London City Council: controversies relevant to the 2014 election

Added Feb 15, 2014: Background information and Letter to the Editor re article and comments on vandalism in London depicting male genitals and a swastika.

Added Jan 22, 2014: An additional controversy over a workshop to encourage female candidates to run as councillors. Due to the Comments’ section having been deleted from the web page online, see article and comments as saved on my website: ‘Outgoing Ward 5 Coun. Joni Baechler will be joined by other former and current female politicians in running a workshop to encourage London women to run in the upcoming municipal election,’ by Carl Hnatyshyn, Jan 21, 2014). It’s disillusioning when comments on such a controversial issue are excluded from the London Free Press online, where readers might get a chance to see what others in the community think about it.

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Following are a selection of articles, including comments’ sections if available - even though incomplete - providing a sample of the issues affecting Londoners. Now that an election is drawing closer for the election on Oct 27, 2014, of London's Mayor, Ward Councillors and School Board Trustees, how some of the scandals and other problems within London, Ontario, have been handled might be of interest.

Key words are included with each of the articles and Letters to the Editor listed in the reference list below. For some of those articles and Letters, an additional link is provided, to my website, which will include a more complete list of comments than the comments in the official version.

For the most part, the articles and Letters sections I have selected are ones I contributed comments to, in a local London newspaper, which offers a place for discussion of relevant issues, or at least it did, for me, even though a good number of my comments were being deleted by moderators.  If my perspectives weren’t welcome, that is unfortunate, but that doesn’t seem to me to be a good enough reason for them to be deleted in such quantities as they were, and eventually, in my not being able to have submissions approved. In a city such as London – a university city - where a diversity of viewpoints should be expected, I am disappointed that mine were not considered acceptable in that rather biased environment. I am not the only person to run into the problem of overzealous moderation, of having comments removed for no reason, though not everyone who complains about it had good reason to; rather, they might be using that tactic to suggest that they have no personal advantage in that forum.

I have gathered the articles from the London Free Press (LFP) online, from which I am now banned from expressing online where other residents and outsiders are offered the freedom to do so, in a forum that, except for me, could be considered informative and vibrant. One purpose is to provide interested readers a variety of viewpoints on these issues, including my own. Another is to have my views reinserted into the sections from where they have been removed, as much as possible, and to have them available to readers, who might otherwise only be getting to read the ‘acceptable’ views on some of these issues.

Since my research interests include gender and sexuality and class divisions, I tend to focus on these when the subjects appear in the news, not just to advertise my blog, as I am so often accused of, but to attempt to get other views across, and not simply the traditional views, or the increasingly sexualized views that so many people have in today’s world.

Prostitution is now a national issue, with the impact of legalizing brothels holding the possibility of a changed London. It might be a subject some don’t want to discuss, but fortunately, it has been, to some extent, mentioned within the pages of the LFP. Keeping in mind that tactics to silence me and distort what I say are not uncommon, I include pieces on the subject of prostitution as well as related pieces on things sexual (see on my website, Letters to the Editor, Dec 24, 2013, Dec 23, 2013; and Letters to Editor, Dec 30, 2013, Dec 29, 2013). See also on a CBC news video what a former sex worker in London, Ontario, has to say about the changes in the law: ‘Former Sex Worker Opposes Legal Brothels' (video, by Wei Chen, June 14, 2013.

The issue of an image of Katy Perry on the side of a London bus by London City Transit (LCT) is one that was controversial but quickly dealt with and cast aside. It brings to mind another incident some time ago, in which London MP Irene Mathyssen objected to what she perceived to be an incident of sexism during a parliamentary session and ended up apologizing for mentioning it. I wrote about this on my blog, the only piece mentioned on this page that is not from the LFP. See ‘Public displays of private matters - Irene Mathyssen and James Moore’, by Sue McPherson, Dec 7, 2007).

More on Kate Perry, Sandy White, and the N-word is on pages 19-21 in Comments section on my website in ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election,’ by Patrick Maloney, Jan 10, 2014 .

The class divide includes issues of wealth and poverty, as well as the idea of class based on education and/or occupation. Both of these types of divisions come into play in some of the articles and comments. For discussions, see my saved versions of comments on ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election,’ by Patrick Maloney, Jan 10, 2014; and ‘Dysfunctional, erratic, even “a bit of a disaster”,' by Chip Martin, Jan 3, 2014.

Term limits for councillors was a topic of discussion in one Letters to the Editor section, comments I had made being deleted for no apparent reason. The series of 3 comments is as follows, including a response that remains in the LFP version and my comments which was deleted.

********** S McP to J A (comment deleted)
If a previous councillor were encouraged to become a mentor to newcomers to local politics, it wouldn't be a matter of simply tossing them out, as you put it. The experience they gain in politics can be applied to other occupations, if they chose to, or after one or two terms out of office they might well go into it again.
We have already covered this in the other article's comments section, but here goes again. Just as many of the unemployed become exasperated at the request for 'experienced candidates only' restriction, so it must be in politics when people want to try but there is no encouragement. If there were permitted, no doubt it would be soon enough that they also came to be seen as "proven" and the "best." That's why all who can, who have something to offer, should have the chance, instead of the same ones over and over again counting on voters' loyalty to their name, or complacency when it comes to spending time on this important democratic process.

P E to S McP
“If a previous councillor were encouraged to become a mentor to newcomers to local politics”
You might want to rethink that idea, and before you do, just consider one name, Orser.

*********  S McP to P E (comment deleted)
I said "if".

End of selection of 3 comments, one of which is in Letters to Editor, Jan 7, 2014 (Jan 6, 2014).

It seemed like a good idea – not a unique one, by any means, but not deserving of the putdown by the other commenter. For anyone considering the idea of mentoring, whether formally, through a program, or informally, the idea is to match up mentor and protégé, and not even to think that everyone was capable of being a good mentor or would want to be. And yet, it was my comments that got left out of the LFP version.

Regarding Nazi symbols in London, what was most important, it seems, was whether the person creating them was wealthy or not, in other words, the economic class of the perpetrator, which would enable one to be privately open about their interests, the other, doing so publically, in public. See ‘Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas,’ by Dale Carruthers, Nov 16, 2013; also see ‘Martin Weiche kept Hitler's memory alive by styling his London estate after the Fuehrer’s Bavarian retreat,’ by Jane Sims, Jan 10, 2014.

