tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post4780933253012049729..comments2011-08-25T16:57:02.293-04:00Comments on From the Far Lane: A politician's death and the mediaEmmett Macfarlanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08626691875646586059noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-20888256668484088792011-08-25T16:57:02.293-04:002011-08-25T16:57:02.293-04:00Excellent Emmett!Excellent Emmett!Scott Matthewshttp://www.queensu.ca/politics/faculty/regularfaculty/matthews.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-22216680522109861392011-08-24T10:17:25.633-04:002011-08-24T10:17:25.633-04:00Well said.
My question to Ms Blatchford is:
Isn...Well said.<br />My question to Ms Blatchford is:<br />Isn't it up to Canadians how they want to <br />grieve a respected politician's death?<br />Why should we adhere to her standards? <br />What is so objectionable for Mr Layton writing a final letter to us fellow Canadians? <br />The risk is all his. Not Ms Blatsford's.<br />The response from Canadians speaks to what we think of Mr. Layton's letter.<br />The response speaks to the pettiness of Ms Blatford whining.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-62235280143254892372011-08-23T14:51:56.170-04:002011-08-23T14:51:56.170-04:00Mr. Blatchford's venom is an unfortunate conse...Mr. Blatchford's venom is an unfortunate consequence of free speech and I accept that, however the problem with her remarks is that she completely misses the point.<br /><br />ONLY Jack Layton could have written a sentence like: "Love is better than anger.". From any other politician these words would come off as insincere. From Mr. Layton, we knew it came from his heart.<br /><br />And of course he would consult with Brian Topp and his wife when writing such a letter. There is nothing wrong with it. If Mr. Blatchford can see some kind of hidden agenda in his letter then I truly feel sorry for her. Her life must be filled with bitterness and disappointment.ohmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04140405656230605048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-31641484200690337792011-08-23T14:50:50.539-04:002011-08-23T14:50:50.539-04:00Well put, Emmett! It seems to me that the issue of...Well put, Emmett! It seems to me that the issue of the emerging debate you mention isn't really the generally uncritical nature of media commentary, but rather the utter failure of some to critically assess their own motivation for writing (though, I concede, it might be hard or even unnecessary to disentangle the two). There are, sadly, many people who, like Blatchford, appear to be motivated by cynicism and narcissism, likely deluded by some deeper lack of self-worth. By contrast, Dr. Layton's legacy is a stand-out example of how we might choose to lead others to benefit others, even in spite of one's own immediate welfare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-27149040756948330822011-08-23T14:49:16.606-04:002011-08-23T14:49:16.606-04:00Great post. But, actually, Mansbridge's commen...Great post. But, actually, Mansbridge's comments about Afghanistan were that Jack was ahead of his time. Peter M. said that when Jack called for negotiating with the Taliban and withdrawing fighting troops from Afghanistan, he was voicing an unpopular sentiment at the time, but it has come full circle.Nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-55009507568043221132011-08-23T14:44:34.260-04:002011-08-23T14:44:34.260-04:00Wonderful post. :DWonderful post. :DMelanie Chinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05395456204201538864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-42809269151145951202011-08-23T14:24:04.934-04:002011-08-23T14:24:04.934-04:00Good work, this was perfectly weighed response to ...Good work, this was perfectly weighed response to Blatchford's article. I agree, there is certainly merit to critiquing some of the coverage, which sometimes rendered the line between reporting and hyperbolic commentary very blurry, but it can nonetheless wait a few days. It was, however, her comments about Layton that were a little off-putting. Specifically, they seemed less about contextualizing his career and more about some sort personal animosity towards the man.<br /><br />MarcelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-18310584684359132582011-08-23T14:16:30.167-04:002011-08-23T14:16:30.167-04:00Thanks for eloquently articulating what I've b...Thanks for eloquently articulating what I've been struggling to say.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01672259155429797428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-49277137463507998252011-08-23T14:12:02.480-04:002011-08-23T14:12:02.480-04:00Thanks for writing this. There was nothing courage...Thanks for writing this. There was nothing courageous about Blatchford's opinion article. I really don't think either her or Kay truly understand why people cared so much about Layton's death. They don't understand that it had nothing to do with politicsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3137673256842047442.post-17715181631921675522011-08-23T13:41:03.324-04:002011-08-23T13:41:03.324-04:00The stupidest thing is... the public mourning has ...The stupidest thing is... the public mourning has actually been fairly restrained, tasteful, and entirely appropriate. It hasn't seen any of the excesses of certain other public mourning events that I've witnessed in the last 15 years or so, in the Post-Diana era.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com