Ford heckler becoming a Torontonian hero
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‘You don’t have to be some partisan maniac to be angry with this mayor’: Shirtless jogger explains why he heckled Rob Ford
An East York teacher dubbed the “shirtless jogger” became a minor online celebrity Tuesday after videos of him confronting Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went viral. Joe Killoran, 35, was halfway through a run when he saw the mayor marching in an East York Canada Day parade. Frustrated by Rob Ford’s refusal to answer media questions after his news conference Monday, Mr. Killoran approached the mayor, hurling questions about corruption and accusing him of being “a corrupt, lying, racist, homophobe.” Mayor Ford staffers tried to hand Mr. Killoran business cards and block him while Mr. Ford walked away without responding. The National Post’s Katrina Clarke caught up with the “shirtless jogger” Tuesday evening.
What made you want to confront the mayor?
Oh I didn’t start out the day wanting to confront the mayor, I just went for a jog. And then I saw there was the East York parade so I thought that would be fun to jog by. I was just really shocked to see that he was there. I thought that was in really poor taste after the way he treated the media yesterday, the way the media allowed themselves to be treated and just the contempt he showed for everybody by refusing to answer questions. And then he was going to use Canada Day to prop up his campaign? It was really galling to me.
What went through your mind when you saw him?
I guess shock and a little bit of anger. He talks all the time about taxpayers and [does] this regular guy routine. He purports to speak for all these people and then he won’t answer anybody’s questions. So I said I have some questions for this guy. He’s going to come to East York, he’s going to come to my neighbourhood and try to prop up his campaign or get some photo ops. I didn’t think that was right when there are all these outstanding questions about him being a racist, a homophobe, feeding corruption that he hasn’t even addressed. He just shows his contempt for everybody all the time.
You’re getting a lot of attention online. Someone called you the most articulate shirtless jogger they’ve ever seen.
(Laughs) Well that’s a pretty low bar but it’s nice to say.
Do you think you’re asking questions people want answers to?
I hope so. I can’t speak for everybody but it’s certainly stuff that people I know talk about. It’s just amazing that he gets away with this. Other politicians have to answer questions. Regular people have to deal with the consequences of their actions and be responsible.
What happened after?
I continued my jog. I was only half way through. I actually didn’t want to take too long because I didn’t want to ruin the jog. I kept running and it was actually good because it was sort of a sluggish jog before that. But that got the blood going.
Are you a big runner?
I run a lot. I’m pretty slow but I enjoy it. I try to run four to five times a week.
Do you normally run with a shirt?
(Laughs) When it’s hot I run without a shirt. I’m a pretty hot, sweaty guy unfortunately. But no in the winter I put shirts on. I’m not like Randy on Trailer Park Boys or anything.
Are you supporting any mayoral campaigns?
No, I’m not. In fact I’m not even sure who I’m going to vote for. You don’t have to be some partisan maniac to be angry with this mayor.
Is there anything Rob Ford could do at this point to make you vote for him?
If he resigned and came back in a number of years having addressed these things. Certainly if he had different ideas and showed some respect for people. I don’t think anybody’s beyond redemption but I think he has to answer peoples’ questions. He has to respect the citizens of Toronto.
Did you think he would answer your questions?
I didn’t know. I thought he might say something. Something in me sort of felt like I couldn’t just let this travesty take place in front of me. This guy was going to wave Canadian flags and hand out business cards and fridge magnets. I have sympathy for him with his personal problems but he has to be responsible to the people of Toronto. If he wanted to resign that would be fine and everybody would leave him alone.
Were the mayor’s kids with him when you confronted him?
I don’t know. I certainly didn’t know that if they were.
Would knowing they were with him have changed anything?
It probably would have but at the same time that’s not a strategy either, to refuse to answer peoples’ questions and then bring your child out to public events. I wouldn’t try to yell at someone in front of their kids. But Karen Stintz has kids too. A lot of people have had to explain to their kids about his behaviour.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to the mayor?
Not really. But one thing that really bothers me most about the mayor is that I teach politics and I love politics and I think it can be a noble profession. I may have my own political views but I love when my students develop right wing or left wing or libertarian or whatever views they develop. He has debased the profession. A lot of students think of politics as like an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I’m not even kidding. They think it’s another tawdry reality show. He has done harm in that way from his own selfishness.
I have to say you sound like a politician. On social media some people say you should run for mayor. Would you consider running?