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added Feb 15, 2014

The article about vandalism focused mainly on the Nazi symbol – the swastika – though there had been another image drawn on the window – male genitals, mentioned briefly in the article but not at all in the comments. Eventually, I noticed the reference to the other offending image, and was in the middle of writing a comment about it to post online when Comments were close, just 24 hours after the article had been posted. Instead, I submitted it as a Letter to the Editor, mentioning the omission of the other image from the title, and deleted from the window before the police arrived, and ignored in the discussion in the writeup. I received a notice saying the LFP had received my submission, but it was not published in the Letters to the Editor section. This is the Letter.

Letter: Re 'Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas' , Nov 16 by Dale Carruthers.

"If the swastika offended the owner because it was so close to Remembrance Day, why didn't the depiction of male genitals offend him as much, seeing as it is so close to the Dec 6 commemoration of violence against women.

Even though we know that male genitals have a good side to them, they do also symbolize the harm that is done to women through rape. And many more women suffer rape and sexual violence, surely, than Jews did what happened to them at the hand of Nazis. So why is it this symbol of Nazi oppression and death continues to haunt the world. Why will they (Jewish people, mainly) never let what happened slip farther down in their consciousness! Why is this always a reason to bring it up again, and again!
Rhetorical questions.

The kids will learn about the Nazis in school, though each generation will use the swastika symbol to shock. And they will continue to use the symbol of the penis to shock, although it seems that in today's world most people don't object to that " (Sue McPherson). End of Letter to Editor.

As with the Kate Perry images on the side of the city’s buses, some images are deemed acceptable to show and to discuss, and some not.


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Another question for council is why money has been granted for a study into how to help sex workers when two local women – a physician and a police officer - are already working on the front lines, doing what they can (In Person: Dr. Anne Bodkin works with Sgt. Lorna Bruce to help those in dangerous, unhealthy street-level trade, by Randy Richmond, Sept 29, 2013; Intention to get women off the streets, by Randy Richmond, Jan 13, 2014. Obviously, the two are connected – the practical side of it and the research. But since the two women had already started working with sex workers, why was no mention made in the more recent article of how they view their efforts over the last three months. In contradiction to the thoughts of Megan Walker, I would think that focusing on ending prostitution isn’t really a reasonable possibility. Read also, Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2013, Dec 29, 2013).

Language itself is a subject worthy of note here, as it is often used in such forums in ways that are deceitful and controlling. Specific examples can be viewed in Comments’ sections, for instance, about the use of the words ‘academic’ and ‘profession, and variations of them.

The use of the term ‘academic’ became an issue in the comments section of ‘London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election, by Patrick Maloney,’ Jan10, 2014). On pages 24-25 in my copy of the article and comments, now saved onto my website ( http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_LondonCityMattBrownForMayor.doc ), I have restored the comments that I made during the discussion of the word ‘academic.’ The word was being used incorrectly, although resistance was great to accepting my viewpoint on that.

Worse are intentional uses of language in ways that distort another’s words.
See this, in my comment, “What will there be to indicate to boys and girls that sex is special, that it isn't something you go around having just for fun, with this person or that, or to get the job you want” (on my website: Comments, LFP Letters to Editor, Dec 24, 2013 (Dec 23, 2013). My url

The response, by P E, begins with a quote from that sentence: "that it isn't something you go around having just for fun," distorting what I said. Worse, my comment isn’t on the LFP website article and Comments’ section. Only P E’s response, taking part of the sentence out of context, leaving a completely inaccurate perception of the original sentence. It’s not hard to do that, and people who do aren’t demonstrating any sense of comprehension for what was said, only trickery, or duplicity in their responses.

Another example of useless internet interaction was during a discussion on poppies – in colours red and white (Letters to the editor Nov 8, 2013, Nov 7, 2013). Sometimes it seems as though a commenter may just be waiting until the other person makes a mistake, when he can then pounce on the offending party with everything he’s got. It’s another example of taking a phrase out of context, without considering anything else the commenter has said, but using the mistake as an opportunity to present basic knowledge on the issue, while belittling the other commenter for his or her apparent lack of  knowledge.

It is frustrating dealing with people who have an agenda that seems to be based more on winning, rather than discussion for the purpose of greater understanding or thinking of solutions. It’s even more frustrating to try to have a discussion when the intentions of others may not be that, but in fact may be to suppress information or certain commenters.

It leaves the moderators in a difficult position, as they cannot read every comment for its meaning, or if they do, cannot be expected to get it right every time. So they end up taking sides, against commenters themselves, sometimes, or against the world views of the commenters, and not simply against individual comments.

Other notable incidents in London’s recent history include the city hall being lit up in purple (Now a whole month of demonization of men over violence, by Herman Goodden, Nov 15, 2013), and an announcement of a partial list of recipients of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals (And the winners are . . .  , Oct 30, 2013).

This has not been a complete summary of scandals and problems London has faced over the year, but a selection based on my own interests, including that of flaws in the comments system that leaves it biased and susceptible to corruption by certain individuals whose agenda may not be the good of the city of London.

If readers discover errors in citing sources, for instance, kindly let me know, and I would prefer that you do not attempt to use one or even two mistakes as evidence that my writing and ways of thinking do not have merit. If the mistakes of any commenter go on and on, and the games go on and on, then it might be time to consider what their purpose is, on the discussion forums of the London Free Press.


List of Articles and Letters to the Editor

Outgoing Ward 5 Coun. Joni Baechler will be joined by other former and current female politicians in running a workshop to encourage London women to run in the upcoming municipal election.
By Carl Hnatyshyn, Special to QMI Agency
London Free Peress
Jan 21, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/21/outgoing-ward-5-coun-joni-baechler-will-be-joined-by-other-former-and-current-female-politicians-in-running-a-workshop-to-encourage-london-women-to-run-in-the-upcoming-municipal-election
View article plus comments on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_OutgoingWard5CounJoniBaechlerWomenElection.doc

Taxpayers paid almost $100,000 for lawyers to represent city councillors in the Billy T's probe

[questionable activities of mayor and councillors]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 16, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/16/billy-ts-legal-tab-nearly-100g

Letters to the editor: Jan. 14, 2014
[fresh faces on council, submission and dominance, moderation of comments]
London Free Press
Jan 13, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/13/letters-to-the-editor-jan-14 
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan14_LFPLetters.doc

