Less than a week ago, 76 Norwegians were killed after a man planned a car bomb in the government square of Norway and then dressed up as a police officer and shot and killed 68 kids at a youth camp close by.
I ask why.
Why did Anders Breivik decide on that July morning to get out of his beetle-infested home, take a whole bunch of drugs (allegedy) and kill 68 kids.
He would have you believe that it was his war against the Muslim invasion, something he admits Norway won't understand for 60 years. While his lawyers think he's likely insane.
I'm not sure believe either of those reasons, although I know a chunk of the population believes in the Muslim invasion theory. (I had a co-worker once who espoused 'white people will be the minority in Canada one day' to which I replied, 'aannnnd?')
But I would bet it would have more to do with how we see Islam in the first place.
Despite millions of messages of peace being spread by Imam's throughout the world, the majority of Western Civilization sees Islam as a hateful religion. Something that is unrelenting; unmoving; and just plain wrong.
I received an e-mail the other day from a friend which confirmed as much,
"I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to."
This friend is not considered a fundamentalist Christian, though she has Christian values.
The way we perceive Islam is the reason people fight against it. Even sometimes in extreme cases, like the case of Anders Breivik.
You think that's a stretch? Think most believe Islam is peaceful?
Who did the media and 'terror specialists' point their fingers at first when the bomb exploded in Oslo?
If you thought it was a radical anti-Islam 'Crusader,' you'd be the only one.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Kai, We Hardly Knew You
Kai Nagata.
Put up your hand if you heard of this reporters name 24 hours ago.
For those of you who don't know, Mr. Nagata is the 24-year-old wunderkind who quit his job at CTV in Quebec City, after the realization mainstream media was more interested in Will and Kate, than they were in injustices being carried out in Basrata, Athens, and "the rest of the world."
He also suggested the mainstream media believed television viewers would rather watch reporters who looked like Ken and Barbie, than regular Canadian folk.
True, on both counts, Kai, but you're yelling into a hurricane.
Truth be told, there are thousands of people in North America who, at one time or another, have tried the journalism game, only to find it isn't what they thought it was.
They recieved top marks in their classes, went on to work for CNN, NBC or CBC here in Canada, and found out not only is media not about telling important stories, it was about how you looked, what segment of the demographic you appeal to.
Journalism professors rarely teach us that part in school. In the midst of following important international stories, like the government killing civilians in Damascus, or Moammar Gadhafi using his own people as human shields against NATO attacks, professors and instructors forget to tell you about the fluff.
But every now and again, you get to write a real story. Cover something important, and make a difference. I've had the honour of working in a newsroom that won awards for coverage of a province-wide forest fire, as well as the G-20 riots in Toronto.
I've also made phone calls on finding out why Selena Gomez is in Stratford, and what she ate at a family diner.
The point is, all journalists who have worked longer than a couple of years understand there is a balance between the stories that should be covered, and stories that people want us to cover. And you balance them both with the tenacity that you, as a journalist owe to the story.
In the 50's and 60's journalists made a name for themselves by doing the 'right' story. We watched them based on the fact they knew what was best for us. It was the 'News we Needed to Know.'
Now, we have all kinds of information at our fingertips, and can access it all easily. If we don't find what we like, or what we want, we change the dial. Being in-tune with our audience as a journalist isn't just a 'good idea,' it's essential to our careers.
Kai Nagata, in all likelihood, will soon become a name forgotten by those who barely knew him, and a nostalgic trip back in time for those who did. A soul older than his age would suggest, and a man unwilling to succumb to the pressures put on today's media.
Good on you.
But there's just one more thing, Kai.
If you really were all about 'proper' news being reported, why did you submit to an interview with CBC. Certainly, given your journalistic integrity, you wouldn't think a retiring journalist would be newsworthy.
Would you?
Put up your hand if you heard of this reporters name 24 hours ago.
For those of you who don't know, Mr. Nagata is the 24-year-old wunderkind who quit his job at CTV in Quebec City, after the realization mainstream media was more interested in Will and Kate, than they were in injustices being carried out in Basrata, Athens, and "the rest of the world."
He also suggested the mainstream media believed television viewers would rather watch reporters who looked like Ken and Barbie, than regular Canadian folk.
True, on both counts, Kai, but you're yelling into a hurricane.
Truth be told, there are thousands of people in North America who, at one time or another, have tried the journalism game, only to find it isn't what they thought it was.
They recieved top marks in their classes, went on to work for CNN, NBC or CBC here in Canada, and found out not only is media not about telling important stories, it was about how you looked, what segment of the demographic you appeal to.
Journalism professors rarely teach us that part in school. In the midst of following important international stories, like the government killing civilians in Damascus, or Moammar Gadhafi using his own people as human shields against NATO attacks, professors and instructors forget to tell you about the fluff.
