Media Terrorism
Part of my morning routine here in Quebec includes turning on CBC Newsworld for the morning news show. I've been watching fairly extensive coverage of the Toronto arrests - especially interesting (and revealing) are the CBC's interviews with family members of the accused.
I can't remember the last time a group of people were arrested and CBC made efforts to speak to the family. I'm sure, however, that speaking to family members expands substantially on the information the public needs to know. Sarcasm aside, I can't yet convince myself that ANYONE would believe in the culpability of thier own children in these sorts of activities. First of all, why the hell hasnt any Muslim person interviewed by CBC denounced the supposed activities of these terrorist groups? I keep hearing how they are worried about a backlash against the community (I'll get to that in particular later on), or how they feel religion is irrelevant (That too - later) but not even the Imam of the local mosque that was "vandalized" denounced terrorist activities. I am, if the media is to be believed, to have sympathy for a whole community of some 750,000 (minus 17 - as it turns out) because they may be singled out by "average" (read white) Canadians for hatred. Does this actually make any sense?
Further, apparently we're supposed to sympathize with the accused:
The lawyers also complained about a number of restrictions placed on their clients. They are in solitary confinement, under 24-hour surveillance and have been denied access to family members.
Donald McLeod said he and his colleagues have only been able to speak to their clients through Plexiglas and want private visits with them. (CBC)
I mean, come on, these guys aren't accused of drug trafficking or impaired driving. They are suspected of being TERRORISTS. Not radicals, or misunderstood malcontents - the word is Terrorist people. Do terrorists pose potentially more of a risk than other violent criminals? Should terrorists be allowed to talk to each other while in custody? Should they not be surveilled 24/7?! These people are accused of what i would consider to be fairly terrible things - let's review:
"My client's alleged to have been part of a plot to blow up Parliament buildings in Canada, storm the CBC, take over the CBC, as well as, among other things, behead the prime minister," lawyer Gary Batasar said. (CBC)
Wow. Those sound like pretty rational crimes. Sure, they should all be released on thier own recognisance. Wake up Canada. We have lived so long in this imaginary cocoon of invulnerability. Doesn't anyone remember Air India?! That was all planned (and generally excecuted) in CANADA. The FLQ? The reign of terror wrought by biker gangs in Quebec? Why does everyone profess "shock" that people were arrested? Is it because our history of conviction for terrorism charges is - ummm - less than stellar?
We live in a first world nation who actively pursues it's own, independant, foreign policy. We will be liked by some and hated by others. Is it so hard to fathom that Canadians would want to harm thier own country?
It's more than about time we realize that we aren't this perfect nation. We have had the blinders pulled over our eyes by the media - who is, quite frankly, sensationalizing this. One piece on the CBC was particularly funny to watch. They asked people on the streets of downtown Toronto if they were "Worried about terrorism". I laughed so hard when the ONLY person who actually answered in the affirmative looked much like half the tree hugging population living around Clayoquot sound. Everyone else didn't much care.
So, let's be like 95% of those interviewed on CBC. Let's carry on with life - maybe finally realizing we're not immune from Islamic fundamentalist terror attacks. And while we're at it why don't we also admit that religion had everything to do with this. And yes, they were all Muslims. Whatever happened to reporting the "facts"? Oh well, the media will learn soon enough - just ask Stephen Harper.
I can't remember the last time a group of people were arrested and CBC made efforts to speak to the family. I'm sure, however, that speaking to family members expands substantially on the information the public needs to know. Sarcasm aside, I can't yet convince myself that ANYONE would believe in the culpability of thier own children in these sorts of activities. First of all, why the hell hasnt any Muslim person interviewed by CBC denounced the supposed activities of these terrorist groups? I keep hearing how they are worried about a backlash against the community (I'll get to that in particular later on), or how they feel religion is irrelevant (That too - later) but not even the Imam of the local mosque that was "vandalized" denounced terrorist activities. I am, if the media is to be believed, to have sympathy for a whole community of some 750,000 (minus 17 - as it turns out) because they may be singled out by "average" (read white) Canadians for hatred. Does this actually make any sense?
Further, apparently we're supposed to sympathize with the accused:
The lawyers also complained about a number of restrictions placed on their clients. They are in solitary confinement, under 24-hour surveillance and have been denied access to family members.
Donald McLeod said he and his colleagues have only been able to speak to their clients through Plexiglas and want private visits with them. (CBC)
I mean, come on, these guys aren't accused of drug trafficking or impaired driving. They are suspected of being TERRORISTS. Not radicals, or misunderstood malcontents - the word is Terrorist people. Do terrorists pose potentially more of a risk than other violent criminals? Should terrorists be allowed to talk to each other while in custody? Should they not be surveilled 24/7?! These people are accused of what i would consider to be fairly terrible things - let's review:
"My client's alleged to have been part of a plot to blow up Parliament buildings in Canada, storm the CBC, take over the CBC, as well as, among other things, behead the prime minister," lawyer Gary Batasar said. (CBC)
Wow. Those sound like pretty rational crimes. Sure, they should all be released on thier own recognisance. Wake up Canada. We have lived so long in this imaginary cocoon of invulnerability. Doesn't anyone remember Air India?! That was all planned (and generally excecuted) in CANADA. The FLQ? The reign of terror wrought by biker gangs in Quebec? Why does everyone profess "shock" that people were arrested? Is it because our history of conviction for terrorism charges is - ummm - less than stellar?
We live in a first world nation who actively pursues it's own, independant, foreign policy. We will be liked by some and hated by others. Is it so hard to fathom that Canadians would want to harm thier own country?
It's more than about time we realize that we aren't this perfect nation. We have had the blinders pulled over our eyes by the media - who is, quite frankly, sensationalizing this. One piece on the CBC was particularly funny to watch. They asked people on the streets of downtown Toronto if they were "Worried about terrorism". I laughed so hard when the ONLY person who actually answered in the affirmative looked much like half the tree hugging population living around Clayoquot sound. Everyone else didn't much care.
So, let's be like 95% of those interviewed on CBC. Let's carry on with life - maybe finally realizing we're not immune from Islamic fundamentalist terror attacks. And while we're at it why don't we also admit that religion had everything to do with this. And yes, they were all Muslims. Whatever happened to reporting the "facts"? Oh well, the media will learn soon enough - just ask Stephen Harper.
posted by Lucas at 07:32
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