On May 23, the Toronto Star published an opinion piece written by Ruth Goba, the Interim Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. It is one more call for our police service to end what Ms. Goba describes as “an insidious practice that contravenes the Code and has no place in modern Canadian society.” The full text (Opinion Editorial: Political will needed to end carding) can be seen at http://www.ohrc.on.ca.
In appreciation, we wrote Ms. Goba:-

May 27, 2015

Ruth Goba, Hon. BA, LLB,
Interim Chief Commissioner,
Ontario Human Rights Commission,
180 Dundas Street West, Suite 900,
Toronto, ON M7A 2R9

Re: Political will needed to end carding

Dear Ms Goba:

I’m 73 years old, white, and in the years since I moved into Toronto in 1959 I have never been stopped by police. For decades though, I refused to carry identification in order to reinforce with any police officer who might question me that there is no legal requirement to do so.

Carding is an abhorrent infringement by the public service on the sovereignty of the people. I’ve told that to the police, to the mayor, and to the people in my circle and the contacts I have. That I have never been stopped doesn’t lessen my indignation that it’s happening to others.

Your opinion editorial makes the good point that until we persuade, or force, our elected representatives to act, the police may continue to do as they please in the face of those to whom they are accountable.

Please keep up the good work.

Yours truly,

Charles H. Klassen
cc: John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
Mark Saunders, Chief, Toronto Police Services