see a town council down there in a siege mentality.

I imagine likewise! But the better point I think is that town council should be getting good advice about what they can and cannot do, and avoid passing clearly unconstitutional nonsense like this in the first place. It's a waste of time and money and is embarrassing.

Oh yeah, God forbid that the police officers follow Canadian laws and protocols when dealing with citizens when it's so much more convenient to just take away the rights they are granted in the Charter of Rights.

It's amazing how many people seem to think this "policies that align with the constitution are just too much of a hassle" perspective is a reasonable attitude though.

[Erick Estrada]

As an Albertan I find this very embarrassing.

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

One view from Taber:

http://tysthinkins.blogspot.ca/2015/...bylaw.html?m=1

"We're not racist but they're brown and different from us so that's a problem."

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

I pretty much hate fm radio but this host (Kim Johnston MY96)from Medicine Hat nails it. Radio banter ends and issue addressed at 2:30
https://soundcloud.com/kimjohnstonmh...-is-being-said

Oh my god that is embarrassing. Nothing but stereotyping and generalizations.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

There's a problem, or at the very least extremely poor word choice. It's not their parks any more than it's the Mexican Mennonites', if the Mexicans want to use them peacefully and the other Taber residents are uncomfortable being around them, #### the bigoted Taber residents.


Oh yeah, God forbid that the police officers follow Canadian laws and protocols when dealing with citizens when it's so much more convenient to just take away the rights they are granted in the Charter of Rights.


Prior to reading this, I just assumed it was an overzealous police force in a rural town looking to stop no-good teenagers. Now, if this writer can be believed, it comes down to a racist town trying to chase out a group of people they are "uncomfortable" being around.

The issue for many is that they are not using the public spaces "peacefully"

You use bigot and racist, and I am sure there are those in Taber. However, do you define Canadians who left Canada 80-90 years ago and their children and grandchildren have now returned to Canada as another race? Most of the Mennonites I have met in Taber and Grassy lakes are not a different race.

Obviously the town council has erred. It is my belief though that they were concerned with crime and drugs, not racism and religious bigotry. There are all kinds of religions down there, for me it makes no difference that they are Mennonite.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

The issue for many is that they are not using the public spaces "peacefully"

No, in the sentence I quoted he said that "[b]ecause we don't understand them, we are uncomfortable joining them."

Originally Posted by Aeneas

You use bigot and racist, and I am sure there are those in Taber. However, do you define Canadians who left Canada 80-90 years ago and their children and grandchildren have now returned to Canada as another race? Most of the Mennonites I have met in Taber and Grassy lakes are not a different race.

Obviously the town council has erred. It is my belief though that they were concerned with crime and drugs, not racism and religious bigotry. There are all kinds of religions down there, for me it makes no difference that they are Mennonite.

Funny that it's called the "Mennonite Problem" though, eh?

If they are concerned with crimes and drugs, and alcohol and litter, and whatever else they wouldn't be the first police force to have this issue. If large group of youths are getting together and doing drugs, destroying property, pissing on the street and having public sex at the exact same time every week and the police force is just to lazy to bust them, that's police incompetency that goes beyond any sort of reality. The person was clear that they just don't want to be "uncomfortable" around too many minorities - who may or may not be up to no good. At least that was his stance.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

The issue for many is that they are not using the public spaces "peacefully"

You use bigot and racist, and I am sure there are those in Taber. However, do you define Canadians who left Canada 80-90 years ago and their children and grandchildren have now returned to Canada as another race? Most of the Mennonites I have met in Taber and Grassy lakes are not a different race.

Obviously the town council has erred. It is my belief though that they were concerned with crime and drugs, not racism and religious bigotry. There are all kinds of religions down there, for me it makes no difference that they are Mennonite.

It makes sense, seeing as Canada has no existing laws to deal with drug crime.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

I pretty much hate fm radio but this host (Kim Johnston MY96)from Medicine Hat nails it. Radio banter ends and issue addressed at 2:30
https://soundcloud.com/kimjohnstonmh...-is-being-said

"Kay? Right? Know what I'm talking about?"

