My Song For Change 2014

Submitted by: Deb D'Sheep

This song explores three cases where mass media has not merely 'reported', but also played a key role in the events. There were clear harmful outcomes for many of those involved in each case, but also positive elements in terms of drawing attention to inequality and abuse of power, which traditionally would have been ignored given the populations: student protesters, racialized urban youth, poor families in economically devastated communities.

Officer 728 has been documented several times being violent towards student protesters in Montreal. She has recently been charged in relation to many of these events. This story also reminds one of the peaceful student protesters who were pepper sprayed at UC Davis, and the negative impact on both officers given the spectacularly visible nature of the assaults. While a 'brotherhood' culture of policing and a lifetime of 'good guy/bad guy' narratives may have contributed in part to these unprovoked assaults, the (understandable) mediated backlash was directed at individuals.

Sammy Yatim (armed with only a knife) was shot 20 times on an empty street car by 1 police officer, surrounded by at least 20 other officers (Toronto). The death of Yatim was caught on a cell phone. That video footage , uploaded to Youtube, bypassed mainstream news to demonstrate that de-escalation was not a priority for at least one officer when dealing with this young Black man.

Sleeping seven year old Aiyana Stanley Jones was shot and killed by Officer Joseph Weekly (Detroit) as he and his SWAT team busted into the wrong apartment, while filming an episode of "The First 48". The use of flash bomb grenades, an unusual night-time raid, were non-standard procedures used because it provided the 'reality TV' producers with exciting 'movie like' imagery.

Not intended to minimize the pain experienced by the victims, nor to paint all police as coldly abusive, this song tries to illuminate how mass media is implicated in the creation AND act of policing today and how our nostalgic narratives about heroes is just as complicated.

This is a song that troubles 'good guy/bad guy' ideologies by keeping these stories in the light, with the hopes of fostering productive discussions about social change and crime policy than what is presently being supported by our current Canadian government. We can do better than "prime time" crime policy.

The Dirty Sheep (Deborah Landry) - Cops & Robbers Lyrics

Officer 728, Did ya have a bad day?
Just punching the clock, pulled the pepper out
You blew those kids away
Misunderstood, played out all wrong
On the Internet
They didn’t get your better side
They didn’t get your better side

Mama never told you ‘bout days like these
Little white boys running wild in the trees
Cops and robbers with a little toy gun
Be mama’s little hero, go have some fun…

Officer James, Did ya have a bad day?
'Safe Streets' don’t come easy, you say
Some days you hunt it down on an empty streetcar
9 times to get him to listen to you
6 more times, to make your point
20 badges watching you hold it all down
Couldn’t let the boys down

Your brothers never told you ‘bout days like these
Little white boys running wild in the streets
Cops and robbers with a little toy gun
Brother in arms, come have some fun…

Officer Joe, Did ya have a bad day
Brought the TV crew to work
Flash bang, you blew Miss Jones away
Caught it all live, you were bigger than life
Got '48 Hours' to get it right
While her grandma cried
While her baby died

Your agent never told you ‘bout days like these
Little white boys, running wild on TV
Lone Ranger riding high on the movie screen
be a hero, be a man, be seen