But every now and again, you get to write a real story. Cover something important, and make a difference. I've had the honour of working in a newsroom that won awards for coverage of a province-wide forest fire, as well as the G-20 riots in Toronto.
I've also made phone calls on finding out why Selena Gomez is in Stratford, and what she ate at a family diner.
The point is, all journalists who have worked longer than a couple of years understand there is a balance between the stories that should be covered, and stories that people want us to cover. And you balance them both with the tenacity that you, as a journalist owe to the story.
In the 50's and 60's journalists made a name for themselves by doing the 'right' story. We watched them based on the fact they knew what was best for us. It was the 'News we Needed to Know.'
Now, we have all kinds of information at our fingertips, and can access it all easily. If we don't find what we like, or what we want, we change the dial. Being in-tune with our audience as a journalist isn't just a 'good idea,' it's essential to our careers.
Kai Nagata, in all likelihood, will soon become a name forgotten by those who barely knew him, and a nostalgic trip back in time for those who did. A soul older than his age would suggest, and a man unwilling to succumb to the pressures put on today's media.
Good on you.
But there's just one more thing, Kai.
If you really were all about 'proper' news being reported, why did you submit to an interview with CBC. Certainly, given your journalistic integrity, you wouldn't think a retiring journalist would be newsworthy.
Would you?
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Why The Parade?
A friend of mine died in the line of duty.
It wasn't this week, or a few months ago. Tom Fulton, friend and mentor, died on December 9th, 2002, when he left the radio station on a break before returning for post-morning show meetings.
He walked out the front door for a coffee break, and as he stepped out the front steps, he suffered a major heart attack, and likely died before he hit the ground.
He was in his late 50's, but still as vibrant and youthful a man as you might ever meet.
Tom was well known in the community; he worked in the media since the early 60's. Worked at all the major radio stations in the city, and was well loved.
Yet there was no parade where people from all columns of media came to say goodbye. Merely a solemn service, and a tearful goodbye from some of his closest friends and family.
But there is no doubt he died in the line of duty. He was working when it happened. So why no parade?
That's what happened Tuesday near Toronto. A local police officer died, doing his job last week when a minivan rolled over his body, pinning him underneath. A parade was held in his honour. Thousands of police officers, fire fighters, emergency services personnel and military servicemen and women turned out for the procession.
Which led me to pose the question, why do we honour people for doing their job?
Police Officers, fire fighters, emergency service personnel and military servicemen and women all know the dangers of the job. They are often reminded of it in oaths they swear when they join the force. Some police officers are reminded on a daily basis of the dangers of their job.
In fact, ask some members why they got involved in the police force, and they'll tell you its the intense rush of adrenaline that comes with facing death on a nearly daily basis.
So it may stand to reason police officers don't need the pomp and circumstance. It is what they signed up to do. Willingly.
Some have argued that officers give their lives for you and me. They're fighting for a greater cause.
Is an architect designing hospitals, government buildings and housing not working for you and me? If a construction worker dies on site, does that not mean they gave their lives to a greater cause than their own?
Tom didn't sign up to have a heart attack that day at work. He didn't think a major coronary would happen while getting ready to dissect the latest ratings.
Maybe he deserves the parade just as much (if not more) than those who risk their lives in the line of duty of their own accord.
It wasn't this week, or a few months ago. Tom Fulton, friend and mentor, died on December 9th, 2002, when he left the radio station on a break before returning for post-morning show meetings.
He walked out the front door for a coffee break, and as he stepped out the front steps, he suffered a major heart attack, and likely died before he hit the ground.
He was in his late 50's, but still as vibrant and youthful a man as you might ever meet.
Tom was well known in the community; he worked in the media since the early 60's. Worked at all the major radio stations in the city, and was well loved.
Yet there was no parade where people from all columns of media came to say goodbye. Merely a solemn service, and a tearful goodbye from some of his closest friends and family.
But there is no doubt he died in the line of duty. He was working when it happened. So why no parade?
That's what happened Tuesday near Toronto. A local police officer died, doing his job last week when a minivan rolled over his body, pinning him underneath. A parade was held in his honour. Thousands of police officers, fire fighters, emergency services personnel and military servicemen and women turned out for the procession.
Which led me to pose the question, why do we honour people for doing their job?
Police Officers, fire fighters, emergency service personnel and military servicemen and women all know the dangers of the job. They are often reminded of it in oaths they swear when they join the force. Some police officers are reminded on a daily basis of the dangers of their job.
In fact, ask some members why they got involved in the police force, and they'll tell you its the intense rush of adrenaline that comes with facing death on a nearly daily basis.
So it may stand to reason police officers don't need the pomp and circumstance. It is what they signed up to do. Willingly.
Some have argued that officers give their lives for you and me. They're fighting for a greater cause.
Is an architect designing hospitals, government buildings and housing not working for you and me? If a construction worker dies on site, does that not mean they gave their lives to a greater cause than their own?
