The lady and I were driving to supper at the Freehouse yesterday, listening to the CBC as we went. It was around five p.m., the news was on and a story about comments made by Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu came up. If you’ve been following the national news, you’ll know all about this already, but at the time, I hadn’t heard anything about it yet.
The radio piece — which I can’t find online, so you’ll have to read this for more information and just trust me that they were broadcasting about it yesterday — started in with some quotes where the senator was clarifying his position on the death penalty.
Then, as I remember it, the voice-over suggested that Boisvenu might have a different solution for Canada’s prisons in mind. The piece cut to him talking in French, none of which I caught or understood. At this point, I had no idea what was going to come next.
They read the English translation: “Basically I think that every murderer should have a rope in his cell and he can decide on his own life. But I’m against the death penalty.”
Bam. Thanks to CBC Radio 1 for blowing an unprepared mind a little yesterday. I think I even laughed out loud I was so shocked that anyone would say that in front of a microphone.
The whole experience was one that I couldn’t have with T.V. or print or internet journalism — radio has a way of blindsiding people that’s hard to replicate. If I had read a headline or seen a news crawler at the bottom of a screen — or maybe even properly heard the lead-in for this piece — this wouldn’t have had nearly as much impact. As it stands, I was bowled over by Boisvenu’s incredibly stupid statement, almost as if I were hearing it live.
James, the circumstances differ from one individual to another. For me, there is a second benefit to radio journalism, at home if not in the automobile. It comes with an alarm buzzer for waking up.
The statement by Senator Boisvenu was unacceptable, but withdrawing it and apologizing isn’t enough: for propriety’s sake he should be removed from the committee holding hearings on the omnibus crime bill.
Did he really think that no one would translate his remarks? Even for a senator, that seems incredibly naive and/or thoughtless. I sympathize with his terrible personal loss, but he’s an officeholder now, and surely he knows that there’s a different weight on his public utterances.
Officeholder? It’s better than that, Barb. He’s a senator.
Someone gave Senator Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu enough rope! At any rate, he’s a Conservative Party Senator, so he can say/do/feel anything he wants and there will be no consequence.
Thing is, even if every murdered committed prison cell suicide, it wouldn’t make much difference since they’re planning to fill the jails with pot smokers anyway.
#4 What do you mean “fill” the jails?
Assisted suicide is an intriguing moral debate. Should it be a crime? (Assisted suicide, I mean — not the debate.)
Only by a great mental stretch can a Canadian senator be called a representative, so I opted for the less loaded term.
Do they get free helicopter rides, too?
#5. Mmmm, by “fill” the jails I mean “to fill” the jails, as in to occupy them, to reach capacity, with bylaw infringers and petty criminals.
As for Boisvenu, I just read about him – his one daughter was murdered then a second daughter died in a road accident a few years later, so I forgive him if he comes off a little bitter.
Ask a senator, Nick.
#10 You know, I like the sound of that. “Senator Nick.”
#9 I meant, they’re sort of full already.
If my daughter was abducted, raped and murdered by a repeat offender I’d probably think the same damn thing for a long time. Maybe someday I’d be able to forgive, moreso for myself and my family, but I can see where he’s coming from (image of Samuel L. Jackson from “A Time to Kill” resonates).
However, should he be saying this in public, given his position? No, but he deserves much more leeway than somebody with no personal connection to the topic. Apology was made, move on.
#13 Well said. I agree.
Clarence Darrow once said: “I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.”
15 — True. But he also said: I don’t like spinach, and I’m glad I don’t, because if I liked it I’d eat it, and I just hate it.
#10: Sorry, but Senator Nick is already taken. That is Nick Sibbeston from the Northwest Territories.
How about Senator Nicholas?
It`s actually Nicolaos, but, what the hell, mark me down as YES.
Senators are still, for the most part, useless sacks of shill.
That’s a bit harsh, Talbot. Sure, they don’t have as many points as the Rangers, but not many teams do.