he otherpress

Room 1020 — 700 Royal Ave. Douglas College

New Westminster, BC

V3L 5B2

TELEPHONE: 604.525.3542 WEBSITE: theotherpress.ca EMAIL: editor@theotherpress.ca

STAFF LIST

Eric Wilkins Editor-in-Chief M editor@theotherpress.ca

Lauren Kelly Assistant Editor Massistant@theotherpress.ca

Angela Ho Business Manager

Jacey Gibb Distribution Manager

Cara Seccafien Layout Manager

Joel McCarthy Graphics Manager

Elizabeth Jacob Production Assistant

Ed Appleby Ilustrator

Jony Roy Social Media Coordinator

Mercedes Deutscher News Editor Mi news@theotherpress.ca

Now Hiring! Arts Editor M arts@theotherpress.ca

Chitwan Khosla Features Editor M features@theotherpress.ca

Brittney MacDonald Life & Style Editor Mlifeandstyle@theotherpress.ca

Elliot Chan Opinions Editor M opinions@theotherpress.ca

Chandler Walter Humour Editor M humour@theotherpress.ca

Staff Reporter Aaron Guillen

Sports Reporter Davie Wong

Staff Writers Now Hiring! Adam Tatelman Cazzy Lewchuk

Senior Columnists Jerrison Oracion Lauren Paulsen David Manky

Columnists Benjamin Howard Josh Visser

Contributors Ayanda K. Gatsha Charlene Minns Jake Wray

Lettitor

Portrait of a profile

O: social media feeds blew up last week with reports surfacing of police searching for three “Middle Eastern” men seen taking photos of the entrances and exits of Pacific Centre Mall. Some moved more or less to an immediate state of panic, staying away from the mall while the police went about their work. The three men, merely visitors from the U.K. witha perfectly logical story (two have vision impairments and were in Vancouver for treatment), went to the police of their own accord when they realized they were being searched for. Three innocent men identified as Middle Eastern in a police report? Cue the public outcry. Upon reflection, this is a complete non-story. Police file dozens upon dozens of reports based on nothing more than suspicion—that’s their job. They follow up on these reports, and, for the most part, close them for being nothing more than that, suspicion. Perhaps most importantly, these reports are internal—confidential to the public eye. This particular

© Get to know us!

© The Other Press has been Douglas College’s student newspaper since 1976. Since 1978 we have been an autonomous publication, independent of the student union. We area registered society under the Society Act of British Columbia, governed by an eight-person board of directors appointed by our staff. Our head office is located in the New Westminster campus.

© The Other Press is published weekly during the fall and winter semesters, and monthly during the summer. We receive our funding from a student levy collected through tutition fees every semester at registration, and from local and national advertising revenue. The Other Press is a member of the Canadian University Press (CUP), a syndicate of student

: bulletin about the three men

: would have likely been resolved quickly and quietly were it

: not for Vancity Buzz taking

: advantage of a leak and making : the information public.

“We weren't planning on

going public with it at this point : because we didn’t feel it was

: something serious enough to go : public with at this point,” Police : Chief Adam Palmer commented : at anews conference prior to the : men coming forward.

The police have taken

: some serious flack for “racially

: profiling” the men. Facts render : this accusation completely

: unfounded: the three men were : identified as “Middle Eastern”

: because that is what they look

: like, and the incident was

: deemed suspicious because it was: : a trio taking photos of entrances : and exits.

When you hear a police

: report (forget about the internal : ones we're never supposed to

: be privy to), and you catch an

: identifying feature such as

: Caucasian, South Asian, Middle : Eastern, it is basic information

: that very minimally helps to

newspapers that includes papers from all across Canada.

© The Other Press reserves the right to choose what we will publish, and we will not publish material that is hateful, obscene, or condones or promotes illegal activities. Submissions may be edited for clarity and brevity if necessary. All images used are copyright to their

respective owners.

: narrow “the persons of interest” : down. It’d be preposterous for a : police force to try and go about : their job without mentioning

: someone’s ethnicity.

And for all those who say

Image via Issouf Sanogo/Getty Images

: to warrant any kind of backlash. : We can rag on our police forces : fora ton of stuff, but why are

: we crucifying them when they

: do everything to the letter of

: the law? Perhaps worse than a

this wouldn't be a story if the

: men weren't branded as Middle : Eastern, I hope to whatever deity : : is out there that they're wrong. : : In this day and age, if someone is : : loitering about the door taking : photos, I’m booking it and

: probably calling the authorities. : Skin colour means nothing.

: are quick to blindly defend the : rights and liberties of any who : are supposedly being stereotyped : : based on their appearance isto : : remove that identifying feature : from the sentence. If the action

: racial profiling—it’s just straight- : up suspicious. If it suddenly

: seems to be an innocuous

: sentence though, then you can

: play the race card.

: these men faced the possibility

Yes, of course, but the police have E W:

: done nothing in this situation

: baseless accusation is a blind—

: and loud—defence.

And to further emphasize

: how the public’s consciousness is constantly distracted from the : real major issues, six Canadians : were killed in an attack linked

: to al-Qaeda in Burkina Faso in

: Africa over the weekend, but that A telling exercise for any who: story has received roughly the

: same, if not less, coverage. The

: outcry? Almost nonexistent. When the country is

: throwing its arms up in the air

: over political correctness while

: actual terrorist attacks are

: carried out and innocent people : are slaughtered, one really has

: to question if your priorities are : truly in the right place.

is still suspicious, then it’s not

Was it unfortunate that Danke danke,

of being dealt with by vigilantes?

Editor-in-Chief

@ = theotherpress.ca

| +f facebook.com/DouglasOtherPress

| twitter.com/theotherpress

You

youtube.com/user/theotherpress

instagram.com/theotherpress