Intention to get women off the streets
[prostitution, city-funded study]
By Randy Richmond
The London Free Press
Jan 13, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/13/intention-to-get-women-off-the-streets

Martin Weiche kept Hitler's memory alive by styling his London estate after the Fuehrer’s Bavarian retreat
[gender, Nazi symbol, class]
By Jane Sims
The London Free Press
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/10/martin-weiche-kept-hitlers-memory-alive-by-styling-his-london-estate-after-the-fuehrers-bavarian-retreat

Macartney: "There are likely no perfect answers, and arguments from both sides are worthy of more discussion.”
[term limits for city council, municipal election]
By Gerry Macartney, Special to QMI Agency
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/09/macartney-there-are-likely-no-perfect-answers-and-arguments-from-both-sides-are-worthy-of-more-discussion

London city councillor Matt Brown running for mayor in 2014 municipal election
[municipal election, choosing a candidate, Kate Perry, Sandy White and the N-word; class divide]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 10, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/10/london-city-councillor-matt-brown-running-for-mayor-in-2014-municipal-election
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_LondonCityMattBrownForMayor.doc

No economic ‘downturn’ for London Mayor Joe Fontana
[budget, police and fire depts]
By Patrick Maloney
The London Free Press
Jan 9, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/09/no-economic-downturn-for-mayor

Letters to the editor: Jan. 7, 2014
[city council, mentorship]
Free Press readers
Jan 6, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/06/letters-to-the-editor-jan-7-2#comment-1189967168 

Dysfunctional, erratic, even 'a bit of a disaster': Critics see blood in the water for incumbents mounting London mayoral or city council runs this year
[council, criminal charges, group of eight, class divide, performing arts centre, gender, masculinity]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Jan 3, 2014
http://www.lfpress.com/2014/01/03/dysfunctional-erratic-even-a-bit-of-a-disaster-critics-see-blood-in-the-water-for-incumbents-mounting-london-mayoral-or-city-council-runs-this-year
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2014_Jan_DysfunctionalErraticABitOfADisasterLondon.doc

Letters to the Editor: Dec. 30, 2013  
[mailboxes, prostitution, sex ]
Free Press Readers
Dec 29, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/29/letters-to-the-editor-dec-30
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Dec_LFPLettersDec30.doc

Letters to the Editor: Dec. 24, 2013
[prostitution, sex]
Free Press Readers
Dec 23, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/23/letters-to-the-editor-dec-24
View on S.A.McPherson website. To access using google chrome, download when prompted to appropriate place on your computer, save, and click open at bottom left-hand corner of page.
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Dec_LFPLettersDec_24.doc

Letter to the Editor
[vandalism, swastika symbol, masculinity symbol]
By Sue McPherson
to London Free Press
Nov 17, 2013 12:05 pm
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2013_Nov_MyLetterEditor_Nov17_Vandalism.doc

Vandal defaces downtown London business with swastikas
[Nazi symbols, class, masculinity]
By Dale Carruthers
The London Free Press
Nov 16, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/16/vandal-defaces-downtown-london-business-with-swastika

Now a whole month of demonization of men over violence
[feminism, city hall lit purple]
By Herman Goodden, Special to QMI Agency
LFP
Nov 15, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/15/goodden-now-a-whole-month-of-demonization-of-men-over-violence

Letters to the editor Nov 8, 2013
[poppies,  Remembrance Day]
London Free Press
Nov 7, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/11/07/letters-to-the-editor-nov-8 

And the winners are . . .
[Queen’s diamond jubilee medals, city council, partial list]
London Free Press
Oct 30, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/10/30/and-the-winners-are

London council gives pay freeze cold shoulder
[pay increase for city council and mayor?]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Oct 21, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/10/21/london-council-gives-pay-freeze-cold-shoulder

In Person: Dr. Anne Bodkin works with Sgt. Lorna Bruce to help those in dangerous, unhealthy street-level trade
[health, housing, prostitution]
By Randy Richmond
The London Free Press
Sept 29, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/09/29/in-person-dr-anne-bodkin-works-with-sgt-lorna-bruce-to-help-those-in-dangerous-unhealthy-street-level-trade

Former Sex Worker Opposes Legal Brothels (video)
[prostitution]
By Wei Chen, CBC
June 14, 2013
http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Ontario/Ontario+Morning/ID/2391336443/

Trashing kate Perry seems odd
[gender; sexism; Katy Perry, Sandy White and the N-word]
By Dan Brown
The London Free Press
Mar 8, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/03/08/brown-trashing-katy-perry-seems-odd 

Sandy White demanding apology from fellow London councillor Harold Usher
[Katy Perry, Sandy White and the N-word]
By Chip Martin
The London Free Press
Mar 7, 2013
http://www.lfpress.com/2013/03/07/sandy-white-demanding-apology-from-fellow-london-councillor-harold-usher

Public displays of private matters - Irene Mathyssen and James Moore
[politics, sexism, gender]
By Sue McPherson
Sue’s Views on the News
Dec 7, 2007
http://suemcpherson.blogspot.ca/2007/12/public-and-private-work-and-sex.html

Marathon athletes - the bravery of Claire Lomas, Terry Fox, and others

A few days ago I happened to come across an article about the bravery of one of the participants in the London marathon, in Britain. The history of this event, and its structure, can be found online using a search engine. Almost from the beginning, I found I was in the wrong place. This wasn't an objective article about someone running in the marathon. This was a support sytem, an update log, for supporters of Clarie Lomas.

The article itself was biased to the extreme, and the comments were no better. I have not seen comments before - well maybe I have - that distorted the truth so astoundingly, without hesitance, with no apparent sense of integrity or need to say anything more except to pretend. The falsehoods that were being spoken were beyond belief, the absolute loyalty of most of the commenters (and as it turned out, the moderators as well) was appalling, though it has to be taken into consideration that they were coming at this from the persoective of the well-off in Britain.

There seemed to be no qualms at distorting the truth in an attempt to persuade readers to donate to Claire's cause - spinal research - and apparently to the cost of her robot suit and her pysiotherapist, 5 star hotels, etc, as well as continuing medical care that in most likelihood would never be available to anyone but the most popular people in the country.

