Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Being Murdered While Black

When someone tells me that there are no racist police in Canada or that racism is not a problem for immigrants in Canada that person is usually not of a visible minority. I would be one of the first to believe that yes, there is some racism in Canada. However, even I am loathe to concede that the delay in the conclusion of the murder investigation of Chantel Dunn has anything to do with racism.

Dunn vs. Creba [Star]

Jane Creba was shot in broad daylight in one of the busiest intersections of downtown Toronto while shopping in one of the busiest days of the year. She was totally a random figure and was not connected in anyway to the shootings.

Chantel Dunn was killed as she left the darkened Northwood Community Centre near Jane St. and Sheppard Ave. W., on a dead-end street in a quiet residential neighbourhood. She was connected to the killers - the bullet was meant for her boyfriend. And her boyfriend, Shane Morrison - as I suspected when I read the first paragraph - though not a member, was associated with a gang that became divided. Rivalries escalated, and one group shot at the former high school basketball star to send a message. He was hit, but the fatal bullet struck Dunn.

The public outcry that followed Creba's shooting was because the bullet could have hit anyone on that day, and people were outraged at criminals that displayed such brazen disregard for human lives. In comparison, the killers of Dunn clearly aimed at her boyfriend, according to the police.

I am all in support of the black community when they want to complain about racism. However, in Chantel Dunn's case, if you want to blame anyone for the delay in the investigation, blame an uncooperative Morrison. If you want to blame anyone for bringing death to Dunn, blame Morrison.

Moral of the story: Stay away from gangs and gangmembers. They kill.

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8 comments:

Karen said...

This is a sad story, but I agree with you.

I expect Chantel's mother is driven by grief and is looking everywhere for some answer that will give her comfort. Perhaps through the healing of time, she'll become clearer.

While there is no doubt the answer lies with Morrison, and I by no means condone his actions, I can say I have no understanding of what it is to live in that environment of fear.

It is beyond me how the current government sees no merit in investing in programs that target root causes of this and other obvious threats to specific individuals and society at large.

Anonymous said...

Agree as well.

I can't deny perhaps there is a chance that the fact that Ms. Creba was an attractive young White woman played a role in the public outcry over her death, but on the other hand I think the prevalence of racism in Canada and in the police force has been overstated. Take the issue of racial profiling. For example, yes, Blacks are stopped by the police more often than Whites are, but then Whites are stopped more frequently than are Asians. So racism can't be the only thing going on here.

About programs, I have mixed feelings. Obviously Asian youths don't have social programs at their disposal, or at least no more than Whites do, but there doesn't seem to be an overwhelming crime problem among Asians.

I also think a lot of the blame for the Black community's problems can be put at the feet of the so-called honkies (I can use that word because I am one). It was Whites after all who put easy welfare access in place, who glorified drugs (ex. Timothy "Expand Your Consciousness" Leary), and told us disciplining our children was "child abuse."

So that's just my two cents.

Emilia Liz (emilia_e_murphy@yahoo.ca)

Anonymous said...

I have sympathy for Chantel Dunn. According to a story in the Toronto Star, Shane Morrison did have a criminal record, involving guns, drugs, and the assault of a former spouse.

I really don't see what a university student like Dunn was doing with a guy like him, but then again, love is blind.

Emilia Liz

Anonymous said...

The point is all Canadians could find themselves walking Yonge Street shopping for shoes and CDs on Boxing Day. But not all Canadians, a small percentage in fact, could find themselves involved with common criminals and drug dealers. And that's not a black-white issue.

Anonymous said...

Both Creba and Dunn were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The only difference is that in Creba's case there were witnesses willing to come forward and help the police while in Dunn's there weren't. For the sake of the argument, I'll say Dunn's death didn't get as much media attention as Creba's because the former woman was not White, but I very much doubt racism is the reason Dunn's case has taken so much longer to solve.

Emilia Liz

Anonymous said...

If you knew chantel, you would know that she didn't deserve to be killed---chantel's mother never said anything that other people weren't thinking ---it is obvious how far the police will go for a white person to find justice, but will just let the black person's story died out rather than extend the same resources to find their killer---it's not about black or white its about finding "a killer" when did murder become a justifiable thing because of colour

mezba said...

Unfortunately, more and more as I live here, I find myself unable to continue believing there is no racism in law enforcement in Toronto.

Anonymous said...

Well, don't blame the police; blame Morrison who apparently isn't willing to cooperate with them and reveal who might be behind Chantel Dunn's death.