Chrissie Blatchford: Too Wrapped Up In Her Own Prejudices & Partisanship To Actually Work at Seeking the Truth & Real Story

Indeed she is, so are others in her field today, sadly. But before I go into that. I will do a little review of the past few days of others of her friends like CJAD’s Trude the Prude and of course, Johnny Kay’s Mommy, Babs Kay. Because they are all guilty of , well, bringing diserespect to their chosen profession to say the very least. And it has never been more apparent with the passing of Jack Layton and the public mourning.

Yes, Chrissie pens another screed today, not only defending her little ‘manifesto’ of sorts she wrote just hours after Jack’s death, but writes a basically ‘woe is me’ column, clearly reminding us why she earned the nick-name ‘sob sister’.  I won’t link to the original column, as we’ve all read it, we don’t need the original. Besides, Jymn has done a marvelous job, providing commentary on Chrissy and Johnny Kay, who defends Chrissie, who was, in his view, a damsel in distress.      Here is her new dispatch of what should’ve been titled, “woe is me”.

You see,  Chrissie, as well as many of her apologists, just seem to think that there should be rules for dying (I can’t link to the original Now Toronto link, as the site appears to be down right now: as soon as it works again, I will provide link in an update). It was an effort at comic relief and a successful one at that. More importantly, it was pretty much was ol’ Chrissie was hinting at; she disapproved of the way Jack Layton died and his final words.  It was almost like if you’re a Canadian public figure, particularly if you’re left of Stephen Harper,  better check with Chrissie Blatchford before you publish your final words to the public.  Odds are, if it has messages of hope and optimism, or encouraging of Canadians having civic and political involvement in the future of their country, it won’t get Chrissie’s seal of approval.

The Blatchford rules of dying are as follows:

• Do not go over 1,000 words on your death bed. Whatever you have as your last words, best to keep it short.
• Avoid any sentences that could be confused with “bumper-sticker slogans”; a turn of phrase could be mean the difference between a respectful funeral and a dreaded public spectacle.
• Also on your deathbed, you must appear non-partisan, even if you are partisan and a politician. Otherwise your words will be nothing more than “ruthlessly partisan politicking.”
• And do not say or write anything positive about yourself, lest you appear too “vainglorious.”

I should add that last night, Dan Delmar had Newstalk 1010′s morning man and Nasty Post columnist, John Moore and Johnny Kay’s Mama, Babs Kay, on last night on his show. Babs Kay also appeared to have rules for grieving; it shouldn’t be done in public, apparently, and she seems to blame what she calls “creepy”, the public outpouring of grief  on an increasingly secular society; the fact that no one knows how to grieve anymore; that no one really goes to church or synagogue.  You see where this is going, don’t you, boys ‘n’ girls? Yes, Babs believes that grieving of any kind should be shut away in a church or synagogue where only clerics basically know how it’s done.  Oh, and Babs thinks that chalked tributes in Ottawa and Toronto’s Nathan Phillips’ Square and orange flowers are also “creepy”. Same thing if you plan memorial ceremonies or public grieving, better check with Babs Kay and make sure it meets with her seal of approval. However, odds are, if it doesn’t have a religious theme to it, if it isn’t hidden out of sight, in a church or synagogue, led by clerics who “know how it’s done”, it won’t make her seal of approval.

Anyhow, back to Chrissie, and the rest of the right who are knocking Jack Layton and his final letter.  Besides the obvious sour grapes, whether or not he had help drafting it, it really doesn’t matter;  Jack Layton took his job as leader of the opposition seriously and obviously cared and worried about the direction of his country and he loved his fellow Canadians. As such, his death bed letter or manifesto or whatever you want to call it couldn’t be a more fitting way for Jack to say good-bye.  Contrary to whatever the right thinks, the letter was anything but an ego trip.  As we’ve seen, recently, more apathetic people are starting to take more of an interest in politics and what is happening in the future of their country, because of Jack and his message.  He was hoping that this interest would continue after he was gone; that his work and his message would continue for many years to come.