Yeah broseph, pretty sure we get it. Good lord what a tool. "I can say whatever I want because my grandma was from Mexico". Wow.

[Dentoman]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

However, do you define Canadians who left Canada 80-90 years ago and their children and grandchildren have now returned to Canada as another race? Most of the Mennonites I have met in Taber and Grassy lakes .

I'm impressed that you have actually met Mennonites from Taber and Grassy Lake. I lived in both places as a child. Directions to Grassy Lake are "Go to nowhere and turn right".

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

As an Albertan I find this very embarrassing.

As a human I find this very embarrassing.

[Dentoman]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

"Kay? Right? Know what I'm talking about?"

Yeah broseph, pretty sure we get it. Good lord what a tool. "I can say whatever I want because my grandma was from Mexico". Wow.

His rant was wrong on many levels. A significant portion of the youth he talks about would be born in Canada and have spent very little, if any, time in Mexico.
I have known many Mexican Mennonite people over the years. The generalizations he makes are ridiculous.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by AcGold

Not allowed public assembly? Pretty sure that makes it fascism regardless of whatever justification is given.

Pretty sure it doesn't.
Also, I'm pretty sure you don't really know what Fascism is.

[Puppet Guy]

Spitting's a $75 fine, but evidently vomiting is still free.

[J epworth]

I think many laypeople are picturing something completely different when the term "Mexican Mennonite" comes up. Would anyone think these people are anything but Canadian if you saw them in a small town in Alberta?

[Dentoman]

I would think a large portion of the men you would not be able to pick out anymore. Women, more likely, due to dress and head coverings of some sort, but maybe not much anymore either.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Dentoman

His rant was wrong on many levels. A significant portion of the youth he talks about would be born in Canada and have spent very little, if any, time in Mexico.
I have known many Mexican Mennonite people over the years. The generalizations he makes are ridiculous.

Many in the area can validate what he said. The mass influx to Southern AB only would have started in the in the mid 2000's, I believe "youth" would be reffering to the 30 something crowd and younger as this is the age group where the problems generally lie. Many of them also travel back to Mexico during the winter months as seasonal employment is the norm for them in the Taber area. Many children do not attend school unless they are in the Grassy Lake area where they have their own school thet can go to. It is not uncommon for the adults to be english illiterat.

I've had a lot of interaction with the Mexican Mennonites, we had a rental out there for many years and had many M+M tennants, we lived right next door and never had a problem with any of the. They always paid their rent on time and would pay two- three months at a time in the winter as they often returned home, tehy were good neighboors. We also never had a problem renting the place out as if one was leaving they always had a sister or cousin or aunt lined up to move in. The tennants we had, Men and Women both were hard working, kept a nice home and valued their friends and family like no other. The problem is that in small rural areas, (and Taber would be considered a large one by Souther Ab standards) where volunteers have built and maintained the parks, playgrounds and communitty is king, the Mennonite communnty does not contribute the same way as the locals who reside(d) there, this is why they are treated differently, and would be considered discrimminated against.

[Dentoman]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Many in the area can validate what he said. The mass influx to Southern AB only would have started in the in the mid 2000's, I believe "youth" would be reffering to the 30 something crowd and younger as this is the age group where the problems generally lie.

I agree with your point about the "30 something crowd". They would have experience growing up in Mexico and would have some of the issues the radio host pointed out .... but I definitely question his generalizations.
Mexican Mennonites have been coming back and forth as long as I can remember ... but definitely not in the numbers presently seen.

The difficult thing is that the Mexican Mennonite culture is based on isolation, not assimilation.

[Aeneas]

Originally Posted by Dentoman

I'm impressed that you have actually met Mennonites from Taber and Grassy Lake. I lived in both places as a child. Directions to Grassy Lake are "Go to nowhere and turn right".

I lived there as a child also, and visit occasionally.
We are probably related.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Aeneas

I lived there as a child also, and visit occasionally.
We are probably related.

Aren't you on the left in that picture above?