Dear Editor:
Recent CBC coverage of the events in Ottawa was probably the most biased, one-sided piece of journalism I have ever seen.
Liberal strategists could not have managed a better scenario. What political opportunism! The message of the protest (as confused as it was) was totally and singularly ignored and replaced by sideshows emphasized by their various media anchors, portraying the rally participants in some sort of criminal or misguided way.
First we have the problems dogging the Conservative party pasted all over the screen; Erin O’Toole trying to bridge an impossible gap with protesters, new anchors discussing major rifts within the party, and lest we forget, providing significant airtime to Maxime Bernier. Jagmeet Singh fared no better, with viewers seeing the fact that he will have to deal with a brother-in-law who actually donated to the convoy.
All the while, Trudeau, the instigator of this protest through his latest mandate, is being portrayed by the CBC as the innocent victim, having to be whisked away, conveniently having to self-isolate away from the protest, all the while with a smug “I don’t care” smirk on his face. This prime minister specializes in dividing one Canadian against another, be it in this case vaccinated truckers against the unvaccinated. Let’s not forget how he has divided many others” climate activists against resource industries, rich versus poor in his failure to do anything about inflation, east versus west, etc.
Then there’s the totally unacceptable incidences involving swastikas, one Confederate flag, the tomb of the unknown soldier, and Terry Fox memorials. All these atrocities were mentioned time and time again by the commentator. I truly believe these were not committed by any of the truckers, and yet here they are linked and highlighted ad infinitum by the CBC. Is it beyond possibility these acts could have been orchestrated by some outside organization simply in order to disparage the truckers, deflecting the rightful meaning of their protest?
This protest has not evolved the way most of the truckers have intended. These are hardworking individuals who simply have had enough rhetoric from the government and have the courage to take a stand. Jan. 29 and 30 in Ottawa will never be Jan. 6th in Washington!
These folks are not criminals, and are not devious and underhanded. You’ll find enough of that at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa!
Ron Johnson,
Mount Forest