No. I like being a teacher and I don’t think I’m qualified to be mayor. But that’s flattering.
‘You don’t have to be some partisan maniac to be angry with this mayor’: Shirtless jogger explains why he heckled Rob Ford
An East York teacher dubbed the “shirtless jogger” became a minor online celebrity Tuesday after videos of him confronting Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went viral. Joe Killoran, 35, was halfway through a run when he saw the mayor marching in an East York Canada Day parade. Frustrated by Rob Ford’s refusal to answer media questions after his news conference Monday, Mr. Killoran approached the mayor, hurling questions about corruption and accusing him of being “a corrupt, lying, racist, homophobe.” Mayor Ford staffers tried to hand Mr. Killoran business cards and block him while Mr. Ford walked away without responding. The National Post’s Katrina Clarke caught up with the “shirtless jogger” Tuesday evening.
What made you want to confront the mayor?
Oh I didn’t start out the day wanting to confront the mayor, I just went for a jog. And then I saw there was the East York parade so I thought that would be fun to jog by. I was just really shocked to see that he was there. I thought that was in really poor taste after the way he treated the media yesterday, the way the media allowed themselves to be treated and just the contempt he showed for everybody by refusing to answer questions. And then he was going to use Canada Day to prop up his campaign? It was really galling to me.
What went through your mind when you saw him?
I guess shock and a little bit of anger. He talks all the time about taxpayers and [does] this regular guy routine. He purports to speak for all these people and then he won’t answer anybody’s questions. So I said I have some questions for this guy. He’s going to come to East York, he’s going to come to my neighbourhood and try to prop up his campaign or get some photo ops. I didn’t think that was right when there are all these outstanding questions about him being a racist, a homophobe, feeding corruption that he hasn’t even addressed. He just shows his contempt for everybody all the time.
You’re getting a lot of attention online. Someone called you the most articulate shirtless jogger they’ve ever seen.
(Laughs) Well that’s a pretty low bar but it’s nice to say.
Do you think you’re asking questions people want answers to?
I hope so. I can’t speak for everybody but it’s certainly stuff that people I know talk about. It’s just amazing that he gets away with this. Other politicians have to answer questions. Regular people have to deal with the consequences of their actions and be responsible.
What happened after?
I continued my jog. I was only half way through. I actually didn’t want to take too long because I didn’t want to ruin the jog. I kept running and it was actually good because it was sort of a sluggish jog before that. But that got the blood going.
Are you a big runner?
I run a lot. I’m pretty slow but I enjoy it. I try to run four to five times a week.
Do you normally run with a shirt?
(Laughs) When it’s hot I run without a shirt. I’m a pretty hot, sweaty guy unfortunately. But no in the winter I put shirts on. I’m not like Randy on Trailer Park Boys or anything.
Are you supporting any mayoral campaigns?
No, I’m not. In fact I’m not even sure who I’m going to vote for. You don’t have to be some partisan maniac to be angry with this mayor.
Is there anything Rob Ford could do at this point to make you vote for him?
If he resigned and came back in a number of years having addressed these things. Certainly if he had different ideas and showed some respect for people. I don’t think anybody’s beyond redemption but I think he has to answer peoples’ questions. He has to respect the citizens of Toronto.
Did you think he would answer your questions?
I didn’t know. I thought he might say something. Something in me sort of felt like I couldn’t just let this travesty take place in front of me. This guy was going to wave Canadian flags and hand out business cards and fridge magnets. I have sympathy for him with his personal problems but he has to be responsible to the people of Toronto. If he wanted to resign that would be fine and everybody would leave him alone.
Were the mayor’s kids with him when you confronted him?
I don’t know. I certainly didn’t know that if they were.
Would knowing they were with him have changed anything?
It probably would have but at the same time that’s not a strategy either, to refuse to answer peoples’ questions and then bring your child out to public events. I wouldn’t try to yell at someone in front of their kids. But Karen Stintz has kids too. A lot of people have had to explain to their kids about his behaviour.
Is there anything else you’d like to say to the mayor?
Not really. But one thing that really bothers me most about the mayor is that I teach politics and I love politics and I think it can be a noble profession. I may have my own political views but I love when my students develop right wing or left wing or libertarian or whatever views they develop. He has debased the profession. A lot of students think of politics as like an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. I’m not even kidding. They think it’s another tawdry reality show. He has done harm in that way from his own selfishness.
