Political honeymoons often last for a while, but not this one. Trudeau's political honeymoon ended at precisely 9:30 PM Paris time, last Friday. Earlier that week, media reports were stating that the foreign press regarded him as a curiosity. His youth, good looks and surprise win in the recent election were their main concerns. Those lightweight topics are gone now. As he entered the international stage for the first time, he was questioned about the heavy duty stuff : will he really bring home the fighter planes and also accept 25,000 refugees by Christmas? Suddenly it's a whole new ballgame.
Is there anything original that I can add to the discussion of the Paris attacks? It is a scary, confusing time with no clear cut answers. Thank goodness for CBC radio and TV and my parish of St Joes. It felt right to gather at St. Joes on Sunday and join in the prayers for peace and sing hymns like The Prayer of St Francis: "Make me a channel of your peace..."
I spent much of Sunday reflecting on the Paris attacks, with the help of the reports, reflections. interviews and discussions on CBC radio. The Sunday Edition, with Michael Enright, offered a very thoughtful program, interspersed with classical French music.
For many people, Sunday was a day for gathering and reflecting, whether in churches or in town squares, here in Canada, in Paris and all over the world. CBC radio's Cross Country Checkup provided an excellent opportunity for Canadians to gather around their radios and share thoughts and feelings. I was so impressed with the variety of comments from across the country. How lucky we are to live in this country, with this weekly opportunity to connect on Sunday afternoons!
Here is a snapshot of what I heard on Sunday:
- The formation of ISIS was a direct consequence of the over-reaction of the U.S., after the September 11th attacks in New York.
- One person told of how it took three years for her background to be checked by Canadian officials before she was allowed into the country. She wondered how the backgrounds of 25000 people can be checked so quickly.
- Many commented that there is so much coverage of the Paris attacks but little coverage of recent terrorist attacks in Beirut.
- People fear a backlash against Muslims
- A young Muslim woman said she was tired of having to explain to people that violence has no place in her religion.
If the radio discussions provided me with a measure of consolation, that was short-lived. I found Wendy Mesley's section of The National to be more negative and fearful. After airing the Republican candidates' views, in favour of increased military action, she asked her guest panel questions like:
How worried should we be?
Is the threat coming closer?
Which is the bigger threat? the lone wolf or the refugee system?
Should Canadians be worried that the Canadian (refugee) system could be infiltrated?
Yes, it is the job of journalists to ask tough questions. We need the facts. Call me corny, but I also needed to feel a bit better, I needed a bit of comfort. I was grateful that The National did include some moments of hope and optimism in that Sunday night show. They reported on a victim of the shooting who survived. When she thought she would be shot, she was thinking that she wanted her friends and family to "keep believing in the good in people"
For me, Sunday's shows were simply a reminder of the power of words. The tone that journalists choose to use, the questions they choose to ask, the slant they choose to go with, has such an effect on the final product. There must be some very interesting discussions going on, in newsrooms all over these days.
On Tuesday's The National, there was a touching video of a father talking to his young son about the tragedy. There was also the story of the young men in a Montreal subway. If you have not seen their video, Love Over Fear, have a look. Right now I'm glad to see and hear anything hopeful at all.
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