I mean seriously. Seriously. I just don't get any of this. Yes, I'm referring to the sheer despicicality (yes, there's a word like that, I just made it up) of what's happened and continues to happen to 75 year old Mr. Antonio Batista.
I'm reviewing my notes from The PotHole Poem Trial, specifically the Crown Attorney's summary from May 15th. Comments she made... regarding threats, it's the Crown's position that:
"Everyone is to be protected:"
It is the Crown's position that the problem with the poem is "only the last part." This:
"“We are going to dig a pothole about six feet and 3 feet wide and 5 feet deep to hide her body and God will take care of Her Soul, but we cannot forgive her for doing nothing. She can keep running at a good pace but We will make sure that She is in HEAVEN and out of the race. So please GOD take care of this SOUL for ever and EVER.”"
She continued:
"and we need to look at that in context"
"this poem went too far"
"It's not much of a leap in logic."
"Once threat has been established then it's harassment"
That Mr. Batista's poem was:
"intended to intimidate and be taken seriously"
Yet Hazel (Order-of-Canada) McCallion can phone up a Member of the Provincial Parliament and threaten to kill him with a double-barrelled shotgun and --what?
Now you're ready to watch these two re-run videos. First, serious political commentary.
HYPOCRISY DEMOCRACY-MISSISSAUGA
(You may need to click twice on the arrow or if you wish, Go Directly to YouTube or Google Video)
And (she rifles through her.. AH!) We know about satirical poems, here's satirical video.
MISSISSAUGA SAGA
(You may need to click twice on the arrow or if you wish, Go Directly to YouTube or Google Video)
That McCallion behaves this way when City Manager Janice Baker stated on 680 News that Bullying "is not behaviour that is condoned or acceptable in our organization" --is IRONY.
Irony, we learned in Courtroom 105 --is different from Satire.
Satire is this brilliant editorial cartoon in today's Mississauga News courtesy of Steve Nease:
Reminds me of Mississauga Council 'cepting nine embedded female heads missing.
Signed,
The (Inspires me to draw a response cartoon for Mr. Nease....) Mississauga Muse
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"Edward R. Murrow --My Hero". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
"Mississauga Saga". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
"A Flag named The Andre Marin". To Go Directly to the clip on YouTube or Google Video)
All "Antonio Batista Pothole Poet Trial" Blog entries:
THEIR MISSISSAUGA, yes, and ever increasingly --THEIR MISSISSAUGA (May 27, 2007)
Hypocrisy Democracy (May 28, 2007 7:27 am)
"What would Edward R. Murrow do? What would he want me to do?" (May 28, 2007 11:55 pm)
"We have to send a message to the public" Crown Attorney. (May 29, 2007 2:51 PM)
A pothole never loomed so large (John Stewart's "Random Access") (May 30, 2007)
"The government must not silence its critics by force." ---Clayton Ruby (May 29, 2007) (May 31, 2007)
"She does not think how you feel" Antonio Batista (June 4, 2007)
"Mrs. McCALLION what is wrong with the City of Mississauga?" (Antonio Batista) (June 5, 2007)
"Reasonable Person Test" --Crown Witness (June 6, 2007)
And I bet you thought that I'd forgotten about Antonio Batista, huh? (July 16, 2007)
"We must employ every possible tactic to dissuade those who try to silence us with fear"
---The Mississauga News Editorial (2007-03-24)
Click here for John Stewart's Blog
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