East Van doesn't look after it's own

The Vancouver Province ran an excellent article by a retired VPD officer about exploitation in East Van: http://www.theprovince.com/news/operation-phoenix/supply+young+kids/2085350/story.html

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He spoke about the exploitation of the youth and how predators are ready to take advantage of them. He compared it to throwing a poodle into a shark tank. He touched on prostitution as young as 14 and gave an example of even younger than that. All to pay for drug addictions from exploited addicts.

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I think the key word here is predators. That's exactly what they are. Many from East Van used to beak off and say we take care of our own. Perhaps it used to be. Perhaps it never was. Sick yuppies from the Granville strip occasionally participated in malicious beatings of the homeless. The recent attack on a homeless man on the Drive where three white males set a homeless man on fire as he slept on an abandoned couch was shameful.

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The theory was that the homeless were safe from those kind of attacks in East Van. Yet the VPD released videos of under cover officers dressed as vulnerable seniors in East Van. Often they would get beaten and robbed.

I remember taking teenagers into blood alley by Pigeon corner to hand out food, jackets and gloves during winter. The youth I brought were surprised to see the reaction of the homeless. First it was fear. The homeless were afraid the youth were going to assault them. Then it was shock and relief when instead of beating them the youth gave them something to help them make it through the night.

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I never really clued in until now but the elderly and the homeless have always been exploited in East Van. The reason people beak off and claim East Van takes care of their own is because the bullies don't want outsiders protecting their victims from being robbed. Nor do they want anyone to interfere with the money they make from exploiting the addicts. This is how the Hells Angels who import cocaine into Canada make their living.

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Once we expand the CCTV project from Scott Road Sky Train Station to Surrey Central, the next step is to do it in East Van. You can't recover from an addiction where you have predators yelling crack crack crack in your face pushing the drug on you. We need to target the dealers not the addicts.

Closed Circuit Television Vs. Google Street View

Well I'm thrilled to see closed circuit television installed in the Scot Road Sky Train station parking lot. Here we have a place that was high in vehicle break ins being monitored by closed circuit television. Great idea. They should put cameras at Surrey central where the crack dealers sell crack in public.

Wait a minute, we do. It's called Google Street view: http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/surreyleader/news/63692732.html

If you go to Google Street view and scroll over to Surrey Central Sky Train Station this is what you see:
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It doesn't seem refresh or be live stream though which is likely a good thing. I'll admit the Google Street view is a cool feature of modern technology. Privacy concerns do arise when it expands into residential neighbourhoods. Criminals could use it to case out a neighbourhood to see when people are away to rob them. Stalkers could keep tags on an ex or rapists could find victim patterns. None of which is good. I'm hopeful those concerns will be addresses.
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Web cams of rush hour traffic, border line ups or snow conditions are great ideas. Common sense needs to balance out the obvious privacy concerns. Nevertheless I'm all for the Scott Road Sky Train Station parking lot CCTV cameras being installed at Surrey Central.

They already have them outside SFU at surrey Place which caught a vicious stabbing on camera:

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Another stabbing suspect at the Broadway Station:

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They even already have them at the Surrey Central Sky Train Station which caught the savage beating of Matthew Martins. We just need a couple of cameras across the street to keep tabs on the crack dealers. Notice I said dealers not addicts.

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Vancouver Special Edition

Look what they pulled out of the Fraser River. Not another body. This time is was an automatic weapon. We've all heard about the Saturday night special. A small handgun that has a short barrel and isn't very accurate but is easily concealed. Well this is a Vancouver Special. http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Police+trace+deadly+machine+pistol+linked+Vancouver+gang+shootings/2082564/story.html

Did ya see the movie, Grand Torino with Clint Eastwood? Well there's a funny scene in the movie of two cars of gang bangers beaking off to each other. One guy pulls out a gun as if to say shut up and walk away while a guy from the other group pulls out an Uzi and shouts "How many bullets you got?" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mm3KGitZfQ

Funny in a movie but not so funny in real life. This compact machine gun with a silencer was found floating down the Fraser river and was used in some gang related shootings recently. You're got to admire the firearm. They're small, very fast but not that accurate because of the short barrel. Add the silencer and you lengthen the barrel and the bullets have a straighter trajectory. Ingenious actually.