One of the first questions I asked was whether Claire required a physiotherapist to stand behind her every step of the way, in her marathon attempt which should take about 2 or 3 weeks. The abrupt answer was Of course, as though it was not a subject to be discussed further and no more information need to be given out. I wasn't the only person to wonder about the sense of letting Claire do this, as what was obvious was that she was totally dependent on her physiotherapist, her medical team, her family, and all those who supported her "independence." Yes, did you catch that.

Is this what is now considered to be independence - walking in a $70,000 bionic suit, unable to travel alone, do many of the typical things a person does for oneself, unable to care for one's child, or cook meals for hubby, or many other things I haven't mentioned here. Yet, people in the article discussion were claiming just that - that Claire was independent.

How anyone can think that a person who comes to this mainly because she comes from money, has money, had a career, and is youthful and lovely to look at, can represent the idea of 'bravery' is beyond me. There are so many others out there - marathon participants included - who must have to struggle to walk, or get into their wheelchair, and have to deal with doing their daily tasks alone without help, with far less assistance from the medical community, than Claire has. I doubt that a day ever went by that she didn't know that she would be taken care of, would be given the best care that money could buy, the best treatment. Has she ever experienced doubt, that her family and friends - and the medical community - would care for her?

Even her marriage seems like something out of a fairy tale, not the kind of experience most women would have if they went on an online dating service, paralyzed from the chest down. How lucky would a girl have to be to attract a research scientist? Claire went on to marry her internet date, got pregnant, and had a child. But out of human interest, isn't it normal to be curious about how she cares for the child, or is it like the question about the physiotherapist. One should not ask such things.

It reminds me of the story, the Emperor with No Clothes, how everyone ignored the reality of the sitution and simply pretended, because they had to, because those with power said they should. And yet, I can't think of any situation so artificial, so pretentious, so unreal, so false, as this situation - this girl's life. Even our own Kate and William, who some may criticize because of their Royal connections, come across as real, as like us in so many ways. They walk and talk and work and look after the house and go on trips. They are independent, in mind and body, and in the way they live their lives.

This new tale brings the story of the Emperor up-to-date, as it is based on techonology, re-invention, the concept of relativity (there is no one truth, it's all perspective), and, I would add, the idea that a young woman can do it all, and have it all - the marriage and children, a home, earning a living, participating athletically, contributing meaningfully, etc. So if a slight distortion of the truth surrounding the facts of the situation is required in order that the masses believe in Claire and her life, and that it really does relate to our own, well so be it.

I don't like to think of people donating to her cause because they have been encouraged to see her as someone special - as independent, giving her all to a cause which will supposedly help all spinal injuries sufferers, because the truth is, in any medical innovation or expensive treatment, it's not the ordinary person who benefits. It's ordinary people who often give from their meagre resources, looking up to someone whose image is being projected as saintlike, determined, brave to the extreme, but the reality is that it is more likely to be the unheralded ordinary person who shows bravery, suffering in silence and without the steady support from family, community and the medical system, as they particpate in the marathon, or just try to survive, from day to day.

To me, newpapers are places where one reads the news and gets to hear the well-informed opinions of journalists and others, not a place to provide support, and persuade readers to give money, for a cause which is suspect in the first place in its integrity, worth, and usefulness. I hold the author of the article, Cole Moreton, responsible for instigating such a farce, and the ready and willing supporters in the comments section of the article for their narrow-mindedness and general bad attitude towards anyone who questioned the worth of supporting Claire's cause and the statements that were being said about her.

On one level, I pondered the question of how many people would benefit from additional funds put into money for spinal research, and how many patients would actually be able to walk afterwards due to the inspiration of Clair Lomas. I wonder how many other patients would have welcomed the opportunity to try out the bionic legs and participate in the marathon, and how many are simply left to watch from their beds.

On another level, I questioned the idea of 'progress' itself, commenting that
"It always feels good to 'progress,' even though we know that progress isn't always the best route to take. I know, I'm not perfect either. I had virtually abandoned old posts on my blog, Sue's Views on the News, in favour of writing on new and current topics. Having to maintain the old, update the links, etc, is never as inspiring or as much fun. But underneath it all, it is as important as writing new posts. It is the foundation on which we build - our blog, or in the case of healthcare, our country. Letting the old drop away, mistreated, without attention, is not the sign of a healthy society.

There's a fine line between stagnation and progress, one being too much remaining stuck in present circumstances, the other being too intent on moving forward, continuously. We already know how badly our health systems are suffering, financially, with physiotherapists, doctors, and adequate health care not available to all people equally. So why heap so much on this one girl, and this single health condition, to benefit the ones who can afford it, when people all over the 'civilized' world are suffering." End of comment

I encourage readers to read the Comments section of the article 'Is this the bravest,' which I saved in a separate document (see below) as I came to realize that comments were being interfered with by the moderators. Also in the comments section of that article I mention Terry Fox, the one-legged Canadian whose determination, with virtually no financial backing, took on the task of crossing Canada to raise money for cancer research, until the cancer took his life a few months later, at age 22. He was just an ordinary person, a true sportsman, back then in 1980 when he ran his Marathon of Hope.


Added May 5, 2012

It look as though even more posts have been tampered with, in the comments section following the Cole Moreton article. Personal comments made about me, to me, by some of the commenters, have been removed. Many of my comments have been labeled ‘edited’ although most haven’t been changed, just the ones that say things they don’t want to hear, about class, mainly, meaning money.

See ‘Richard Branson’ for the latest on the medal controversy. He and the Virgin group will be honouring Claire with a trophy for her effort.

This is Eddie Kidd’s website: http://www.eddiekidd.com/#/home/4548358397 . He was a stunt rider injured in a motorcycle show who received brain injuries as well as damaging his spinal cord (mentioned by a commenter in the Leicester Mercury).

For those interested in more stories of determination, see the website of marine engineer Alex T Smith, at http://alexwillwalkagain.com/2008/09/ , for his story of spinal injury, his successes in rehabilitation, and the continuing struggle for the treatment he needs.

Hairdresser Claire Squires (see Claire Squires Samaritans) pushed herself beyond the limits of normal endurance, as so many do while running the marathon; sadly, she lost her life before reaching the finishing line, resulting in an outpouring of grief and generosity.

