Post 231--Bolan's Gangsters (1)

Gangsters are still on my mind from the last post. No surprise, for they are often on my mind, especially when I read the newspapers. My favourite daily, The Vancouver Sun, has a columnist who covers the gangster front—Kim Bolan. Though I do not always agree with her and at one time in an email she called me something close to “idiot”—or so I felt about it, but I appreciate her writings and fail to read her column only if I have a bad day and don’t read the paper at all.

In this crazy world of litigation at the slightest instigation at all, I want to make sure no one accuses me of claiming Bolan own or controls gangs. These gangs are not Bolan's. Titles are meant to draw people's attention and I hope this one does.

Kim is not the only author to write on gangs and not all her articles are in the Vancouver Sun.  So, some of the articles linked here are by reporters instead of Kim the columnist, like Nick Eagland and Matt Robinson; some are in other papers like The Province. All that sort of information is clearly marked below.

But before I go further, I am reminded of the introductory paragraph at the heading of this blog.  There I explain that the title of this blog, “My World—My Neighbour,” is a summary of Jesus’ teaching that everyone in this world is my neighbour, whom I have to love, care for and about. How can I square this with the rather rough attitude I am displaying towards gangsters and their culture of violence and money?  Perhaps you’ve already wondered about that. Perhaps you even accuse me of contradictions or, worse, of hypocrisy. I am bringing this up at this point to let you know I am aware of this issue. I plan to address it before long. In the meantime, feel free to write me about it and help me think it through. 

Returning to Kim, sometimes her column is the only one I read. My wife, Fran or Frances (she prefers the short version; I, the longer), often cuts out articles for me if she knows I’m interested and I don’t have the time.  Bolan’s articles never escape Fran’s scissors. So, they are piling up in a box along with others.  But today is their day. I’m going to treat you to some of Bolan’s brain waves by means of links to some of her articles. Note well:  some, not all. And note also that, unless indicated otherwise, the dates behind the titles are of the Vancouver Sun.

As you read, check on the commonalities of these stories. What do they have in common?  What marks their culture?  And what of their pleas in court?  What are they asking?

This is only the beginning. I won’t bore you with too many data all at once, but I do intend to bring you more of this stuff. This is serious and only regularly reading these items, story after story, will it sink into your brain, heart and emotions. Allow it do that to you over time, and I think you will find your indignation and anger growing as you go till finally you may demand radical changes in the way these hoodlums are treated by the justice system. At the end you may well come to ask who are the most responsible for creating this violence and chaos—the gangsters themselves or the nation’s justice system. So, you will be thrown a lot of ugly stories as well as pleas for mercy and questions. You’ve got work coming up! 

Kim Bolan, “Police monitor rise of more puppet clubs.”  Hells Angels allegedly pulling the strings of certain less-established bike gangs. July 23, 2018 (p. A3). https://www.google.ca/searchq=Kim+Bolan+police+monitor+rise+of+more+puppet+clubs&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=Kim+Bolan++police+monitor+rise+of+more+puppet+clubs&aqs=chrome..69i57.25721j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Here you learn a lot about gang culture, including a hierarchy of clubs with Hells Angels at the very top. The ones lower down take the brunt of dangerous jobs. The motor cycling tours may seem like fun, but they are putting themselves AND their families at risk. There are serious consequences.  Police are monitoring them all carefully, making sure everyone is safe.  Why the police should be guarding these dumb wits against themselves is a big puzzle to me. Why should I pay taxes to protect those fools?    

Kim Bolan, “Real Scoop: Police concerned about rise of the HA puppets.”July 22, 2018. https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/real-scoop-police-concerned-about-rise-of-the-ha-puppets

An introduction to various gangs on the BC coast. 

Nick Eagland, “Deported gangster arrested in India for alleged drug production.” June 19, 2018. https://www.google.ca/searchq=Kim+bolan+deported+gangster+arrested+in+india+for+alleged&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=Kim+bolan+deported+gangster+arrested+in+india+for+alleged&aqs=chrome..69i57.50560j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Nick Eagland, “”’Wake Up Surrey’ pleads for help in tackling gang violence.” June 14, 2018 (p. A8).https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/surrey-residents-rise-against-violence-in-wake-of-shooting-deaths-of-two-teens?video_autoplay=true

Kim Bolan, “Firefighters’ biker club founder poses with Hells Angels.” Public safety minister calls the alleged association more than a bit disturbing. June 5, 2018 (p. A3). https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+firefighters%27+biker+club+founder+posese+with+hells+angels&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan+firefighters%27+biker+club+founder+posese+with+hells+angels&aqs=chrome..69i57.43481j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The concern here is the penetration of gangsters into government agencies.

