The politically motivated vandalism appears to be continuing in Toronto. Despite massive police presence, tires are still being slashed, grafitti and hate messages are appearing and voters are unfortunately being intimidated.
Areas Toronto Center, and Davenport are now also reporting that Liberal supporters cars are having tires slashed. NDP and Green Party signs are also being defaced and destroyed. While candidates explain that they do expect a few signs to go missing or be destroyed each day or night, the campaign has begun to take a hateful turn.
All Party leaders and their candidates are unilaterally decrying the vandalism. While no one points blame at any other party, an assault on one is an assault on our own democracy. Intimidation at the freedom of speech, and the freedom to exercise civil right should be met with stringent repercussions for the perpetrators. I was in a debate with a friend earlier tonight, who thought of the damage in terms of a dollar value. And while yes, repairing and replacing a set of tires is at most fifteen hundred dollars, the slashing of our democracy is a blow to Canadians everywhere, who we are and what we stand for.
The people out there who lack the way to express their frustration and only resort to physical damage and gross intimidation should be tried and punished as a hate crime on democracy.
CBC Article on Continuing Vandalism
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/04/23/cv-election-vandalism.html
Toronto Star Article on the Vandalism
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/979602--election-vandalism-spreads
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