Added May 10, 2012

In the newspaper's comments in the Apr 28 Telegraph article, 'Is this the bravest...', the subject of independence had come up. Claire was described as independent, despite surely having almost every aspect of her life dependent on the good will of others (or money paid, since selflessness is not a desirable trait, according to some readers). I doubt that she cooked or cleaned, or drove a car. She was followed at every step of the marathon by her physiotherapist, although I noticed by the end of the walk news article were saying it was her husband who walked behind her. She married and had a child some time after the accident, but I don't see how it would have been possible for her to help with the practical care of the infant.

In the Telegraph article of the day of completion for Claire - May 8 - there were still many staunch supporters, why, I don't know, when what she did was something many others would have been capable of, given the chance. This is hard to prove of course, because they didn't get that opportunity. It's what enables the middle classes to continue the pretence that they are more worthy than others, as suggested by the article in today's Telegraph (Privately educated MPs, actors and sports stars ... May 10, 2012).

Claire being a woman might have influenced readers and supporters even though they may not have been aware of that aspect of it. A comment I left today on the Telegraph's May 8th 'Paralysed Claire Lomas completes ... ' asks that question.



List of comments: Is this the bravest marathon athlete of all?
By the readers of Cole Moreton's article in Telegraph, Apr 28, 2012
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2012_May_ListOfCommentsBraveryOfMarathon.doc

How Terry Fox changed Canada
Toronto Star
Apr 11, 2010
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/793452--how-terry-fox-changed-canada

Is this the bravest marathon athlete of all?
By Cole Moreton
Telegraph
Apr 28, 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/london-marathon/9233873/Is-this-the-bravest-marathon-athlete-of-all.html


Additional articles and sites:

Alex T Smith
'Alex will walk again' website
Dec 2006 - present
http://alexwillwalkagain.com/2008/09/

Claire Squires Samaritans fundraising page raises more than £1m
By Patrick Butler and Helen Carter
guardian.co.uk
Apr 27, 2012
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/27/claire-squires-samaritans-site-raises-1m?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Diving suit man Lloyd Scott denied London Marathon farewell
By Andy Dangerfield
Mar 22, 2012
BBC News, London
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17465047

Give her a medal! Olympic hero issues plea over Claire's marathon effort
Leicester Mercury
May 04, 2012
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/medal-Olympic-hero-issues-plea-Claire-s-marathon/story-16001121-detail/story.html

It's heartbreaking when Eddie's kids ring ... but can't understand him
By David Lowe
The Sun
Mar 4, 2009
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/real_life/article2294572.ece

London Marathon: Thousands take part in 32nd race
BBC News
Apr 22, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17785660

Nine days after the London Marathon finished, paralysed mother is still out there taking one step at a time... thanks to a £43,000 bionic suit
By Harry Mount
Daily Mail
May 1, 2012
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2137651/Awesome-courage-bionic-woman-Nine-days-race-finished-paralysed-mother-doing-London-marathon-heroic-step-time--thanks-43-000-space-age-suit.html

No race medal for London Marathon fund-raiser Claire Lomas
Merc_Reporter
Leicestershire Mercury
May 03, 2012
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/race-medal-London-Marathon-fund-raiser-Claire/story-15992429-detail/story.html

Paralysed Claire Lomas completes London Marathon
Telegraph
May 8, 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/london-marathon/9252205/Paralysed-Claire-Lomas-completes-London-Marathon.html#disqus_thread

Paralysed rider aims for London marathon with 'Wrong Trousers' robot legs
By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent
Telegraph
Feb 12, 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9076329/Paralysed-rider-aims-for-London-marathon-with-Wrong-Trousers-robot-legs.html

Paralyzed woman completes London Marathon wearing bionic suit
Emily Jackson Staff Reporter
Star online
May 8 2012
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1175081--paralyzed-woman-completes-london-marathon-wearing-bionic-suit?bn=1#article

Privately educated MPs, actors and sports stars dominate society, says Gove
Telegraph
May 10, 2012
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/9257078/Privately-educated-MPs-actors-and-sports-stars-dominate-society-says-Gove.html

Richard Branson will give 'bionic' woman medal for London Marathon
BBC News
May 5, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-17967948

Motherhood, aging, and resentful adult children: Shirley Anderson's story

Updated Jan 1, 2013
Feb 3, 2013 - Edited and 4 additional references added

Shirley Anderson is suing her adult children for support. An ancient law based on English poor laws throughout Canada, except for Alberta, regards this as the children's duty (Payback time, MacLeans, June 24, 2010). The media has picked on an example of bad parenting, committed by Ken Anderson's mother and father when he was just 15 years old to support the argument of the four adult children being sued, that they shouldn't have to pay support (A bad mother's right to support from her children, National Post, July 27, 2010).

Ken was left behind when his parents moved from Osoyoos to West Kootenay in BC - abandoned, as they describe it. Shirley Anderson took her second-youngest son, Darryl, with her, apparently against her husband Gary's wishes (What do we owe our parents, Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2010). Shirley Anderson raised five children, developed lupus along the way (Payback time for parents, MacLeans, June 24, 2010), and never worked. At age 71, she now has nothing. Gary, her ex, gave her alimony when they divorced, though his boss, Labbatts, needed encouragment to split his pension with her. He has since died.

Shirley went into debt with her credit card. Her attempts to get support have been going on for ten years now. Darryl has been in and out of jail and is not being sued. Ken is 46, married with children, not wealthy but hard-working, and resents the additional burden supporting his mother presents. Daughter Donna Anderson "breaks down in tears when she recalls her tumultuous childhood with the 'mother we never had' " (What do we owe our parents, Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2010). She went to university and is raising two children.

Son Brian bought her a fridge once, in an attempt to build a relationship. Donna and her mother attended counselling together. But nothing worked, the children say. Keith hasn't talked to her in years. "She doesn't even know we're alive," he is quoted as saying (What do we owe our parents, Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2010), though it appears she does. He adds, "She never worked and she's never worked at her family either."

It's suprising that she managed to raise such enterprising children - none got put into foster homes, only one in trouble with the law. They have educated themselves and worked hard, formed relationships and raised families. They also seem to have little tolerance for women of that era, who often did stay home with the children while the husband worked - cooking, cleaning, driving the children to school functions, community events, and to the doctor and dentist - shopping, sewing, mending, filling out forms for school, getting them their shots at the doctor's, putting on birthday parties, and so on. And she had five children to worry about! At the time Shirley was raising her family, the one-salary family was the quite typical, the man being the breadwinner, his earnings enough for the entire family. That changed, in the 70's probably, until we reached this time where it takes two incomes for a family to feel they have enough.

