I was debating whether to post this here, because this isn't supposed to be a political forum. But after reading a letter/column published this weekend in the Toronto Star, I find it almost impossible not to respond.

Toronto Star: Radio intrusion instills fear, anxiety

The missive is from a "distinguished professor." as she signs it (I'm not sure if that honorific is a title or a very flattering self-opinion) and opens up by saying her 7-year-old son was put into paroxyms of fear while listening to his "favourite" oldies station (what 7-year-old kid listens to an oldies station?) when one of those new emergency alerts with the robotic voice suddenly interrupted the programming. 

It brought a warning about a possible tornado and urged listeners to take precautions. The prof/mom was upset because the pronouncement scared her kid. O.K., that's possible. That machine voice is a little off putting, especially if you're not ready for it.

But then she quickly digresses into how this entire thing is obviously a plot by Stephen Harper's Conservatives to take over the airwaves, scare the public into submission and while they're shaking in their collective boots, they'll be reminded they have to vote Tory to feel safe. How she comes to this conclusion is completely incomprehensible. This was a simple weather warning, not a political ad. There is no way it can be interpreted as anything else, unless you hate the Cons so much that just getting up in the morning is seen as some kind of plot to keep you too tired to think straight. 

I'm not a fan of any of the people running for P.M., but frankly, this is reaching into Coast To Coast territory. And for the Star, which is well known for gobbling up anything that's anti-Harper, to publish this as though it were fact, is absolutely disgusting. It's not even an informed opinion, since there's not a shred of evidence to back up the writer's thesis. And as a "distinguished professor," she should know a thing or two about that. (Some might argue she gives herself away by referring at one point to her "beloved CBC.") Shame on the Star for publishing this piece of tin-foil-hattery. 

If this is the level of discourse we're going to get about a simple radio announcement, it really is going to be longest election campaign in history. 

Last edited by RadioActive (August 9, 2015 12:36 pm)