Too colourful for prime time?

Posted by Phil Andrews

We're to have an editorial on this tomorrow as well.

We had a lively meeting Monday with national Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.

May's large personality was on display. She offered an impersonation of Liberal Leader Stephane Dion -- that included French-accented English. She also offered a sudden, high-decibel one of Environment Minister John Baird laughing at her  suggestion that his government adopt a carbon tax.

She also rolled out that she "was close to slitting (her) wrists," over the uninspiring last round of televised, national leader debates. She was being sarcastic and loose with her language. Much too loose. That suicide comment was out of bounds.

Comments

[D1&OnlyMichaelStevenWizardWisniewskiD1st]

On the contrary Phil,

that's one of the things I genuinely like about Elizabeth May, is her candour. She's a colourful speaker, you are entertained when you listen to Elizabeth May.

And hey, who was Jim Harris, again?

[Cam Guthrie]

I agree Phil. I cringed when she said that statement yesterday. I almost made a comment right then and there but I felt it best for her continue on as she tried to dig herself out of that comment.

[D1&OnlyMichaelStevenWizardWisniewskiD1st]

Guys, what's wrong with a little hyperbole?

I imagine your argument is she got carried away, fair enough.

I must say, though, why are voters allergic to politicians who are passionate? I WANT to elect someone who cares about what they're doing.

When Howard Dean did his "YAAARRRGH" (I didn't do it justice, sorry) that made me want him to win, even more.

But people got scared. Stupid people.

[Paul Atarsus]

Michael, if anyone in Mr. Harper's Cabinet, for example, were to make such a statement, there would be calls for their head from the Opposition. Likewise from the Tories if Mr. Dion made such a comment.

I think the Editors were right to call her on it. With suicide rates on the rise (if I recall hearing that correctly) it is no laughing matter, and not something who seeks higher office in this country ought to be partaking in.

[D1&OnlyMichaelStevenWizardWisniewskiD1st]

WOW! If a cabinet minister says something, the opposition will disagree and vice versa? I had no idea! What an insight!

Seriously though, I'm sure people on the edge have bigger things to worry about than Elizabeth May's choice of words.

I hope we can ALL agree on that last point.

[Ann Marie]

Elizabeth May's reason for speaking in Guelph was to raise awareness of her and that she should be allowed in a leadership debate. No leader muses with candor about suicide and mental illness. As a supposed leader to make fun of Dion's accent is a slander of French Canadians. The Green Party finds these things funny or points to be made in convincing the people of Guelph and Canadians they are leaders and people should vote for them? Perhaps they should be allowed in the leadership debate and people could see how embarrassing they are

[D1&OnlyMichaelStevenWizardWisniewskiD1st]

embarassing / straightshooting, whatever

At least we both agree she should be in the debate.

[Sandy]

Now Ann, that would be TV worth watching! I disagree with you Mike. To run for politics you need to be serious. I'm sorry, but people who use that type of 'candor' as you put it for their political gain need to re-think their ideas. There's pointing out 'facts/truths' about another party that is acceptable, but her method is off color! I think all politicians care about 'what they are doing', or they wouldn't be a politician. Telling people you 'wanted to slit your wrists' is below the ultimate low! If she wants to be in the debate, fine. Maybe then after that humiliation, she'd have a reason to support her 'colorful speaking'!

[Saskboy]

To all those so easily offended, what May probably meant was that she wanted to have water poured down her face while she's strapped upside down to a board, in the modern American tradition of torture - it would have been less painful than the void in leadership exhibited by the leaders of the other parties who were allowed on TV by the media consortium.

You all would have probably crucified Churchill when he made any of his famous quips.

[D1&OnlyMichaelStevenWizardWisniewskiD1st]

Sandy, I agree you need to be serious.

There is nothing, NOTHING, in my life that I am more serious about than politics.

So why then must all debate be so boring?

Who knows? Maybe she wasn't being sarcastic, maybe politics is the most important thing in her life too.

[Sandy]

I don't think she's not serious per say. However, it's how you send your message that matters. Unfortunately somebody's always offended no matter what! I agree that our politics can be boring at times, and I'd like to see a change. But, thanks to society we've put rules on so many things, and given 'rights' to so many ridiculous causes and groups, that we've put our country in a box. It doesn't matter what any politician says (or anyone in the spotlight for that matter!) someone will always cry "boo hoo, you've hurt my 'feelings' “Well, suck it up Princess, welcome to reality in the real world! Back in Churchill's day, people were bold, and there wasn't a huge list of "do's and
don't s" in society.
There are too many people to offend now days. It's actually sad.... we're a nation that's walking on egg shells to keep up the 8% of those who say boo-hoo and get what they want, and the other 92% who sit back and say "I won't say anything, I'll let someone else do it!" Well I hate to say it....but NO ONE ELSE WILL DO IT!

[Saskboy]

Sandy, you're not making sense. You're hoping for unique politicians, and denouncing May in the previous breath. Either you take the unique ones as they are, or you criticize them to the point where they can't stand the abuse anymore, and they do slit their proverbial wrists and join the brain dead dolts we have running things now!