But what ever happened to Chris Tucker's put your gun down and fight me like a man? Now it's like homeboy brought a knife to a gun fight. Some guy pulls a gun, someone else pulls out a bigger gun, then someone pulls out a machine gun. Then someone like Randy Potts pulls out one of his hand grenades and someone like the Bandidos pulls out one of their rocket launchers and everyone starts to blow sh*t up. That is f*cked up.

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Like I said it's the same mentality as swarming. A group of guys swarm someone, bear spray them, then give him the boots. There is nothing manly about that. People who swarm are asking to get swarmed. I remember one kid tell me they were always nice to geeks in high school because you never know if they were going to snap and come back with a gun to shoot everyone who made fun of them.

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All the gun violence is messed up. Not only because it isn't manly but because it's over the right to sell crack and crystal meth. That is messed up. Completely.

Burton Rice, XMMA and the Hells Angels

Speaking of Chuck Liddell and the Hells Angels, Burton Rice seems to be an interesting character. He's the president of a new UFC league called XMMA. He was arrested in the police's combined Operation SharQc connecting him with criminal activity involving the Hells Angels. http://topmmanews.com/2009/06/03/police-arrest-hells-angels-and-xmma-president/

He's also the publisher of a magazine called Naked Eye: http://giornalistica.blogspot.com/2009/07/magazine-front-for-hells-angels-drug.html

http://canadianmags.blogspot.com/2009/06/naked-eye-publisher-arrested-in-major.html

I heard this story and cast it aside since it was about smuggling cigarettes which I didn't think was a big deal. However, it also involves money laundering, drug smuggling and MMA. Interesting how this magazine run by Burton Rice had tons of money ($3-$4 million was found in their safes) but they weren't paying their employees while hiding under the Hells Angels banner. Not good business. Kinda like what they did in Amsterdam. People don't like to do business with bullies. http://www.mastheadonline.com/news/2009/20090727647.shtml

It also involves how they harass people, as well as steal and extort from them in the tobacco industry:
http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=1437136&sponsor=

http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/1232/

http://www.publicintegrity.org/articles/entry/1232/

The bottom line is giving a business license to operate mixed martial arts venues to an associate of the Hells Angels, a criminal organization is just plain wrong. Allow UFC competitions but ban the Hells Angels from taking control of them.

Bob Green and 666 Holdings

Update: My condolences to Bob Green's family - Bob Green's Eulogy

Chuck Liddell and the Hells Angels

This is old news and I don't want to make a big deal about it, but I just want to flog a dead horse and emphasize my concerns and frustrations with the Hells Angels. First I want to say that Chuck Liddell is first class. Not just because he can kick my ass but because he has proven himself in the ring. It's no wonder the Hells Angels are attracted to him.

Rumor has it he spends time with the Hells Angels when he is in Vancouver. True or false it doesn't really matter. If he does that is his right. My concern is what about the other things the Hells Angels do that relate to criminal activity. Look at Australian rules football player Alan Didak. He hitched a ride with Hells Angel Chris Hudson when out clubbing. He was in the car when Hudson pulled out a gun and started shooting. Awkward.

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The photos of Chuck with some Vancouver Hells Angels reminds me of a kid getting his picture with Hulk Hogan. Somehow getting your photo with a WWF star makes you a star. Just because Chuck has had his photo taken with some Hells Angels doesn't really mean anything.

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I'll admit Chuck's strange interview on Good Morning Texas sounded like he was wacked out on drugs but he was tested and passed. Chuck was tired and on sleeping pills. The bottom line is Chuck had a successful UFC career and retired with honour. Tito Ortiz on the other hand appears to be a bit of an asshole despite his competence.

