Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Research is obviously overrated

Babble on.

Why am I not surprised that when the Mother Corp handles this issue, they make no mention of this this ugly aspect of it?

Babble off.

5 Comments:

At 5:02 p.m., Blogger Balbulican said...

Oh, OH. Let me guess.

Because...it's a different story?

 
At 8:29 p.m., Blogger Babbling Brooks said...

Glad you finally decided to drop in Balb. Although after reading your comments on other sites, I'm a bit disappointed with your first attempt here.

The essence of the CBC story is this sentence:
While Canadians rush to take these children into their own homes in the hope of protecting them, there are several groups asking the families to think twice before applying.One of those groups - one not reported by the CBC is the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada:
A CANADIAN Islamic group is vowing to prevent the adoption by Christian families of Muslim children orphaned in the tsunami disaster. "Canadian Muslims will not allow that the custody of Muslim orphan children to be given to Christian families or any non-Muslim families," reads a release issued yesterday by the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada.(Toronto Sun)

I know you're perceptive enough to see the obvious connection, Balb, which makes me wonder why you're chosing to be deliberately obtuse here. Or are you just trolling? Got me hook, line & sinker.

 
At 9:45 p.m., Blogger Balbulican said...

Well, golly, Damian, I'm crushed that you found my meagre contribution wanting. I'll try to struggle through the smoking ruins of my shattered self esteem, and humbly offer this no-doubt grossly inadequate explanation of what I meant, before I commit public hara-kiri for the shame of having defiled your blog.

a) The article you linked to wasn't news coverage. It's a commentary, the equivalent of a letter to the editor or an op-ed piece. The author is not a CBC reporter, and the format is clearly not news or CBC editorial.

b) I realize that the commentary didn't reflect the "Muslims shore are weird racists fuckers, aren't they?" focus that the Sun (and, to my real disappointment, you) seem to favour. However, the story this commentator was writing about was another issue altogether...the notion that adoptions occasioned by disasters like this can be difficult if adopting parents, moved by pity, don't take into account cultural considerations. You may not feel that's a valid point...not sure why. As the adoptive parent of a black/Ojibway child (now 33 years old), I can assure you it is.

Apart from that, though...the fact that this wasn't CBC "handling" the issue, and that this was an independent commentator, and that the focus of the story was a valid one...your dismissive piece of reflexive, anti-CBC knee jerking was right on.

 
At 10:36 a.m., Blogger Babbling Brooks said...

'Grossly inadequate' just about covers it, Balb. You attribute no responsibility to CBC for balance in the commentary it chooses to publish. Then you put words - hick pronunciations, sweeping cultural generalizations, and profanities no less - into my mouth and excoriate me for them. Way to underwhelm.

If the CBC wants me to believe it has no editorial viewpoint, it's going to have to start publishing and broadcasting more balance in its commentary. I have no problem with opinions opposed to my own - that's why I link to good lefty blogs and refer my readers there. To imply otherwise is either ignorant or dishonest of you. But if the CBC continues to publish and broadcast Neil McDonald and Anna Maria Tremonti, it should commission a Colby Cosh or an Ezra Levant to provide some balance. Otherwise, just drop the facade and admit an editorial stance. I'll take an honest lean to the left better than a deceitful and misleading pretence of balance. Accusing me of being knee-jerk is a little rich, considering your comments here.

As far as the idea that I have something against Muslims because a crackpot organization makes an indefensible statement, you're way off base - and insulting to boot. That's like saying I have something against Christians because I point out a story about the Heritage Front or some such racist garbage. I do believe the radical leadership of a number of Canadian Islamic organizations are bigoted - at times, dangerously so. Since folks like the CBC don't like to point that out, I do here. I also happen to believe a couple of Canadian Catholic bishops need a good smack in the head, but my son's still going to attend a Catholic JK next fall.

As far as the idea that cultural differences should be taken into account by both adoption oversight bodies and by prospective adoptive parents, of course they should. Again, stop putting words in my mouth.

I welcome informed and polite dissent on this blog. Greg, Treehugger, and Timmy among others have figured that out. If you can't do the same, troll elsewhere.

 
At 11:02 a.m., Blogger Balbulican said...

Fair enough. Cheers.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home