[Sandy]

Yes, I do want good candidates for our city and country. I guess you decide what you consider 'unique' as do I. I just think that May could have thought up a better line than one relating to suicide. I'm sorry, but suicide is a 'selfish' act, not a working together one! I mean, honestly, relating a political debate to taking your own life....that's a little more than unique. I'm sorry!

[Saskboy]

How about, "wanted to gouge out my eyes and ears"? Seriously, if you're going to criticize her for being overly dramatic in a political field void of charisma, you're shooting yourself in the foot if you really want politicians who speak their mind.

[Sandy]

Gee, are you a supporter of the Green Party?? When you're in the public eye, you’re subject to criticism. Besides, there's plenty of charisma in the political field, you just have to take off your blinders. Also, how do you gouge out your ears?? Just wondering...

[JimBobby]

Whooee! I'm a treehuggin' Greenie and I ain't apologizin' for it. As I recall, successful politicians like Jean Chretien and John Crosbie were well known for their colourful turn of phrase. Maybe it's just unseemly when a woman talks that way.

Unfortunately, mental illness exists and some poor creatures do resort to slitting their wrists. Do we purge every idiom that is possibly offensive to every group or individual?

I saw Pierre Pollievre on CTV the other day saying Dion's carbon tax plan was "crazy." Should he be censured? There are far more mentally ill people who might be offended by the "crazy" reference than just the suicidal ones who might be offended by the wrist-slitting reference.

How about the oft-cited proverb about "give them enough rope, and they'll hang themselves."? Who hasn't used it? That's every bit as suicide-oriented as the wrist slitting comment.

Do we stop using phrases like "drunk with power" for fear we'll offend alcoholics?

I call BS. It's nit-picking political correctness running amok.

JB

[Paul Atarsus]

Looks like this story may have some legs, it's been picked up by a Tory blogger... http://stevejanke.com/archives/265326.php

[Sandy]

Got to love Politics, and democracy!! This has been a good debate! Maybe we should be the ones running the country!

[Green Supporter]

Hello,

As a green party supporter I would agree that Ms. May could have chosen her words a little better in this instance but I also agree that this should not have caused "the baby to be thrown out with the bath water." Congratulations to Phil Andrews for succesfully glazing over any of the real issues discussed as part of this interview and instead allowing his personal political bias to again seep into his newspaper. If we are concerned only with May's admitedly poor judgement in this instance with her choice of words and cannot get past this to absorb any of her ideas or policies than why is it that we can allow our Prime Minsiter to demonstrate an incredible lack of judgement of international proportion (seemingnly again and again recently) and let him continue to run the Country?

All in all, I would like to say that I do appreciate all of the attention the Greens are getting recently, and we are not even in an election.

I will end with a quote from Mahatma Ghandi:

"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win."

My guess is that we are somewhere in between the 2nd and 3rd phase. And gaining momentum.

[Phil Andrews]

Yikes. I didn't anticipate that Green Supporter comment.

For the record, I have something to disclose.

I was jarred by May's suicide comment and I guess somewhat motivated to draw attention to it as a result of a bias. I wouldn't attribute it to political prejudice, however. Perhaps others would.

I used to be pretty flippant about suicide references in my life's informal conversations too. Then, a member of my extended family killed himself. That was in 2006. I've since become very sensitive to such references and stopped making them because they hurt the communities of loved ones left behind when people kill themselves.

Perhaps that's too much sharing.

[JimBobby]

Whooee! I reckon we're all pretty flippant when it comes to labeling certain people as nuts, crazies, psychos, schizoids, delusional, wacko. How about references to straight-jackets?

Suicide has indeed affected many families and they can take offense at expressions like, "Give them enough rope" or "I'd rather slit my wrists" but if you really want to sanitize the language, you'll have to admit that far more families are affected by mental illness and the frequently used nutty, loony, off-their-rocker, screwy, or moronic labels will hit close to home far more often than a suicide reference.

Let's be careful with how far we go and what we choose to criticize. We may just cut off our noses to spite our faces.

JB

[Cringing]

Ms May's sophomoric buffoonery is an embarassment to this green voter.

[Edward Pickersgill]

Elizabeth may lead the Greens but there's a world of difference between the Green Party's current hierarchy and the Greens I know. Ms. May and her immediate predecessor, Mr. Harris, bring their Conservative Party roots to the tree of life and that doesn't bode well for the real greenery nor for the genuine grassroots. The Greens I know are a mix of social ecologists and former NDPers and community activists and social gardeners longing for a political impetus such as the dramatically more radical and relevant Green Parties of Europe.

So I hope Elizabeth gets to dance with the boys in the backrooms of parliamentary politics, cut no-competition deals with Mr. Dion and perform on stage at "leader" debates on teevee.

Meanwhile I look forward to the clear cutting that'll follow the next federal election and the next minority government. My dollar right now is on the probability that Liberals, Conservatives, NDP and Greens will all have new leaders...