There is uncertainty about this kind of law, though Surrey, BC, lawyer David Greig says that a child must have means to pay support before they are made to (Payback time for parents, MacLeans, June 24, 2010). Unfortunately, it's part of the human condition for people to always think they need more. And whether the reason the children are so critical of their mother is, in part, due to their not wanting to have to pay her, we don't know. Whether it should be the children's responsibility or the system's, is the larger question.

Shirley's lawyer, Donald McLeod, says "My interest quite frankly is to see that someone is treated right, and that's all I care about . . . I don't know very many people that would not be happy to support an aged parent. The duty to support and assist an elderly parent transcends everything else" (What do we owe our parents, Vancouver Sun, July 24, 2010). And finally he says, "What kind of mother she was, or is, shouldn't matter. To engage in any analysis of who is at fault, I think that is a useless exercise."

"Do vengeance and vindictiveness have a place in the lives of otherwise decent people?" is the question asked in another piece on this subject (Forgiveness for an errant elder, Vancouver Sun, July 29, 2010). If Shirley was as bad as the children's stories suggest and this was not simply about money, the eye-for-an-eye retribution seems to be a little extreme. It is a symptom of our times - this hatred towards the older generation, especially women or anyone who is isolated and cannot defend themselves. Read the comments with the articles, for an idea of how our society thinks about them. It makes one wonder just how civilized we are.


Added Jan 1, 2013
A recent international news piece in the National Post, about Palestinian women being denied their rightful inheritance, raises a related matter. It may apply to Shirley Anderson’s situation, or may not. It simply is not mentioned – and why would it be – if the children received an inheritance from one of their mother’s relations through plans made for it to skip a generation. Such plans would no doubt be legal, though if some coercion had occurred, of an elderly relative, to perhaps ensure that certain descendants be left off the list of beneficiaries, then could this be considered an ethical digression, if not outright illegal? (see Tradition, social pressure keeping Palestinian women from their inheritances, Dec 27, 2012).

It is easy for people on the outside to judge, especially if they don’t know all the circumstances. False accusations or distortions of events made against the mother may hold little if any truth. It is far easier for those who hold power to have their word taken as truth than a mother fighting for survival. Some of what has been said I find shocking, particularly as one who found it necessary to leave the marriage I was in, the effects of it following me for a long time afterwards. No one is a perfect parent or spouse, but the odd one may cause harm that lasts. So much is talked about of women being able to choose to be stay-at-home mothers, but that works if she has a husband who will treat her like a human being, during the marriage and if it should end for some reason, then afterwards too. As we see here, from children who surely must have taken a huge amount of their mother’s time to raise, Shirley Anderson deserves more than what she got, from her family and from the legal system.

A bad mother's right to support from her children
By Adrian MacNair
National Post, Full comment
July 27, 2010
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/07/27/adrian-macnair-a-bad-mothers-right-to-support-from-her-children/#more-7817

Adult children won’t have to support mom, court rules
By Ian AustinThe Province
Jan 31, 2013http://www.theprovince.com/news/Adult+children+have+support+court+rules/7896113/story.html

Anderson v. Anderson, 2013 BCSC 129 (CanLII)
Court case result
http://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2013/2013bcsc129/2013bcsc129.html

Forgiveness for an errant elder
By Catherine A. Mori
Vancouver Sun
July 29, 2010
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=004cf063-8823-4b2e-9864-9b0dee0e576d

Payback time for parents
By Nancy Macdonald
MacLeans
June 24, 2010
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/06/24/payback-time-for-parents/

Runaway mom who sued adult children for support after abandoning them as teenagers NOT entitled to money: judge
National Post Wire Services
Feb 1, 2013
http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/02/01/runaway-mom-who-sued-adult-children-for-support-after-abandoning-them-as-teenagers-not-entitled-to-money-judge

Shirley Anderson, Mom Who Sued Kids For Support, Loses Case
The Huffington Post B.C.
Jan 31, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/31/shirley-anderson-mom-sued-kids-child-support-bc_n_2592170.html

Tradition, social pressure keeping Palestinian women from their inheritances
By Diana Atallah
National Post - The Media Line
Dec 27, 2012
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/27/tradition-social-pressure-keeping-palestinian-women-from-their-inheritances/

What do we owe our parents?

By Denise Ryan
Vancouver Sun
July 24, 2010
http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=46e10b66-0c0e-4f80-bc01-e7bb262b67e5&p=6

Links updated Feb 3, 2013

Robin Hood: class warfare

Conrad Black writes: "If the richest Americans are to be enlisted in the fight against poverty, it should be in the form of private-sector anti-poverty projects that wealthy taxpayers could design and administer themselves. This would involve the best financial minds in poverty reduction and would give the wealthiest people an incentive to eliminate poverty, as the rate of tax would decline as poverty declined and would vanish when poverty, as reasonably defined, vanished."

Why does Conrad assume that the wealthiest are the smartest. How is it that myth persists?

Usually the wealthiest are those who conform the most, jumping through the hoops and doing whatever it is that our society wants, and values. Take Lady Gaga, for instance. She knows, as did Madonna, when she started her career.

On another level are the practically mindless folk who actually do attempt to 'shortchange' their customers. Getting their jobs because of some relationship they have formed certainly doesn't lead them to be grateful, it would seem. Stealing from the poor is the other side to all this - including money, careers, educational opportunities.

In 'Robin Hood or the Pope' Tom Cosgrove mentions Father Larry Snyder and the website about Poverty in America, Think and Act Anew. One would think 'Reclaiming the dignity of work' is what our society needs, but I imagine that only works when the worker has earned the right to the job.  'Collateral damage' seems to be the effect, when people are denied the opportunity to earn a living. They don’t really matter.

Conrad himself believes that "we must banish to the proverbial dustbin of history the heirloom of Fabian attitude that any benefit to society’s short-changed must be wrung from the sweat of the diligent and transformed into the penalization of success." Perhaps that statement would make sense if all the wealthy did actually earn what they were paid - according to the time and energy and knowledge they put into their work, instead of the value of work being based on some extraordinary needs of our society, with those who need it most being cast out as virtually unemployable.

