I love “Curb”. As with Seinfeld, which Larry David co-created, the humour of the HBO TV show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” often revolves around the minutiae of everyday social life in a humorous fashion. Each episode’s plot and subplot are established in an outline written by David, and the dialogue is largely improvised by the actors.
On October 22, Justice Yergeau rendered his decision in the Luamba case before the Quebec Superior Court. Judge Yergeau, a White man, came to the conclusion that for many Black men in Quebec, the mere fact of being behind the wheel of a vehicle is sufficient to cause the police to stop them “without cause or suspicion and demand identification.”
We are Driving while Black folks. Upon hearing the decision Black people breathe a sigh of relief: “we’re not crazy after all! We told you so!” Racial profiling is over, said some while others were more careful.
“Curb your enthusiasm” I said! “It will surely be appealed”. I then told anyone caring to listen that because the Yergeau decision would have a ripple effect across Canada, there was no way that either the provincial or federal government would not appeal the decision.
Sure enough, on Nov 25 Ministers Francois Bonardel (Public Safety) and Christopher Skeete (Racism) performed their roles as they would in Curb, and miserably attempted to improvise! “We need article 636 to keep our highway safe” and “fight crime” said the actors.
They maintained a straight face, notwithstanding the “preponderant evidence” in Luamba that over time, the arbitrary power granted to the police to carry out roadside stops without cause through the application of article 636 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code, had become a “vector” for racial profiling against the Black community.
So now, they will argue at the Quebec Court of appeal that Justice Yergeau misinterpreted the facts or the law, and that racial profiling is largely a “laboratory-constructed abstraction” of the mind of Black folks! Have mercy! Meanwhile, the government is asking the Black population to continue to suffer in silence.
They are saying that, with all deliberate speed, the rule of law will eventually be applied by the police in a way that respects their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Charter. We shall not be fooled, and neither will be the Quebec Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court! The Luamba decision will be upheld!
But wait, on Nov. 24 Fady Dagher was introduced by Mayor Valerie Plante as the new Director of the SPVM. Joel DeBellefeuille and I got front row seats to the ceremony.
“Director Dagher is the type of leader police need in the 21st century” I said! “But curb our enthusiasm; He’s not the messiah!” I added cautiously.
At the end of the day, deeds speak much louder than words, so we’ll have to wait and see! I have sort of been there and done that, when I was hired by the City of Montreal in 2021 to tackle racial profiling by the SPVM.
The Frat (police Union) attacked me from Day1, and I know they will monitor Dir. Dagher’s every move and weigh his every word from his first day on the job too!
Without support from the city administration and OUR community, Dir. Dagher will fail miserably. However, if Dir. Dagher is smart, as they do in Curb he will improvise, then adapt and…. with OUR help…he will overcome
