Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Council debating lifting of gun controls

In a stealth procedural attack, the right-wing at city council has set in motion an attempt to undo gun restrictions in Toronto.

Shortly after council resumed Wednesday morning, councillor Peter Milczyn, a Rob Ford executive committee member and committee chair, said he had an urgent OMB issue.

Council agreed to hear the issue and debate it.

Only after it landed on the agenda was it clear that Milczyn's motion could undo a 2008 bylaw that restricts shooting ranges and the manufacturing of firearms in the City of Toronto.”

Councillor Adam Vaughan said they had been purposefully deceived and demanded speaker Frances Nunziata re-open the vote.

“There's a reason that gun crime and murders in this city are down and you're undoing that,” Vaughan yelled at Ford's chief of staff, Amir Remtulla.

Milczyn said there was no attempt to mislead anybody.

“All I did was bring forward the issue for debate. Its entirely reasonable for us to debate this,” he said.

After the city's 2008 decision, the bylaw was challenged with the OMB. One claim was settled privately. City staff has recommended a settlement with the other.

If council agrees, it will allow shooting ranges and firearm sales in industrial areas in Toronto.

The details were kept confidential and discussed in camera shortly after.

Origin
Source: Toronto Star 

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