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FREE 03 – 16 MAR 2016 4.05 ARTS . NEWS . ATTITUDE hermaneutics Just the Facts, Ma’am BY HERMAN GOODDEN other a shabby bit of racial harassment – “A spokesperson at the London that recent immigrants hardly have the where, by my lights at least, each of these Muslim Mosque said ‘funerals are be- market cornered in murder-suicides? Do institutions notably failed to carry out ing processed,’ but he wouldn’t provide URING THOSE times when things go their duties in a responsible way. London information about the couple or the cir- pitchforks and go on some kind of ram- spectacularly wrong we have two Police refused to provide proper service cumstances behind the case. At the auto pagethey thinkof intolerance? we’ll flip out And and where take might up our institutions – the police and the - shop, Miriam Tire and Auto Repair, the they get the idea that the Forest City is press – that are supposed to help holding important facts about a murder- sole employee – owner Mahmoud Abdul- full of bigoted hotheads? Perhaps from Dus make sure those wrongs are noted and suicide.in the first And situation in the second by deliberately situation, with rahim – hasn’t been seen since before the addressed and that appropriate meas- The London Free Press grabbed hold of a body was found at the garage.” (London newspaper in London. ures are being taken to put things right. couple reports of moronic name-calling Free Press) reading the finest, daily English language In London recently we have had two and used them to depict our entire city as “One neighbour tells CTV News HE SECOND INCIDENT regarded the incidents – one a major crime and the a hotbed of racial intolerance. the auto shop is named after one of the black American actor, E.B. Smith, in As it was the more serious derelic- dead.” (CTV London) T town to rehearse his performance as tion of duty, let’s start with the February “Abdulrahim, known to neighbours civil rights leader Martin Luther King in 12th murder-suicide in south London as Michele, has a reputation as friendly the Grand Theatre’s widely hailed pro- about which, quite atypically, our police and hard-working. Originally from Syria, duction of The Mountaintop. Smith was have refused to name either the killer or he arrived in Canada many years ago twice accosted with racist slurs when www.londonyodeller.ca his victim. Police Inspector Kevin Heslop and opened the business four years ago, out and about in downtown London in PUBLISHER Bruce Monck [email protected] would only tell the press: “This is a domes- neighbours said. While those who spoke the company of that show’s co-star, Beryl EDITOR Herman Goodden tic-related incident. A male killed a female Bain. Unquestionably it was ugly, regret- [email protected] and then took his own life. We’ve got the table stuff. At least one of these loud- LAYOUT Kirtley Jarvis family here and they are grieving. Obvi- “Just the facts, Ma’am.” mouths had been drinking and admitted EVENTS Alysha Monck ously, this is the worst imaginable scenario. — Joe Friday, Dragnet to Smith: “I talk too much.” [email protected] They don’t want the names to be made I suppose the insults were worthy of CONTRIBUTORS public. We feel we have a strong obligation some sort of public condemnation. My Paula Adamick / Ciara Allen Susan Cassan / Jeff Culbert to the family as well as the community. We own preference when hectored as a ‘shit- Dave Clarke / Shane Delear are providing some information to put con- head’ or an ‘asshole’ in public situations Adam Corrigan Holowitz text to what occurred but we are drawing a – not for the colour of my skin but for Andrew Lawton / Moira McKee Bob McKenzie / Menno Meijer line and saying that going beyond this line riding a bike or refusing to give a pan- Robert Pegg / Jason Rip / Jeffrey Schiller is an invasion of privacy.” handler change or just being in the way Renée Silberman / Sean Twist Is this reticence due to some newly of some halfwit in a hurry – is to exhibit David Warren / Barry Wells generated policy developed by London steely indifference or, if I’m feeling saucy, ADVERTISING & MARKETING Police to spare the tender feelings of the - CITY MEDIA relatives of cold-blooded murderers? I’m ronic outbursts such as Smith received [email protected] sure those relatives are having a perfectly reallyflip them warrant the bird. front But page, do aabove-the-fold couple of mo 519-858-1770 / 888-879-6085 awful time but should such concerns placement as February 4’s top story, ap- Published Bi-Weekly Stamp issued Aug.11, 2009 Next issue: March17, 2016 take precedence over the need of London pearing underneath the banner head- Printed in Bracebridge, ON © 2016 citizens to be given the salient facts about to the Free Press didn’t know the wife’s