Tom didn't sign up to have a heart attack that day at work. He didn't think a major coronary would happen while getting ready to dissect the latest ratings.
Maybe he deserves the parade just as much (if not more) than those who risk their lives in the line of duty of their own accord.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Ford's Show Where Their PRIDE Is.
It's well documented that Toronto mayors have, since the city's amalgamation, attended the major Pride parade at the end of June every year.
Even Mel Lastman, who was convinced he shouldn't go eventually did (with the encouragement from a young John Tory).
Lastman found that with 1 million Torontonians (and tourists) coming out to support the parade, it was his duty to give the city what it wanted.
Rob Ford, to put it lightly, doesn't feel that way.
The mayor from the word go, told people he was looking at restricting or cutting off funding to the event that brings $136 Million over the week. He said if a group called 'Queers Against Israeli Apartheid' participated, he would cut funding. The group didn't want him to have the easy out, so they bailed.
Then when asked whether he would attend the city's biggest celebration, he said no; he'd be at the cottage with his family. A tradition in the Ford family.
I have no problems with family traditions; I have my own. But there are certain jobs in this world that you have to put up with being a public servant; meaning if the public needs to be served, you have to put up with it.
He teased the press, told us he wouldn't commit to any one event, but that he'd take it day by day. To the point where people wondered if he may actually get off his high horse in Huntsville, and hop on down to the parade.
That didn't happen.
And now, Ford's unofficial spokesman - brother (and city councillor) Doug Ford, said he wondered why more people didn't celebrate Canada Day with the same fervour they did with Pride, suggesting perhaps a Canada Day Parade could be held the same weekend.
First - What do you care about Canada Day celebrations in Toronto, it wasn't as if you would cancel family tradition for a parade (your words, not mine).
And secondly - you clearly do not understand what Pride is about.
Not Toronto Pride, but world wide Pride.
Pride wasn't set during the final week of June so boys in short shorts and tank tops could squirt the crowd with water guns. On June 28th, 1969, the Gay community at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, fought back against police officers who were persecuting them because they were Gay.
Pride is what Canada, and Toronto should be all about.
Equality for ALL residents, no matter what colour, race, gender and sexual orientation. It's about the little guy trying to make it big. It's about celebrating those who fought for Gay rights, when they were actually beaten and persecuted because of them.
In this writers opinion, Rob Ford refusing to show up to Pride would be like a big city mayor refusing to show up for Martin Luther King celebrations stateside.
Brother Doug said he'd like to see both a Canada Day Parade and a Pride Parade held on the same weekend. Next year, July 1st comes on the Sunday.
Can't wait for Pride 2012.
Even Mel Lastman, who was convinced he shouldn't go eventually did (with the encouragement from a young John Tory).
Lastman found that with 1 million Torontonians (and tourists) coming out to support the parade, it was his duty to give the city what it wanted.
Rob Ford, to put it lightly, doesn't feel that way.
The mayor from the word go, told people he was looking at restricting or cutting off funding to the event that brings $136 Million over the week. He said if a group called 'Queers Against Israeli Apartheid' participated, he would cut funding. The group didn't want him to have the easy out, so they bailed.
Then when asked whether he would attend the city's biggest celebration, he said no; he'd be at the cottage with his family. A tradition in the Ford family.
I have no problems with family traditions; I have my own. But there are certain jobs in this world that you have to put up with being a public servant; meaning if the public needs to be served, you have to put up with it.
He teased the press, told us he wouldn't commit to any one event, but that he'd take it day by day. To the point where people wondered if he may actually get off his high horse in Huntsville, and hop on down to the parade.
That didn't happen.
And now, Ford's unofficial spokesman - brother (and city councillor) Doug Ford, said he wondered why more people didn't celebrate Canada Day with the same fervour they did with Pride, suggesting perhaps a Canada Day Parade could be held the same weekend.
First - What do you care about Canada Day celebrations in Toronto, it wasn't as if you would cancel family tradition for a parade (your words, not mine).
And secondly - you clearly do not understand what Pride is about.
Not Toronto Pride, but world wide Pride.
Pride wasn't set during the final week of June so boys in short shorts and tank tops could squirt the crowd with water guns. On June 28th, 1969, the Gay community at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York, fought back against police officers who were persecuting them because they were Gay.
Pride is what Canada, and Toronto should be all about.
Equality for ALL residents, no matter what colour, race, gender and sexual orientation. It's about the little guy trying to make it big. It's about celebrating those who fought for Gay rights, when they were actually beaten and persecuted because of them.
In this writers opinion, Rob Ford refusing to show up to Pride would be like a big city mayor refusing to show up for Martin Luther King celebrations stateside.
Brother Doug said he'd like to see both a Canada Day Parade and a Pride Parade held on the same weekend. Next year, July 1st comes on the Sunday.
Can't wait for Pride 2012.
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