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The reason I bring this up is to illustrate some people of interest in the photos. In the first two photos we see cousins and friends Len Pelletier and Bob Green. Len is on Chuck's right and Bob is the second on Chuck's left. Len Pelletier is the Hells Angel who lives in a gated fortress in Langley who was shot at picking his kid up from high school. Bob Green is a director of Grant Street holdings which owns the Hells Angels Burnaby clubhouse.

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The second two photos has Rob Alvarez with Chuck Liddell. In the last photo Rob is on Chuck's right and in the second from last photo Rob is the person on the far left in the picture. Rob Alvarez was the guy who was kicking a bouncer while his friend Hells Angel Ron Lising sucker punched the bouncer as they butt in line at the Au Bar in Vancouver. My point is Chuck Liddell is better than these people. The Hells Angels should leave him alone and they should leave George St. Pierre alone too. There's a lot of talk on the Internet about how the Hells Angels are trying to get cozy with George St. Pierre.

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Just remember that the Hells Angels went to Australia with the sole purpose of starting shit. They patched over a member of a local club called the Finks. The police say they bribed the guy with a new Harley to betray his crew. Then they told the old club to leave town and a fight broke out at a mixed martial arts competition both groups attended. Guns were used in public.

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The reason they went to Australia was to take over the drug trade in that area. The Hells Angels enforce for the crack dealers in Surrey central. I saw them. UFC is good. The Hells Angels are bad. We don't need them here and we don't need them involved with the mixed martial arts venue. Mom Boucher is not a nice guy. We don't need or want anything to do with him.

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Stephen Harper gets high

Stephen Harper said he gets high with a little help from his friends. At least he did when he recently sang a Beatles song at a National Arts Centre Gala in Ottawa. He surprised the audience by playing the piano and singing the Beatles song, With a Little Help from My Friends. www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2009/10/03/harper-piano.html

The article claims Harper is a Beatles fan. Sorry if I find this amusing. Here we have the ultra conservative who regularly sports the famous Mr Rogers sweaters claiming he's a Beatles fan and sings the song with the line I get high with a little help from my friends in the lyrics. www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmOtWyjs8iU

Rather amusing since he is trying to instigate minimum sentences for possession of marijuana instead of for violent crimes or for selling crack. Maybe it's like those extremist paid ministers who publicly denounce homosexuality yet see gay prostitutes on the side? Could it be Harper enjoys the occasional blunt in private? Couldn't be. I still think he should take the amendment on bill C-15 so it passes and we make some progress in the gang war in Vancouver.

Here's the actual video of Harper singing the Beatles at the Gala: www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pm-sings-beatles-classic/article1311369 Ya gotta admit he did a good job and it was nice to see a little more human side to the man with the scary smile.

BTW Harper didn't say he opposed the arts. His reference to how ordinary working people not being able to relate to the rich attending a gala was more an observation that it is hard to rationalize ordinary working people subsidizing and paying for the rich who can afford to pay their own bills to attend a gala. That does kind of make sense. Supporting the arts is one thing subsidizing the rich with working families taxes is another. Kind of like how hosting the Olympics is one thing and subsidizing lavish events for the rich is another. The rich can afford to pay for their own events without using tax dollars.

Will Michael Ignatieff Please shut up

Torries survive Iggy's what about me non confidence motion with backing from the NDP. Jack Layton said he thought it would be irresponsible to call another election when they could get a billion dollars in the hands of tens of thousands of families through EI reform within the next couple of weeks.

In contrast Michael Ignatieff said the unemployed feel totally abandoned by the government and asked "How do I explain to these people that I keep letting this government go on..." Shut the fuck up. You don't give a rat's ass about the unemployed. How do you explain to them that you shafted them out of immediate EI reforms that would put money in their pocket by putting yourself first and calling another stupid election when we just had two.

