The Week that Was #4

This week, for the 4,148th time since March, public-health officials reminded us to stay safe, wash our hands, practice social distancing, and wear masks. Elected officials implored us to stick to our own household during Christmas. I bet you didn’t see that coming.

Plus í§a change . . .

What with Christmas preparations, I didn’t pay as much attention to the news feed as in other weeks, but these award-winning gems still dropped into my lap.

The Best Turn-Their-Words-Against-Them Moment

In an interview, Prime Minister Trudeau defended the Liberals’ record on transparency, calling it a “balance.” (In fairness, it might have been any Prime Minister speaking.)

“Ah yes, the important balance
between citizens’ right to information
and the government’s desire not to give it to them.”
– Chris Selley, Twitter

The Best Say-What-You-Really-Mean Moment . . . x 2

NEW: In talking points to Ontario stakeholders, Premier’s office denounces Jim Watson (Mayor of Ottawa) and Vera Etches (Ottawa’s Chief Medical Officer) as “reckless and irresponsible” for opposing lockdown. “Some politicians and pundits may be okay with body bags piling up on their front door steps but we are not.”
– Laura Stone, Twitter

Do you disagree on the appropriate means to an agreed end? Then your ideas must be reckless and irresponsible, and your character loathsome. All right then. Good to get that straight.

“Smarten up and do better.”
– Rob Snow, 1310 Radio, Dec 23

Objecting to the assertion that anyone – much less our Chief Medical Officer – would be “OK with body bags piling up on their front door steps”, Rob was advising the Premier’s Office on what *he* is okay with. Let’s hope they get that straight. But on the off chance that plain language isn’t clearly understood in those circles, let me try it using their communication style.

“Some politicians and their aides
may be okay with impugning motivations and character
to shut down a policy debate,
but we-the-voters are not.”