Do Rich people (ie Snobelen) buy their way out of the hoosegoose?

[jade_lee]

Only in the past view days has it come to my attention that former Tory education minister John Snobelen has been convicted for possession of a restricted weapon, a colt .22 handgun and illegal storage of said gun. No matter, the Toronto Sun still pays this guy to write his opinions galore in their paper. Does this paper have no shame whatsoever in who they seek out to write for their rag? Will Conrad Black be writing columns from prison any time soon? It appears that this conservative anti-crime newspaper still has a difficult time deciding what defines a criminal, and it also appears that the court's discretion favours rich guys. Lets get strict on gun crimes but not if the crime is committed by some rich guy who has a lawyer able to offer up bizarre explanations of the politically (conservative support) correct kind.
It turns out that his wife called the cops just like Ford's wife did. Yet all these guys still want to be taken seriously and are just that in some circles. This reeks of a double standard that none of us should tolerate or accept. What do you like? I just don't get it. It also appears that these guys don't "get it" either.

 

[lordmandeep]

Conrad Black writes pretty interesting columns for the National Post.

 

[jade_lee]

I don't read jibberish that liars write nor do I take lightly the fact that he is a fraud artist writing for a national paper. It appears as blind loyalty if you ask me to invite him to continue writing when we all know what he was convicted for. I just don't subscribe to such blatant baloney. What you call interesting I call crap......

 

[King of Kensington]

It was kind of amusing to read all these "Conrad Black is innocent" from Canadian conservatives who usually take a lock them up and throw away the key approach. I stress the Canadian part because I recall stumbling on a thread on the ultrarightwing Free Republic site in the States started by a Conrad Black defender and most of the people basically said why are you supporting a criminal?

 

[lordmandeep]

its simple the people you refer to don't see white collar crime as a serious crime.

However they are very harsh to more violent crimes like murdering with guns...

 

[jade_lee]

How about slapping your wife around and threatening to kill her, is that taken seriously and deserving of harsh treatment as in long prison terms?

 

[jade_lee]

Sounds like a votable issue to me.

 

[Hydrogen]

No matter, the Toronto Sun still pays this guy to write his opinions galore in their paper.

The lucky Ontario taxpayers got to pay rootin' tootin' Johnny Snoblen to be a Minister of Education. That also was a crime. He was carrying concealed stupidity.

 

[jade_lee]

Enforcing the law should have all to do with what crime one commits and not who you are. However with that said, I also think context is important with respect to the crime committed because all criminal legal decisions should refer to the details being considered.

Obama should not be asked if the Bush adm. should be charged with war crimes. The evidence is there and it should not be asked of an in coming leader to decide prosecution of the previous one. How ridiculous if the law is written that way. How could any political leader be held accountable of serious crimes based on bad political decision making? War crimes, specifically torture have been documented and now we get to read all about it. The stench of NIxon and Vietnam still lingers and creates a curtain to cover up the criminal acts of people in powerful places. It's time to take down that curtain and let the law decide. Perhaps it's not really up to Obama to decide and Obama knows this.

 

[digi]

most of the people basically said why are you supporting a criminal?

These are also the same people who voted for Bush, twice.
Their opinions are not worth considering.

 

[Rusty]

Strange word Hoosegoose. Never heard it before. Do you think the author meant hoosegow?
definition: hoose·gow or hoosgow hoos′·gow′
noun: Slang for a jail or guardhouse

 

[Brian69]

Unfortunately rich people buy their way out of trouble all the time--just look at how stars, athletes and big businesspeople are treated in the U.S.

Connections and power make the world go round which is a sad thing to consider but its reality. While the offence is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things it offends me more that Snobelin got into a position of power in the first place.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

haven't you guys ever played monopoly? if you got the right amount of money, you can buy one of these off another player...

 

[kEiThZ]

Is this thread about the rich avoiding prison or Jade_lee's consternation that John Snoeblen is writing articles for the Toronto Sun.

Now I am no fan of Snoeblen (the guy was truly useless and dangerous to the future of the province as an education minister) but I don't see what the harm is in the Sun being allowed to pay the guy to write columns. To me that says more about the Sun's ability to attract talent than it's support for the rich or for conservatives. Like him or despise him, at least Conrad Black writes some interesting stuff. I really don't see what Snoeblen has to offer in terms of writing talent.

Another issue to be raised here: Why is it a problem if a convicted felon works for a newspaper? If that's to be a problem, what other employment venues should we take away from convicts? Perhaps, we should just make it official. If you are a convicted felon, no more Charter rights for you. That whole free speech thing, does not apply to you, even after you are out of prison.

I am off the belief, that if they have paid their debt to society, let them move on. Who am I to judge them? Of course, whether I support their authorship with my hard earned bucks is entirely my decision and that's based on talent.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Snobelen used to be my MP and he was actually canvassing with 2 uniformed poilce officers in my neighbourhood back in what, 2000? Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't there rules against police officers campaigning in such a manner?

AoD