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TABLE OF CONTENTS Video Summary & Related Content 3 Video Review 4 Before Viewing 5 While Viewing 6 Talk Prompts 9 After Viewing 12 The Story 15 Activity #1: “The Year of the Gun” Photo Essay 23 Activity #2: Take Action to Prevent Gun Violence 25 Sources 27 CREDITS News in Review is produced by Visit www.curio.ca/newsinreview for an archive of all CBC NEWS and curio.ca previous News In Review seasons. As a companion resource, go to www.cbc.ca/news for additional GUIDE articles. Writer: Chris Coates Editor: Sean Dolan CBC authorizes reproduction of material contained VIDEO in this guide for educational purposes. Please Host: Michael Serapio identify source. Senior Producer: Jordanna Lake News In Review is distributed by: Packaging Producer: Marie-Hélène Savard curio.ca | CBC Media Solutions Associate Producer: Francine Laprotte Supervising Manager: Laraine Bone © 2018 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation UNDER THE GUN: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence Video duration – 14:25 In 2018 Canada’s largest city, Toronto, saw a massive increase in gun violence on its streets. Shootings were frequent and often flagrant, taking place in broad daylight and near children’s playgrounds. The numbers were so high it had people worried that gun deaths in 2018 would surpass that of the so-called “Summer of the Gun” back in 2005. Police, politicians, social advocates and residents all made suggestions on what was needed to decrease the gun violence. But the solutions remain as contentious as the problem. RELATED CONTENT • News in Review, January 2006 – Guns and Gangs: Toronto Fights Back • News in Review, February 2006 – Gang Wars: Bloodbath in Vancouver • News in Review, November 2008 – A Community Fights Gangs and Guns • News in Review, April 2013 – U.S. Gun Debate • Treating gun violence as a public health issue could save lives • Walk Good curio.ca/newsinreview / 3 VIDEO REVIEW curio.ca/newsinreview / 4 BEFORE VIEWING NOTE TO TEACHERS: The classroom must promote a safe place for students “Technological progress has merely provided us with more to discuss sensitive issues such as efficient means for going backwards.” violence and death. Prepare students - Aldous Huxley for the topics that will be discussed. Allow for individual reflective time in As a class or in small groups, consider the following: addition to small group activities where students can safely process 1. To what extent do you agree with Huxley’s statement their thoughts and emotions. about technology? How can a form of progress (like television or a smartphone) also lead individuals and society in the wrong direction? 2. In Greek mythology, the titan Prometheus (whose name comes from a Greek word for “forethought”) makes humankind from clay and defies the gods by giving them fire. While Prometheus’s gift enables progress and civilization, it also leads to destruction. Thus, this myth serves as a lesson about the duality of technology, which both helps and harms us. Brainstorm a list of important inventions (a minimum of five) and, for each, create a T-chart in which you list their advantages and disadvantages. Share your findings with your classmates. Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 5 WHILE VIEWING 1. By November 2018, there were more than 350 shootings and 45 gun-related deaths in Toronto. TRUE or FALSE? 2. Toronto Mayor, John Tory, believes the solution to escalating gun violence in the city is: a) More arrests b) Increasing officer numbers and police surveillance cameras c) Increasing spending on police technology d) Changing the racial composition of the city’s prison and rehabilitation staff 3. Zya Brown, founder of Think 2wice, believes the best way to address gun violence is: a) More arrests b) Increasing officer numbers c) Having former gang members mentor inmates before and after their release from jail d) Redirecting police officers away from non-emergency calls toward patrolling at-risk communities Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 6 4. TAVIS, the police task force launched in the summer of 2005, was controversial because: a) It relied heavily on police spot checks like “carding” b) It disturbed more affluent neighbourhoods c) It cost $2 million and added 200 officers to the streets d) It violated some citizens’ Charter Rights 5. TAVIS had a clear, positive impact on gun violence in the city of Toronto. TRUE or FALSE? 6. Which of the following locations was a site for gun-related violence in Toronto in 2018? a) The Danforth b) Yorkdale Mall c) Across the street from the CNE d) All of the above 7. Most of the handguns used in violent crimes on Canada’s streets are smuggled across the border from the U.S. TRUE or FALSE? Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 7 8. According to Louis March, founder of Zero Gun Violence Movement, 2018 differs from the “summer of the gun” in 2005 because: a) There have been fewer deaths b) Many gangs in Toronto police’s “high priority” neighborhoods have disbanded c) There are now more guns that are considerably more powerful d) Jobs are now harder to get than guns 9. Which of the following is a proposed solution to this year’s spike in gun violence? a) More officers b) Gun control c) Increased resources for communities and police d) All of the above Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 8 TALK NEW PROMPTS curio.ca/newsinreview / 9 TALK PROMPT #1 Pause the video after John Tory says, “We have to redouble our efforts to make sure we get these gangsters, round them up, get them off the street.” 1. Who is Tory speaking about? Is it that simple? 2. What are some of the problems with arresting people who possess and use handguns? 3. Does this address the issue of escalating gun violence effectively? TALK PROMPT #2 Pause the video for discussion after Zya Brown says, “The majority of the young people that are in jail are either native Indian or black, but all the staff, the counsellors, the programmes’ officers, the wardens, the management, they’re all white.” 1. What does Brown suggest is the real issue at play? 2. What does this have to do with the issue of escalating gun violence? Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 10 TALK PROMPT #3 Pause the video after Ian Hanomansing says, “Whether Toronto’s strategy was responsible for reducing the gun violence is not clear, but TAVIS was disbanded last year and Ontario’s premier campaigned on a promise to bring it back.” 1. What are the pros and cons of carding? 2. Is this an effective strategy in combatting gun violence in the city? TALK PROMPT #4 Pause the video after Mike McCormack, President of the Toronto Police Association (TPA), says, “What I want is meaningful, tangible acts that are going to have a real impact on people going out there, committing murders and using firearms in public places.” He said this in response to a call for a ban on handguns. 1. Why do you think the President of the TPA would not favour a ban on handguns as a solution to the problem of escalating violence? Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 11 AFTER VIEWING Your teacher will tell you that an issue is a people’s aspirations for a more desirable future complex problem that: and they generate a range of feelings, including • Requires a solution and has many different surprise, shock, concern, anger or anxiety, which sides is why we have conflict in society. Issues are • Involves some dispute complex because there are no simple answers. • Has become a matter of concern to many Issues are interrelated because they have many people. implications. Not least, they are controversial because they divide people based on their For example, somebody being shot is a problem; personal experience and worldview. escalating gun violence in Toronto is an issue. Issues arise because of disagreements about TASK 1. Form a group of four and visit MindMup, a digital mind-mapping app, found at: www.mindmup.com Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 12 • Create a new mind map and write “Escalating Gun Violence in Toronto” in the text box in the centre of your document. • For each of the following categories, brainstorm three to five (3-5) impacts stemming from the issue of escalating gun violence in Toronto. Use these definitions to help you: o Political Impacts: Having to do with power and control and involving any organization that designs, administers and makes judgments about rules or control. o Social Impacts: Having to do with interpersonal relationships or relationships among communities o Cultural Impacts: Having to do with beliefs, values, rituals, norms and traditions. o Economic Impacts: Involving the impact on the financial well-being of the location involved. • After you have noted all of your ideas in the document, share your MindMup with your classmates. Under the Gun: Toronto's War Against Firearm Violence curio.ca/newsinreview / 13 It seems to me that the point of jail is just to put them in a cage and have them come out of our hair. The majority of the young people that are in prison are either native Indian or black, but all the staff, the counsellors, the programmes' officers, the wardens, the management, they're all white. – Zya Brown, Founder, Think 2wice THE STORY 2. Post your article on the classroom walls in the Minds On designated areas set up by 1.