This guy should clearly get the Idiot of the year award. Harper needs to be nicer to the NDP and work with them on Bill C-15. Take the amendment on Pot and move the motion forward. The NDP need to walk the walk and support the bill with the amendment: www.gangstersout.com/ball.htm

Bob and Doug McKenzie get shot up in Mehico

Gordon Kendall and Jeffry Ivans, two B.C. kids involved in the drug trade got shot up in Mexico. I'm not going to mock their death. On the contrary, I want you to take a look at these two kids. They don't look like gangsters. They look like Bob and Doug McKenzie. Two fun loving Canadians from the Okanagan who like to party. http://www.canada.com/news/killed+Mexico+were+involved+drug+trade+police+confirm/2041210/story.html

They could be your kids. They could be your friends. They are a reminder of the dangers of gangs and the drug trade. Can't you just see these two with a beer in their hand saying "Party up dude." Living it up in Puerto Viarta. "Dude if they could see us now." Well we did and it made our hearts shrink.

A newspaper from Mexico posted some very disturbing pictures of the dead bodies after they were shot up. The first thought that came to mind was that it was tasteless to do so. Yet there's something about watching a death on TV or reading about it in the paper that distances us and disassociates us from the event. Seeing the photos brings it up close and personal.

I was surprised how much blood there was. I thought they were shot not cut up. Yet when people get shot they bleed. Something we only see glimpses of in the movies. Then seeing Gord lying there shot up covered in blood with his eyes open brought it home and made me feel to close his eyes and cover the body with a white sheet. It made me think of the movie Shake Hands with the Devil where the Peacekeeper struggling to protect innocent lives amid a senseless genocide is overcome when the road is covered with dead bodies - men women and children, slaughtered.

Instead of driving over the dead bodies he gets out of his vehicle and starts pulling them off the road and lining the bodies side by side in grave positions. It was a small act of dignity in a senseless sea of violence.

Now if this was Jarrod or Jonathan Bacon or one of the Hells Angels profiting from this drug war, then I would be much less compassionate. It's just seeing their picture drove home to me the fact that this could be our kids, our friends, this could be us. The temptation the money the drug trade brings is real. For me driving around in a Hummer or an Escalade isn't a temptation. I hate those cars. Yet when we see the price of land and the limited wages honest work brings one can see how real the temptation is.

It reminds me of the crack epidemic that swept New York and LA in the /80's. The Crips and the Bloods were networking up the coast all the way to Seattle. A 12 year old kid could go to school and face a life time of working for minimum wage or he could sell crack, wear gold chains and drive around in limo's. The temptation was real but likewise the consequences were often fatal.

Some argue that increasing jail terms will not solve the problem because if these guy's aren't deterred by death, they won't be deterred by jail time. Although there is some merit to that argument we still need to reform our judicial system. House arrest for trafficking cocaine for the Hells Angels is wrong. We are enablers and have thereby become accomplices to these murders.

Let's remember the horrific reality of their death and let us remember that the puppet master is still exploiting these kids and getting off scott free. We need to reform the judicial system and we need to rat out the real rats who profit from this kind of exploitation. Report Hells Angels to Crime Stoppers: 1 800 222 - 8477 (TIPS)

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Gang Tattoos

Getting a gang tattoo is about as smart as getting your girlfriend's name tattooed on your arm. Like you're never going to break up. Only your new girlfriend won't shoot your over your old tattoo and you ex won't make you burn your old tattoo off with a blow torch

Another thing to consider is what you want to take pride in representing. Is selling crack or date rape drug really something to brag about? What about Otis Garret and Dave Picton? The Hells Angels deny everything and keep secrets from their own members. They only reveal things on a need to know basis.

Otis Garret was incarcerated for running a Hells Angels prostitution ring in San Fransisco. The woman who testified against him was murdered along with her twin seven year old daughters. There is nothing there to be proud of.

I know a guy who wears Big Red Machine support gear. I asked about them selling crack and he just said he didn't ask about that part of the business. That is bullshit. If you wear support gear you are telling the world that you support selling crack and date rape drug and you support what Otis Garret did because they own a brothel in Amsterdam and Otis is still honoured on Sonny Barger's web site.

To me wearing support gear is like wearing a T-shirt that says I support Clifford Olsen and getting a Hells Angels tattoo is like saying I support Dave Picton. Something they did but deny. Remember Piggy Palace.