I have to say you sound like a politician. On social media some people say you should run for mayor. Would you consider running?
No. I like being a teacher and I don’t think I’m qualified to be mayor. But that’s flattering.
‘You don’t have to be some partisan maniac to be angry with this mayor’: Shirtless jogger explains why he heckled Rob Ford
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Would you rather have another global warming thread?.....complete with graphs and charts???? :lol:
Not sure which is worse.... Another Global Warming Thread or another Rob Ford Thread. Both are nothing but hot air and Co2 being released into the atmosphere.... Though with Rob, it's mostly Methane.
Either way, the guy got his 15 mins of fame.
It's someone with more education and knows a bit more about what they're talking about?
I dunno.
Seriously.
I get that Cons hate unions, but that doesn't mean that teachers can't voice their opinion on politics.
Joe Heckler vindicated:
Rob Ford refuses to answer questions for third straight day
I get that Cons hate unions, but that doesn't mean that teachers can't voice their opinion on politics.
Joe Heckler vindicated:
Rob Ford refuses to answer questions for third straight day
Joe Heckler - 4
Rob Ford - 0
Rob Ford still won’t talk to police, blames alcohol for racist, sexist and homophobic remarks
Rob Ford - 0
Rob Ford still won’t talk to police, blames alcohol for racist, sexist and homophobic remarks
Yes blaming alcohol is always the solution.
Anybody remember that cout case where the guy said he was too drunk to realize he was raping some lady, therefore wasn't responsible for the act?
It didn't work.
Anybody remember that cout case where the guy said he was too drunk to realize he was raping some lady, therefore wasn't responsible for the act?
It didn't work.
How are cons so fukking stupid? :lol:
Doug Ford redefines racism
Doug Ford redefines racism
Mayor’s brother accuses "shirtless jogger" of making racial slur against Rob Ford, offers no proof, says racism not about race
By BEN SPURR
Doug Ford has a unique interpretation of the word "racism." Namely, he believes doesn't necessarily have to do with race, and that Rob Ford is a victim of it.
That is the upshot of yet another logic-defying scrum with Councillor Ford, the mayor's brother and campaign manager.
Mayor Ford returned on Monday from a 60-day leave of absence to deal with his substance abuse issues. On Tuesday he attended at an East York Canada Day parade where he was angrily confronted by a "shirtless jogger" named Joe Killoran, video of whom asking the mayor about his homophobic and racist comments, general dishonesty, and alleged conflicts of interest has since gone viral.
Speaking to reporters at City Hall on Wednesday, Doug accused Killoran of uttering a racial slur at the mayor, even though video of the encounter doesn't show Killoran using any racist remarks.
Doug's unfounded allegation came after reporters asked him when the public can expect the mayor to fully address his bigoted comments, which by now are well documented, including in a Toronto Star article that quoted the mayor as rattling off a string of ethnic slurs and boasting, "I'm the most racist guy around. I'm the mayor of Toronto."
"So the racial slurs from this teacher yesterday against the mayor," began Doug in a complete non sequitur, before being cut off by incredulous reporters who asked for proof.
Doug offered no evidence to support the claim. Pressed on the subject in a separate scrum later in the day, he offered: "Racism isn't just about religion and colour and race. It's about going after someone relentlessly on a daily basis." He then accused Killoran, a teacher at Malvern Collegiate Institute, of "indoctrinating" his students with anti-Ford beliefs.
"You can be racist against people that eat little red apples, you can be racist against people that have a drinking problem, you can be racist against people that are too fat. So that's my answer to that," he said.
Doug also claimed Killoran was "out of control. "He obviously needs therapy, he obviously needs anger management," he said.
Killoran did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Ford brothers have a history of trying to deflect criticism by using personal attacks. It's also not the first time Doug has accused the mayor's detractors of being racist. In May, 2013 both Rob and Doug accused a caller to their radio show of being racist when she asked about the infamous photo that showed Rob with a trio of alleged gang members.
It's also a favourite tactic of the Ford's to paint perceived opponents as mentally ill. See the Sarah Thomson scandal.
Doug has also at various times suggested that reporters behind damaging (and very true) stories about the mayor are mentally unstable, lazy, even potential murderers who'd string him up in Nathan Phillips Square given the chance.
