The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

In Canada, It’s Called ‘Research’

Posted on | May 29, 2010 | 14 Comments

At least that’s what the defense lawyer called it. The prosecution called it child pornography:

The former director of B’nai Brith Quebec, Bill Surkis, has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges after agreeing to a plea bargain. . . .
In return for a guilty plea to charges of possessing and accessing child pornography, the Crown dropped a charge of distributing child pornography . . .
Explicit files were discovered on Surkis’ computer when he brought it in for repairs in 2008.
The technician contacted police after 86 videos and 153 photos were found, including images of girls aged six to 12 years.
Surkis’s lawyer had previously said he would argue the videos were downloaded as part of research Surkis was undertaking.
“The purpose of his viewing the child pornography material [was] to educate himself on the topic of child pornography,” lawyer Steven Slimovitch told CBC News outside court in November 2009. . . .
Surkis now faces a minimum sentence of three months behind bars.

Three months? What do you have to do in Canada to get a whole year in jail, rape the Pope?

But let’s not give Andrew Sullivan any ideas.

Category: Canada, Crime, Foreigners, Sex

Comments

14 Responses to “In Canada, It’s Called ‘Research’”

  1. Joe
    May 29th, 2010 @ 11:26 pm

    Althouse had a similar story in the States.

    Child pornography is a crime. The market generates harm. So it is right and proper for society to punish those who possess it.

    But long prison terms should be reserved for violent criminals. Many of these people caught with this stuff have not acted on it (other than possessing pornography). There is no evidence they themselves harmed a child directly (granted there is indirect harm). Probation, monitoring, and sex registry would make more sense than prison in some of these cases.

  2. Joe
    May 29th, 2010 @ 6:26 pm

    Althouse had a similar story in the States.

    Child pornography is a crime. The market generates harm. So it is right and proper for society to punish those who possess it.

    But long prison terms should be reserved for violent criminals. Many of these people caught with this stuff have not acted on it (other than possessing pornography). There is no evidence they themselves harmed a child directly (granted there is indirect harm). Probation, monitoring, and sex registry would make more sense than prison in some of these cases.

  3. proof
    May 29th, 2010 @ 11:29 pm

    Funny! In Dec. ’08 when Kerry’s former Swift boat buddy Wade Sanders plead guilty to possessing child porn, he claimed he was doing research, too! Must be some kind of code!

    http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/2008/12/kerry-swift-boat-supporter-guilty-of.html

  4. proof
    May 29th, 2010 @ 6:29 pm

    Funny! In Dec. ’08 when Kerry’s former Swift boat buddy Wade Sanders plead guilty to possessing child porn, he claimed he was doing research, too! Must be some kind of code!

    http://proof-proofpositive.blogspot.com/2008/12/kerry-swift-boat-supporter-guilty-of.html

  5. Joe
    May 30th, 2010 @ 12:03 am

    Pete Townsend used the “research” defense too.

  6. Joe
    May 29th, 2010 @ 7:03 pm

    Pete Townsend used the “research” defense too.

  7. Joe
    May 29th, 2010 @ 7:32 pm

    Hey, how refreshing, the former director of B’nai Brith Quebec, Bill Surkishe, isn’t Catholic.

  8. Joe
    May 30th, 2010 @ 12:32 am

    Hey, how refreshing, the former director of B’nai Brith Quebec, Bill Surkishe, isn’t Catholic.

  9. just a conservative girl
    May 30th, 2010 @ 4:53 am

    Heck were not much better, we gave Pete Townsend a visa to do something really important, play at superbowl halftime show.

    How did we know he wouldn’t be performing his “research” while on this side of the pond?

  10. just a conservative girl
    May 29th, 2010 @ 11:53 pm

    Heck were not much better, we gave Pete Townsend a visa to do something really important, play at superbowl halftime show.

    How did we know he wouldn’t be performing his “research” while on this side of the pond?

  11. Estragon
    May 30th, 2010 @ 7:54 am

    It’s ALWAYS “research” in these cases, isn’t it? Isn’t that the first defense offered whenever the evidence is overwhelming?

    Most were simply gathering information to turn over to the authorities, but some actually have asserted First Amendment immunity because they were intending to write a book!

    I never heard of that crap actually working, but this case seems to have set a new standard. Expect a whole new wave of eager researchers.

  12. Estragon
    May 30th, 2010 @ 2:54 am

    It’s ALWAYS “research” in these cases, isn’t it? Isn’t that the first defense offered whenever the evidence is overwhelming?

    Most were simply gathering information to turn over to the authorities, but some actually have asserted First Amendment immunity because they were intending to write a book!

    I never heard of that crap actually working, but this case seems to have set a new standard. Expect a whole new wave of eager researchers.

  13. ak4mc
    May 30th, 2010 @ 12:48 pm

    When I was 12 years old sneaking peeks at Playboy magazine, I was doing research too. Didn’t keep me from getting a whoppin’ when my mother caught me.

  14. ak4mc
    May 30th, 2010 @ 7:48 am

    When I was 12 years old sneaking peeks at Playboy magazine, I was doing research too. Didn’t keep me from getting a whoppin’ when my mother caught me.