Together with nepotism, favouritism, and a sexualized society, these excessively-paid celebrities, entertainers and some might add, politicians, do nothing to help turn our society into a fair and humane place for those struggling for something better.


Collateral Damage
By Fr Larry Snyder
Think and Act Anew website
May 12, 2010
http://www.thinkandactanew.org/think-and-act-anew/2010/05/index.html

The Lady Gaga guide to capitalism
By Conrad Black
National Post
May 22, 2010
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/05/22/the-lady-gaga-guide-to-capitalism/#more-1330

The real Robin never robbed the rich
By John Ridpath
National Post
May 19, 2010
http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/05/19/the-real-robin-never-robbed-the-rich.aspx link no longer works
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2010_May_RealRobinNeverRobbedRich.doc
Contains original comment made online by Sue McPherson

Robin Hood or the Pope: Who Really Cares About the Poor?
By Tom Cosgrove
Huffington Post
May 18, 2010
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-cosgrove/robin-hood-or-the-pope-wh_b_580417.html

Stealing From the Rich: Four Different Approaches
By Dave Kehr
May 21, 2010
NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/movies/homevideo/23kehr.html

Links updated April 17, 2012

Project Hero: Free university tuition for children of deceased soldiers

Revised June, 2012

A new policy, begun in 2009 by Retired General Rick Hillier and Honorary Lt. Colonel Kevin Reed, provides scholarships to children of soldiers who have died while in service. Project Hero has been introduced at several colleges and universities across Canada. Some professors at the University of Regina have objected to the program, however, claiming that the program glorifies military action, as does the name itself - Project Hero, and would rather their university had no part in it.

The program appears to be a tuition waiver, with grants for books and tuition presumably supplied by the Canadian Hero Fund. It looks as though the Canadian Hero Fund originally provided the funds for such endeavors, including spouses of the deceased soldiers being eligible as well as their children. Being so closely associated with the universities puts a different slant on the program, however. If the universities voluntarily waive the tuition fees, they will give the impression of taking sides, despite what the universities say.

“Our decision to do this was not at all meant to suggest endorsement of or lack of endorsement of something such as military action. It is purely to support the education pursuits of those for whom it might have been challenging to access post secondary,” said Barb Pollock, spokeswoman for the University of Regina. (Globe and Mail, Mar 26, 2010). But of course it is an endorsement! If they provided free tuition to white supremacists, wouldn't people notice, and wonder? Do we really want our universities to set objectivity aside and become politically associated with this side or that?

It's understandable that the University of Regina would sign up to the program without giving it much thought. They could see how other respected universities had agreed to the program, and at face value, it must have seemed like a good idea. It's just too bad that experts in the field weren't asked for their opinion first, before this step was taken.

The title given to the project is another issue. The old-fashioned idea, especially among military personnel, might well be to think of war and death in war as heroic, but our aim should be, and I thought was starting to be, to perceive war as a necessity, and being a soldier as a career, not mainly as a noble way to die, a means to becoming a hero.

The children and spouses of our fallen soldiers will be provided for, by programs initiated by the military or former military personnel, with ways of donating made easily accessible through the internet. It is not a rejection of the men who served in the military, or of their children, to turn down this request to join Project Hero. But it will be maintaining the purpose of universities, to turn down such a request. Universities should stay away from being seen to take sides, even if that is not their intention. They should avoid stepping into controversy by appearing to take sides.

It is difficult to turn down requests to assist children, the innocent victims of war. But doing so, in this manner, can lead to the kind of society we would rather not have. "Setting up the military as something special leads to a militaristic society" says Art Campbell, retired Wing Commander (see comments following Adrian MacNair blog). He also does not want to see the spouses of deceased soldiers being left out, with diminishing pensions to support them as they grow old.

The emphasis in society is always on youth - children and youth. In February this year, John Babcock died, at the age of 109. He was the last known survivor of WWI, and there was a call for a state funeral to be held for him. He wasn't a hero, in the traditional sense, and he didn't see himself as one, so he declined the offer, previously made to him. Links to four articles about his death are included below - Canada’s last World War I vet, The enduring legacy of an old soldier; How inconvenient the veterans' wishes; and John Babcock's passing. Check for comments by readers about the significance of his life and death. I wouldn't want to see the focus of 'remembering' to be mainly about money - about scholarships to university for the children of soldiers who died.

Added June, 2012

In one of the articles, the words of one veteran are included - a grandfather, Jeffrey Scott Walsh, “who considered the Hero Project a ‘gift’ that the ‘university’s initiated.” He says, “I don’t think it was the families who asked for this help . . . But it’s not fair to students who need financial help and don’t have soldiers in their families.” (Professors slam scholarships, 2010).

Not only that, but the soldiers whose families are being helped through such scholarships are not ones who made it through and returned alive. Only the children of deceased soldiers are eligible. As the daughter of a veteran of WW II, who did return from the war alive and healthy, my experience tells me that financial situations of soldiers and their families don’t automatically improve just because dad comes home. In fact, that is one of the reasons my family emigrated to Canada in 1957, because good jobs were not always easy to find in England after the war.

Besides that, singling out particular groups of individuals to receive assistance is a political gesture, as comments in the National Post articles suggested, though unfortunately, the National Post presumably deletes its comments section of each article soon afterwards, leaving only the article itself available to be read.

The death of John Babcock was symbolic of the sacrifice that soldiers have often been ready to make, for their families and country. Even though he never went to war, he was the last remaining WW I soldier from Canada. He was made a hero of sorts, against his will, but one doesn’t have to die to be a hero. He became a celebrity, but not of his own making. His longevity – and being part of a particular historical period in history now gone forever – has made him someone to remember.