Kim Bolan, “Feds appeal immigration order freeing gunman.  Ministry objects to board decision to release gangster pending deportation.” April 26, 2018.  https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+feds+appear+immigration+order+freeing+gunman&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan+feds+appear+immigration+order+freeing+gunman&aqs=chrome..69i57.19521j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kim Bolan, “Hells Angels civil forfeiture trial begins in BC Supreme Court.” April 24, 2018 (p. A5).  https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+hells+angels+civil+forfeiture+trial+begins&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan+hells+angels+civil+forfeiture+trial+begins&aqs=chrome..69i57.81737j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kim Bolan,  “Guilty pleas expected in Bacon murder. Three men charged in 2011 gang shooting in front of Kelowna hotel reach plea bargain on lesser charges.” The Province,  April 22, 2018 (p. 4). https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+guilty+please+expected+in+Bacon+case&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan+guilty+please+expected+in+Bacon+case&aqs=chrome..69i57.24648j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kim Bolan, “UN gang associate released over border agency’s objections.” The Province, April 22, 2018 (p. 4).  https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+UN+gang+associate+released+over+border&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan+UN+gang+associate+released+over+border&aqs=chrome..69i57.25889j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kim Bolan, “Guilty pleas on lesser charges expected in Bacon murder case.” April 21, 2018 (p. A4). https://www.google.ca/searchq=Kim+Bolan%2C+%E2%80%9CGuilty+pleas+on+lesser+charges+expected+in+Bacon+murder+case&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=Kim+Bolan%2C+%E2%80%9CGuilty+pleas+on+lesser+charges+expected+in+Bacon+murder+case&aqs=chrome..69i57.83520j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Kim Bolan,  “Gang Associate to be released as he awaits deportation to Iraq.”  April 21, 2018 (p. A6).  https://www.google.ca/searchq=kim+bolan+gang+associate+to+be+released+as+he+awaits&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan++gang+associate+to+be+released+as+he+awaits&aqs=chrome..69i57.27927j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Post 223--Gentleman Law vs Foreign Thugs

One of the topics on which I collect data, especially newspapers, and even more especially, The Vancouver Sun.  One of the columnists I follow on this topic in that paper is Kim Bolan. She does a great job of reporting on all the shenanigans of criminals, especially gangsters.  Did I use the term "shenanigans?"  That's way to mild a word. These guys are thugs, murderers, professional murderers. For them human life has no meaning or value.  Money, power, lifestyle and girls are more important to them than anything else. If someone stands in their way along one of these lines, they do not hesitate to kill.  Either they do the killing themselves or they'll pay someone to do it for them.  

Now it's bad enough to have local boys engage in all this, people born in the country, but I consider it even more intolerable for immigrants or refugees turn into criminals and gangsters.  I am in no way suggesting that there is a disproportionate number of that scum among criminals and gangsters; that they harbour more than their share of those pigs. I am an immigrant myself and I know that the vast majority of us are industrious citizens that are eager to contribute to Canadian society.  But there are some and I have no use for them.  In fact, I promote the denial of human rights and protection to them.  

I once wrote to Kim Bolan that all members of gangs should be considered free from the law's protection. They have chosen a life of violence and the police and other security bodies are spending fortunes in terms of time, resources and money on these idiot. In the meantime, the killing goes, not infrequently even victimizing innocent people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Kim seemed to be horrified at this barbaric proposals. Absolutely, we don't want to go there, she "yelled" at me in writing. I suggested this once to a retired policeman who similarly reacted very negatively. Perhaps he was trying to protect the interest of the police establishment, for I saw no other good reason for his rejection of the proposal.  

Anyway, I am going to leave you with a link to the latest article from Kim to show you how confused the various government entities are with regard to these barbarians. It's ridiculous, nothing short of it. They obviously have no clear ideas or, perhaps, courage, when it comes to dealing with that underworld. In addition they are hampered by a lot of laws that tend to be contradictory or, at the very least confusing. Gentlemen laws cannot cope with thugs without moral or conscience.  