Jack’s final words also sought to provide words of comfort and encouragement to other cancer patients to continue their own fight against this terrible disease.

In short, he thought of everyone and everything in 1000 words.  Not everyone can do this so eloquently, even with assistance if any was had.

I should also ask the those right wingnuts would they really have a far more subdued and less of tribute if Steve Harper or any other big named Conservative politician died? I should also ask Chrissy that if Steve left a death bed manifesto oozing with neo-con messages, and we all know he would, would she refer to it as “vainglorious” and “sophistry”?  I think not, they’d be splashing every public place with blue flowers.  And they’d be skewering the left for not honouring them as much as they had honoured Jack.  And yes, most likely, Chrissie and Babs would be leading the sob sister charge wearing the stereotypical black mouring dresses and black veils demanding why the rest of Canada’s women aren’t doing the same.  So, I’d watch the hypocrisy.

More importantly, though, all snark and skewering of the right “journalist/pundits” reaction to Jack Layton’s death and subsequent public reaction to how some take the easy way out in journalism. A great example was illustrated in this blog entry, titled simply, “Christie and Jack”.  He opens with the best description of Chrissie’s column of Jack Layton’s death I’ve read to date:

 And my point is, Blatchford’s column tells us very little about Jack Layton, but a whole lot about Christie Blatchford.

Indeed. It didn’t tell her readers very much about Jack Layton. Her drivel just told us of her spiteful feelings toward Jack and how, apparently, he just wasn’t quite dead enough for her.  It may not be quite what that blogger meant, but to me and many others who read her swill with disgust, it is most likely exactly what he meant.

 She clearly does not know very much about Jack Layton. To call him “vainglorious” is to miss the mark by a considerable degree in describing a politician who plainly, in his actions and deeds, was in it not for himself but for others. To view his letter to Canadians cynically, as “sophistry” and a product of his ego, misses the infectious optimism and faith that he tried to convey. To say the outpouring of grief over his death was not unusual is to miss the legions of young people who filled City Hall Square in Toronto and spread their grafitti of thanks for Layton across the pavement.

I think the blogger should’ve addressed this to Babs Kay who told Dan Delmar and John Moore and their listeners last night that grieving should be restricted to churches and synagogues where clerics should be leading such things, as I’ve mentioned above.  Perfect for Johnny Kay as well.

Or perhaps they really do know who Jack Layton is, and that is exactly why they’re fearful;  they probably think this outpouring of grief, as is Jack Layton’s final letter to his party and fellow Canadians, would be a danger to drowing their right winged cause and Stephen Harper’s push for that neo-con utopia.

So the columnist missed the story: Layton’s selfless deathbed challenge to a new generation to concern itself with the future of their country. If he succeeds, and young people actually get involved in the search for solutions, get involved in politics, get involved in advocating for optimistic change, he will pass into history as a seminal figure in Canadian public life, a man who opened the political arena to a generation that opted to vote with its feet in several elections, plunging political involvement to worrisome depths.

But that is typical of media today, isn’t it? In their partisan hackery and shameless cheerleading of Steve, they really do miss the real story.  The blogger does cite other examples of  how Chrissie has taken the easy way out in recent years due to her own prejudices and partisan stripes that she foregoes the actual hard work of finding the truth; the real story.  Too many of these columnists and journalists are guilty of this today, Chrissie is far from alone. Nasty Post and Sun Media appears to make this a job requirement.

I invite you to go read “The Journalism Doctor”‘s post. It is truly an enjoyable read and gives a very different perspective as to how Chrissie failed when the public  (I prefer to put it, responsible journalism; something we’re sorely lacking these days) “needed her the most”.

Oh, Chrissie, you and your apologists can cry free speech all you want but there is such thing as human decency. You may want to try it some time.  At the very least, you could’ve waited until after Jack’s funeral to post your drivel. At the very least, publishing your swill just hours after Jack’s death was worse than classless. Don’t be surprised when folks send you hate mail and expect folks to feel sorry for you later.