line, ‘Hate takes centre stage’? The tale a major crime committed in our midst? name, some said they’d seen her occa- of London as a racist cesspool was then MATTHEW TRUEMAN: SEVEN And how odd that we’ve never heard sionally working at the shop and that she picked up by the CBC and other national Hand painted woodcut [detail] of London Police being mealy-mouthed did not appear to speak English.” (London papers and the Free Press continued to ON VIEW at WESTLAND GALLERY March 8 - 26, 2016 about a ‘domestic-related murder-sui- Free Press) bang that drum for the rest of the week RECEPTION: Friday, March 11 at 7:30 PM cide’ in this way before. While no single When one is kept in the dark, when with several follow up articles, editorials ARTIST TALK: Sunday, March 20 at 1:00 PM www.westlandgallery.ca news source has directly over-ridden the the known facts of a story don’t quite add and letters. London Police’s refusal to name names up, one starts to wonder what’s really Are there living in London today FREE 03 – 16 MAR 2016 4.05 ARTS . NEWS . ATTITUDE going on. I can’t help but ask if this was intolerant lowlifes whose kneejerk reac- compile bits gathered from different an honour killing and to wonder if police tions and utterances threaten to lower outlets,or properly you fleshcan piece out the together details, the if youbroad restraint was imposed from somewhere our civic IQ? Undoubtedly. Every town outlines of what went down: higher up the chain of command, perhaps and city has some but in these foolish ac- in the name of multi-cultural sensitivity. tions by our police and our daily newspa- an apartment building at 71 Grand Ave. The known details certainly don’t jibe per – the one withholding facts and the around“Officers 5:30 p.m. were Friday originally afternoon. called to very well with the ‘sunny ways’ being other overblowing them as representa- When they arrived on scene, they found promoted by our current government in tive of London over all – I believe these a woman’s body in the apartment. Hours its drive to bring 25,000 minimally vet- two London institutions are deferring to later around 8:45 p.m. that night, the ted Syrian refugees into the country as and perhaps even feeding the worst in- quickly as possible. stincts of those noxious few. Far better to and Auto Repair Centre at the corner of Have the Police withheld certain take your cue from Sergeant Joe Friday of Highinvestigation and Emery led Streetsofficers where to Miriam a man’s Tire facts because they don’t trust Londoners Dragnet fame and stick to ‘Just the facts, body was found inside.” (880 AM) to receive them responsibly, to recognize Ma’am, just the facts’. 2 the london yodeller 03.03.16 03.03.16 www.londonyodeller.ca 3 [email protected] and Capitol Theatres were COVER TO COVER for observation (no doubt great and should have I don’t know how you strictly following the NHL been restored to their for- do it, but you have yet to legal department’s ‘injured 03 HERMANEUTICS mer glory but alas more of fan’ protocol). Herman Goodden — Our multicultural sensitivities are chipping the city’s history slipped ARTS . NEWS . ATTITUDE 18 FEB — 02 MAR 2016 4.04 FREE I didn’t hear that the away at the coherence of some of our primary social institutions EMILY POST BEGS move along was some- parents were kept for 06 COMMENTARY how wrong, I respectfully the Wright Litho Building observation, although after Jeff Culbert — When did conservatives start to get so scared and YOUR PARDON disagree. Folks who have onthrough Wellington our fingers. St. and Now the reading the social media angry? [Re: The Charter of Rights & been accosted are trou- beautiful old library on comments, public opinion 07 LAYING DOWN THE LAWTON Freedom & Etiquette, Letter to the bled when they see people Queens St. are two more Courtesy Sheila Curnoe suggests perhaps they Andrew Lawton — Cap and trade: Premier Wynne chucks yet Editor from Mohamed Hammoud, hanging around, sitting on examples of architectural AR should have been. The baby another spanner at the Ontario economy Feb. 18] the sidewalk or panhan- gems that have been left : C 08 COMMENTARY Mr. Hammoud — In dling. It is not good for to rot. It saddens me RNOE released. The family gets Susan Cassan — The common denominator between political CU protesting to the long business and so it is per- to think of all the great freeis fine tickets and has to a since game been and upheavals in Europe and the US? Mistrust of the government REG suffering Emily Post that fectly understandable that architecture that could G 09 ESSAYS IN IDLENESS wearing the niqab, the a business would want have been saved, making But wait it gets bet- The irreplaceable Justice Antonin Scalia insisted on disappoint me with your David Warren — burka and other dress is fifteen minutes of fame.