Blood of Heroes Blogspot
http://blood-o-heroes.blogspot.com/2008/04/rick-hillier-man-myth-legend.html

Canada’s last World War I vet, John Babcock, dies
By Nicolaas van Rijn Staff Reporter
Toronto Star
Feb 19, 2010
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/767925--canada-s-last-world-war-i-vet-john-babcock-dies

Canadian Hero Fund: keeping their dreams alive
http://www.herofund.ca/

Criticism of scholarships for children of fallen soldiers draws sharp rebuke
By Jennifer Graham
Globe and Mail (Regina — The Canadian Press)
Mar 26, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/criticism-of-scholarships-for-children-of-fallen-soldiers-draws-sharp-rebuke/article1512784/
http://www.globecampus.ca/in-the-news/article/criticism-of-scholarships-for-children-of-fallen-soldiers-draws-sharp-rebuke/

The enduring legacy of an old soldier : He survived!
By J.L. Granatstein
Montreal Gazette
Feb 24, 2010 http://www.montrealgazette.com/opinion/enduring+legacy+soldier+survived/2604717/story.html

How inconvenient the veterans' wishes are to our mythology
By Noah Richler
Globe and Mail
Feb 23, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/how-inconvenient-the-veterans-wishes-are-to-our-mythology/article1478845 /

Ignorance on display at the University of Regina
By Adrian MacNair
Full Comment, National Post
Mar 25, 2010
http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/03/25/adrian-macnair-ignorance-on-display-at-the-university-of-regina.aspx
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2010/03/25/adrian-macnair-ignorance-on-display-at-the-university-of-regina/

John Babcock's passing
By Wilfred Edmond
Special to The Windsor Star
Mar 18, 2010
http://www.windsorstar.com/opinion/reader-comments/Gallery+Remembering+John+Babcock/2583336/John+Babcock+passing/2695738/story.html
http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=79a811ee-cc9e-4de6-aca4-89a2ecc1c23e

McGill Scholarships
http://www.projecthero.ca/
McGill Scholarships
McGill University
http://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/projecthero/http://www.mcgill.ca/studentaid/projecthero/

Professors slam scholarships for children of dead soldiers
By Josh Campbell
National Post
Mar 25, 2010
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2722557
http://www.globaltvbc.com/professors+slam+scholarships+children+dead+soldiers/2725039/story.html

Project Hero: Gifting Education to children of our fallen soldiers
http://www.projecthero.ca/

Sask. premier disappointed by Project Hero critics
CBC News
Mar 25, 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/03/25/sk-wall-scholarship-1003.html

The University of Ottawa offers free tuition for children of Canadian military parents killed in action
University of Ottawa
June 30, 2009
http://www.media.uottawa.ca/mediaroom/news-details_1709.html

Links updated June, 2012

The newspaper industry and the online pay wall - paying for online news

Leah McLaren of the Globe and Mail says that "the newspaper industry is coming to the slow realization that no one else will value you if you don't value yourself." That's just another of those myths that contain a half-truth. It certainly isn't true that people will value you even though you know you have worth - that what you say has worth - and that you value yourself. More realistically, people value newspapers and other people for external signs they see of their apparent worth - a title, credentials, career, employer (for people), or journalists with a reputation, title, career, etc (for newspapers). Most people don't really judge others on the basis of what they write or have done. Most people wait to see how someone else will judge them.

A newspaper can value itself without feeling they have to close themselves off from all but those willing or able to pay for their service. Even lawyers have a service for the poor (though I see signs of that changing too), although most of their best work is saved for those with money. If a newspaper truly valued itself, it wouldn't feel it had to refrain from giving news away in order to be valued. It might feel it had to refrain from giving news away in order to impress small-minded people who use money as a sign of worth. After all, it is these people, the ones with money - even though many of them have little ability to think for themselves - that newspapers must impress.

This entire scenario planned for the future is a further indication of where our society is heading - towards a wider gap between the rich and those less well off. By all means, start excluding those unwilling to pay for news, and the knowledge base that the rich already see as theirs will begin to come true, as those without will have less access to the same resources.

Creating snob appeal for the offerings of journalists

By Bill Doskoch
Bill Doskoch: Media, BPS*, Film, Minutiae
Jan 23, 2010
http://www.billdoskoch.ca/2010/01/23/creating-snob-appeal-for-the-offerings-of-journalists/

I'm looking forward to buying my online news
By Leah McLaren
Globe and Mail
Jan 22, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/style/im-looking-forward-to-buying-my-online-news/article1440711
http://samcpherson.homestead.com/files/Miscellaneous/2010_Jan_ImLookingForwardToBuyingOnlineNews.doc

Links updated June, 2012

Margaret Atwood and Harper's culture cuts

In response to the question directed towards Margaret Atwood "You talk in your book about the link between debt and sin. Why do we feel shame about financial hardship?" (Globe and Mail, Sept 26. 2008), Atwood says she thinks "the stigma comes from wanting people to think better of you than your actions might actually warrant." It seems to me this is a rather elitist attitude. 

Our society is founded on money, and those without are shamed, whether or not they have done anything to deserve it. If one is a global corporation, of course, or The Arts, then the apparent reasons for 'financial hardship' may not always be seen as being mainly due to their failings. I have nothing against Art and Culture, nor against keeping major corporations in business for the sake of maintaining some stability of economy, but I question Atwood's attitude and (lack of) knowledge of what it's like to be poor and where stigma comes from (other people and society itself, as it happens).

Arts and culture are not self-supporting, as we know. But there is no shame on their part, nor placed upon them, for not being able to earn their own way. Poor people often work like hell, for other people or in their own homes, with little recompense. Yet because they are not home-owners, or do not have the trappings of wealth, they are seen as less worthy. Shame on you, Margaret Atwood, for your attitude!

Atwood talks about the need to put more into technology, yet in another article (CBC, Sept 24, 2008), the controversial subject of funding of the Arts is taken up. But if all those talented workers in Arts and Culture were to experience financial hardship, perhaps some of the really bad attitudes towards the poor would change.

It seem to many people that there are plenty of jobs to go around if one has talent and the ability to do the work (even in Arts and culture, I wouldn't doubt) but the truth is there aren't enough decent jobs for people who deserve them and who could do them well. The threat of Culture cuts demonstrates this. I hope people can expand this line of reasoning to the general population, many of whom also are competent and able, but who may never get to do the work they wanted to do, and in fact may never again find employment.


Actors condemn Harper's culture cuts (see also 1015 comments by readers)
CBC News
September 24, 2008
http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2008/09/24/artist-protests.html

Let's hope arts bashing just a pose (see also 38 comments)
By Martin Knelman
Toronto Star
Sep 29, 2008
http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/507392 link no longer available
http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/article/507392--let-s-hope-arts-bashing-just-a-pose

Margaret Atwood's old-fashioned approach to debt
Sinclair Stewart, TORONTO
Globe and Mail
Sept 26, 2008, Last updated Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/article712062.ece


Links updated Apr 24, 2012