Members of the public are not immune to this attempted character assasination. In a shouting match in the council chamber in November Doug accused people sitting in the gallery of not being "real" Torontonians because their politics differed from his. Wednesday, Doug described citizens who heckled the mayor at the Canada Day parade as "left-wing lunatics."
As if you'd have to be crazy to be offended by Rob Ford.
Doug Ford redefines racism | NOW Magazine
Doug Ford redefines racism
Doug Ford redefines racism
Mayor’s brother accuses "shirtless jogger" of making racial slur against Rob Ford, offers no proof, says racism not about race
By BEN SPURR
Doug Ford has a unique interpretation of the word "racism." Namely, he believes doesn't necessarily have to do with race, and that Rob Ford is a victim of it.
That is the upshot of yet another logic-defying scrum with Councillor Ford, the mayor's brother and campaign manager.
Mayor Ford returned on Monday from a 60-day leave of absence to deal with his substance abuse issues. On Tuesday he attended at an East York Canada Day parade where he was angrily confronted by a "shirtless jogger" named Joe Killoran, video of whom asking the mayor about his homophobic and racist comments, general dishonesty, and alleged conflicts of interest has since gone viral.
Speaking to reporters at City Hall on Wednesday, Doug accused Killoran of uttering a racial slur at the mayor, even though video of the encounter doesn't show Killoran using any racist remarks.
Doug's unfounded allegation came after reporters asked him when the public can expect the mayor to fully address his bigoted comments, which by now are well documented, including in a Toronto Star article that quoted the mayor as rattling off a string of ethnic slurs and boasting, "I'm the most racist guy around. I'm the mayor of Toronto."
"So the racial slurs from this teacher yesterday against the mayor," began Doug in a complete non sequitur, before being cut off by incredulous reporters who asked for proof.
Doug offered no evidence to support the claim. Pressed on the subject in a separate scrum later in the day, he offered: "Racism isn't just about religion and colour and race. It's about going after someone relentlessly on a daily basis." He then accused Killoran, a teacher at Malvern Collegiate Institute, of "indoctrinating" his students with anti-Ford beliefs.
"You can be racist against people that eat little red apples, you can be racist against people that have a drinking problem, you can be racist against people that are too fat. So that's my answer to that," he said.
Doug also claimed Killoran was "out of control. "He obviously needs therapy, he obviously needs anger management," he said.
Killoran did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The Ford brothers have a history of trying to deflect criticism by using personal attacks. It's also not the first time Doug has accused the mayor's detractors of being racist. In May, 2013 both Rob and Doug accused a caller to their radio show of being racist when she asked about the infamous photo that showed Rob with a trio of alleged gang members.
It's also a favourite tactic of the Ford's to paint perceived opponents as mentally ill. See the Sarah Thomson scandal.
Doug has also at various times suggested that reporters behind damaging (and very true) stories about the mayor are mentally unstable, lazy, even potential murderers who'd string him up in Nathan Phillips Square given the chance.
Members of the public are not immune to this attempted character assasination. In a shouting match in the council chamber in November Doug accused people sitting in the gallery of not being "real" Torontonians because their politics differed from his. Wednesday, Doug described citizens who heckled the mayor at the Canada Day parade as "left-wing lunatics."
As if you'd have to be crazy to be offended by Rob Ford.
Doug Ford redefines racism | NOW Magazine
Even Zanta was more famous than this guy ...years ago...........
This guy will be forgotten in no time.....
Walter, as long as you save your $20.00 per year, right? Do you seriously think that our crack and booze addled, racist, bigot of a mayor is the only person capable of outsourcing garbage?
He's got a "disease" that makes him speak in patois, vulgarities and denigrates just about every other race, culture and sexual orientation. The true Rob Fraud comes out after a couple crack rocks.
You mean the hotmail lawyer and according to the Ford bros, the best lawyer in Canada? I mean, it's entirely normal for a criminal lawyer to have a hotmail address for official communication and most politicians normally have a criminal lawyer on retainer. I see he has recently represented the sister, Cathy, for stealing toothbrushes of all things. Honey Boo has nothing on the Ford, White Trash Dynasty.
Secondly. Walter, in your words. What sort of private industry management does Rob Ford have in comparison to John Tory? Last I checked, John Tory was the CEO of Rogers whereas Rob Ford has been working on the city dime for the last decade.
Rob Ford is going to "**** jam" you for saying such things. It's alright though, he says zany things after smoking some rocks... all has been forgiven.