The Easy Route

May 17, 2009 @ 10:55

I woke up Sunday morning and threw on my earphones just in time to listen to a re-roll of the John Oakley Show that featured Lorrie Goldstein of the Toronto Sun.

Man, was I ever disappointed.

As a rule I like Goldstein, but he was on the Oakley Show to talk about a column he wrote last week entitled Protest backlash unearths racism and his argument was a little flimsy

I would expect so much more out of Goldstein. To stoop to the racism angle is too easy and predictable.

In a nutshell, Goldstein condemns the Tamil protest on the Gardiner and even a few on University Avenue, but he maintains a good measure of the reaction to it has been redneck.

Problem is, he doesn't say who's being racist.

Are we to assume that he means only white people?

In the article Goldstein talks about all the peaceful protests the Tamils have conducted over the past few months without much reaction.

But once the Tamils started to inconvenience the people of Toronto, Goldstein writes, " all hell has broken loose on talk radio and media websites seeking public reaction --much of it utterly racist."

Why because they were pissed off? Because they have a different point of view and once civil disobedience took place they called for more severe measures?

That's the way I felt. It's the same way I felt last year when cyclists blocked off the Gardiner Expressway, an example that Goldstein likes to lean on saying there was little or no reaction to it. But that was a protest about a domestic issue and women and children weren't used as human shields.

It's the same why I feel when OCAP takes over the city and breaks the law, but with these examples the racism angle can't be used.

I find what Goldstein writes to be downright insulting. You can't generalize in this situation any more that you can generalize about the Tamil community.

And that's what really bothers me about what Goldstein writes.

My wife is a visible minority and she was totally pissed off at the Tamils and thought more severe action should have been taken. Does she qualify as a racist?

Are we to believe that of all the people of who called radio shows and wrote on blogs that none of them were black, brown, red or olive? Are we too assume that none were Tamils?

I've actually heard a few Sri Lankans speak out against the protests saying they're embarrassed by them and they should be stopped.

Are they racist? Is that possible?

I hate to say it, because I thought more of Lorrie Goldstien, but his article is just plain lazy. I think he was reaching a column deadline and had nothing else to write so he leaned on the old reliable.

Throw out the "R" word and try to embarrass anyone who disagrees with you.

It's quite fashionable.

Category: Stuff

27 Responses to "The Easy Route"

JM
May 17, 2009 / 12:00

It's universally agreed that only Whitey can be racist...

Horonymous
May 17, 2009 / 14:03

I heard the interview with Lorrie Goldstein on AM 640 and was surprised at his take on all of this. Usually I don't agree with the views of folks from the Sun but a lot of what he said made sense, economic sanctions, political pressure and sending in our troops if need be.

Don't agree though with his views that a lot of blow back is racist.

So what's up in Caledonia?

Right Uppercut
May 17, 2009 / 20:34

Goldstein dropped the ball in the backfield on that, for sure.

Stupid idea to tie up more Cdn troops in something that's been going on for 25 friggin' years! If this has been going on for a quarter-century, that really shows the two factions want "peace," doesn't it?

Yeah, right. Our troops are busy fighting terrorists in Afghanistan; and you want them to FIGHT ON THE SIDE OF THE TAMIL TIGERS?!?

Last time I checked, the "Tamil Tigers" were classed as a terrorist outfit.

So now (in the name of multi-CULTist 'tolerance') we have to put up with 'protestors' who are SUPPORTING a terrorist outfit... blocking our streets, restricting access to hospitals, etc.?

Check the status of ALL PROTESTORS; (I'm sure more than a mere handful are ILLEGALLY in the country).

If so; DEPORTATION should take effect immediately.

That's get rid of the riff-raff; and keep the streets clear for legal, tax-paying citizens.

Pat
May 18, 2009 / 00:06

It's easy to play 'the race card'.
The Canadian Tamil Tigers supporters are playing with a stacked deck.

We've become such a bleeding heart calamity that ANY 'tough' decisions to quell the protests are met with moral outrage.

Andy Donato did a cartoon YEARS Ago that stands out in my mind today (I may have saved it somewhere)
A police officer handcuffed to his own belt with blinders on.

That view still seems appropriate. And sad.

Right Uppercut
May 18, 2009 / 02:06

Pat; if you can find that Donato cartoon, by all means post it again.

I recall that image of "Law and Order" being handcuffed by the likes of Susan Eng and her insidious snakes on the police services board, when Barbara Hall was also the 'anti-cop' NDP-backed mayor of Toronto back in 1994.

Also; send it to "Chairman Miller" and the rest of those socialist idiots on Toronto silly council.

We did not ask for Hall and Eng to crawl out of the grave, after all.

Liberal mamby-pamby crap NEVER stops crime, such as the CRIME of TAMIL TERRORIST supporters screwing up the streets of Toronto.

And where's silly-Miller right now?

Oh; at another glo-BULL-shit "climate-change" conference in the 3rd world!

Overseas flights a "great use" of Toronto taxpayers dollars, esp. the way Miller and the 'green scene' whine and claim that aircraft help cause glo-BULL warming.

Hypocrites.

Miller, Suzuki and Gore... what a bunch of "climate-change" whores.

Romy
May 18, 2009 / 10:13

Hmmm. Didn't hear a lot of the hoser element whinging when Leafs fans shut down Yonge Street and Dundas after the Laffs won a single game in a first round playoff series (I know, it was a while back, but test that old memory. Fortunately, not something that happens all that often). Nah, that was just, you know, a few people having some harmless fun. Such hate. Very sad.

Gene
May 18, 2009 / 10:36

Hmmm.. for a guy who thinks he's pretty smart, you're alarmingly dumb Romy.
Yonge St. was shutdown for about 90 minutes in the middle of the night for a hockey celebration. How do you compare that to ongoing street closures and an expressway closure that risk the safety of hundreds?
It's a silly comparison, but I guess it gives you another chance to accuse non-socialists of being hosers for having an opinion different than yours.
That's growing tired Paul, especially when your socialist garble exposes YOU as the ultimate hoser.
Such naivety. Very sad.

Zeke
May 18, 2009 / 18:15

I've met people from all over the world. Racism in some form or another is universal.

ed
May 19, 2009 / 01:41

I don't think we need to get invovled here. Everyone who has a strong opinion on this should get back on the boat and return to where they can make a difference.

Steve Brown
May 19, 2009 / 17:36

Personally I think I have a moral obligation to condemn injustice wherever it rears its ugly head. I have condemned the brutality of the Tamil Tigers I also condemn the brutality of the Sri Lankan military. The Harper government has been effective in its treatment of the tigers there has to be a way of getting a similar message across to the Sri Lankan government .

Financing
February 10, 2010 / 09:52

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