Yesterday, Christie Blatchford wrote a column for the National Post full of back handed compliments to Jack Layton on the day his death. Between the lines, however, lay a great streak of right-winged opportunism, attacking the man and his party for their beliefs and actions. Using terms like ‘vainglorious’ and ‘sophistry’, Blatchford used Layton’s death not to honour the man but as a platform to eviscerate our grief and attack his party’s legacy.
As you would expect, Twitter responded with anger at Blatchford – and the National Post – for this unfeeling opportunism. The paper took note and instead of an apology, in a column today by Jonathan Kay, amplifies Blatchford’s cold, cold words with a haughty ‘fuck you’ to those who took offense. He does the unthinkable and praises Blatchford’s cowardly sniping as ‘courageous’ and and well, let me just let the man speak for himself:
“We can all draw inspiration from Jack Layton’s political drive and courageous battle against cancer. But no man is perfect. And his letter made a spectacle of his imperfections. As a writer, I derive a different kind of inspiration from the woman who had the guys [sic] to say so.”
You’d almost expect Kay to feature an illustration of Blatchford looking off into the horizon like an old time Hollywood movie poster, full of heroic victimhood and noble intentions. A little editing wouldn’t hurt either, Mr. Kay.
I’ll say this for Blatchford, she does have one ‘guy’ who has her back, no matter how vile and petty her words may be. The day of a leader’s death and one of mourning for many, many Canadians is not the day to use that death to further an unfriendly ideology. Jonathan Kay should know better but his first instinct is to fight, not make peace with those offended by one of his writers. But that’s how modern right-wing journalism works. Never apologize. Never admit a mistake. And when caught, double down.
In response to Kay’s defense of Blatchford, this tweet I think summarizes it all so much better:
“Time and place, Mr. Kay. Refusing to wait a day or two, out of respect for our shared mortality, isn’t courageous”
– Don Gardner