The title of her piece is "Federal court stays order releasing gangster gunman." The link is:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=kim+bolan+federal+court+stays+order+releasing+gangster+gunman&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA658CA662&oq=kim+bolan++federal+court+stays+order+releasing+gangster+gunman&aqs=chrome..69i57.20407j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 I will have more to say about this in the next blog. If you've been with me a long time, you may remember some of the things I wrote in times gone by.  You're likely to get some more of the same. 

  

Post 194--Meditation by Labyrinth

Like most other cities on North America's west coast, Vancouver is a chillingly secular city. Nevertheless, we live in its central West End and are quite surrounded by churches that range from outright liberal to  Evangelical that in turn range from the classical to the mushroom variety that meets behind various facades, though nothing like store fronts. They are peopled by highly educated  and relatively well-to-do young people.  One of the more liberal is St. Paul's Anglican just two blocks down the street from us, one that we pass on average twice a week.  

It's an unusual church. For one thing, its over-a-century-old building is designated a heritage building by the city. Its exterior consists of maroon-painted cedar shingles, not a facade still common in the city. It is well maintained with its gracious appearance and, unlike the recently razed  modern United Church just a couple of blocks away, it appears well attended and is under no threat of coming down. Typical of our liberal churches here, it plays an active part in our downtown culture. 

Example:  More than twenty years ago, before we arrived here, our West End was inundated by pimps and prostitutes that so dominated the streets and traffic that the residents complained enough for the city to install all kinds of traffic calmers and other obstacles such as one-way streets, unexpected diversions, dead ends and cul-de-sacs. The police moved in and hassled prostitutes as well as their clients that eventually they moved out of the area to go who knows where, probably the Down Town East Side, known as the country's poorest postal code just a couple of clicks away. Sanity returned and the people were happy.  

Twenty years later, the dominant spiritual and social attitude had changed. Forces within the community instilled a sense of guilt for driving away that trade. Its practitioners were now seen as victims of circumstances not of their choosing and they should have been protected, not driven out. They were no longer regarded as unwanted; the traditionally negative attitude towards prostitution had given way to acceptance. Well, no surprise. Secularism has little in the way of moral standards. 

Last year, 2016, St. Paul's, along with a segment of the local population and reps of the City Council, established a memorial statue right in front of the church, to remember the victims of that "shameful" cleansing of decades ago.  Now that prostitution era was romanticised and its practitioners practically awarded a sort of sainthood!  The atmosphere had done a complete topsy-turvy. Next time you are in the area, you really must come and take some pics, for this is really something to see. Right there in front of a church! I suspect it is the world's first and only memorial to prostitution, unless New York or San Francisco beat us to the honour!

Now years ago I wrote a blog about a hymn-singing prostitute in the south of Nigeria. I showed plenty of sympathy for her terrible situation that led her into that trade. I was fully aware that this was hardly by choice and that she had few other options. In other words, I did not condemn but understood and sympathized. I am as aware of the terrible dynamics as anyone. 

But understanding and sympathizing is one thing, but to elevate the "profession" to hero status or even sainthood is another.  From all the reading I've done on the subject, most practitioners have descended into its horrible depth because of earlier negative choices that inexorably led them into this pit. It was not their destination of choice, but they landed up against a brick wall that would not budge. They had burnt too many bridges behind them and felt they had nowhere else to turn. 

So, what of that memorial in front of St. Paul's?  I sympathize with prostitution's victims and therefore join the community in its sympathy. A case of sympathy on top of sympathy!  But now to turn its practitioners into saints and ignore all the warnings in the Bible against it or to pretend it has no serious social and physical consequences, enough to turn it into a vice, is another. I have no answer really, but this has gone too far. Sin turned into virtue!  The spiritual atmosphere in the community has changed that much--unbelievable. If the trade were to make a come-back in this area, I doubt that the police would have the balls to counter it or, for that matter, the public--until it once again turns into the terrible nuisance it had become. It might be bound to happen.  

Now, you would never expect this subject from the title above this post. I did not either. the main subject was intended to drive me to that subject. Instead, it became the main subject. So, I'll let that title stand but treat that subject in Post 195. That way you won't be turned off by what became today's unexpected main subject!