Toronto mayor Rob Ford out of his depth when he starts talking about crime: Chris Selley | Posted Toronto | National Post
he greatest deliberate achievements of Rob Ford’s administration have been on the labour front: reasonable contracts, no strikes, nothing to complain about. And it’s no knock on Mr. Ford that this occurred without him saying much about it in public. His skills are not those of a negotiator, a diplomat or an orator. It’s good to know one’s limitations.
Silence isn’t an option when people are getting shot. But after the Eaton Centre shooting, and briefly after the Danzig Street shooting in Scarborough, Mr. Ford was cutting an admirably restrained, though obviously concerned, public figure. His basic message was that horrible things happen in big cities, but this big city is very safe; go about your business as usual.
“Let’s just continue living our lives like we do every day — go out and have fun and take it from there,” he said. “It’s been a terrible couple of days but this is definitely, like I said before, the safest city in the world.” It isn’t, but that’s hardly the point. The message was spot-on and the sentiment seemed to be genuine — which for a tough-on-crime, shoot-from-the-hip fellow like Mr. Ford, was both surprising and heartening.
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At first, after the Danzig shooting, it seemed the sentiment would hold. And really, why wouldn’t it? The list of victims was tragically longer, but it was the same brand of madness. When people start firing wildly into or around crowds, the amount of collateral damage is going to be down mostly to luck, not intent.
“I am shocked and disgusted by this senseless act of violence,” read the middle-of-the-night statement from Mr. Ford on Tuesday. “While we try to understand this tragic event, I want to assure residents that this horrific, criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our City.”
Fine. Tough, but sane, talk.
And then, it all went quickly to hell. By the end of Tuesday the Mayor had “declare[d] war on these violent gangs,” causing many people who wouldn’t dream of voting for Mr. Ford to cluck their tongues and roll their eyes. But still, it wasn’t the end of the world … until he went on the radio to suggest somehow evicting gangsters from Toronto, or from Canada altogether, or … well, something. He vowed to talk to the Citizenship and Immigration Minister about it. It was confusing. And he followed it up with a toe-curling second radio hit during which, at one point, he basically asked the hosts to explain the nature of Canadian citizenship to him. It’s beyond parody, and too sad to make a parody of anyway.
Mr. Ford is well known for profiting from things that would sink other politicians: A DUI, marijuana possession, offering (probably insincerely, but still) to score a guy drugs, his personality. But I don’t see how anyone can look at this and see anything other than a rank embarrassment. He hasn’t said anything particularly offensive. I don’t doubt that he wants to solve the problem. But on a core urban issue, he has shown himself to be completely out of his depth — and what’s worse, willing to run his mouth about it. I don’t know which would be worse: If this communications train wreck was his own idea, or the product of some spectacularly terrible advice.
A bit over the top on Ford- but your ideology is at play and full of passion- I used Passion vice BS. Toronto has had a fair number of Bozos as Mayor- What about the last one.
he greatest deliberate achievements of Rob Ford’s administration have been on the labour front: reasonable contracts, no strikes, nothing to complain about. And it’s no knock on Mr. Ford that this occurred without him saying much about it in public. His skills are not those of a negotiator, a diplomat or an orator. It’s good to know one’s limitations.
Silence isn’t an option when people are getting shot. But after the Eaton Centre shooting, and briefly after the Danzig Street shooting in Scarborough, Mr. Ford was cutting an admirably restrained, though obviously concerned, public figure. His basic message was that horrible things happen in big cities, but this big city is very safe; go about your business as usual.
“Let’s just continue living our lives like we do every day — go out and have fun and take it from there,” he said. “It’s been a terrible couple of days but this is definitely, like I said before, the safest city in the world.” It isn’t, but that’s hardly the point. The message was spot-on and the sentiment seemed to be genuine — which for a tough-on-crime, shoot-from-the-hip fellow like Mr. Ford, was both surprising and heartening.
Related
Jason Kenney responds to Rob Ford’s statements after Scarborough shooting
Rob Ford stumbles while ‘clarifying’ confusing immigration statements in wake of Scarborough shooting
At first, after the Danzig shooting, it seemed the sentiment would hold. And really, why wouldn’t it? The list of victims was tragically longer, but it was the same brand of madness. When people start firing wildly into or around crowds, the amount of collateral damage is going to be down mostly to luck, not intent.
“I am shocked and disgusted by this senseless act of violence,” read the middle-of-the-night statement from Mr. Ford on Tuesday. “While we try to understand this tragic event, I want to assure residents that this horrific, criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our City.”
Fine. Tough, but sane, talk.
And then, it all went quickly to hell. By the end of Tuesday the Mayor had “declare[d] war on these violent gangs,” causing many people who wouldn’t dream of voting for Mr. Ford to cluck their tongues and roll their eyes. But still, it wasn’t the end of the world … until he went on the radio to suggest somehow evicting gangsters from Toronto, or from Canada altogether, or … well, something. He vowed to talk to the Citizenship and Immigration Minister about it. It was confusing. And he followed it up with a toe-curling second radio hit during which, at one point, he basically asked the hosts to explain the nature of Canadian citizenship to him. It’s beyond parody, and too sad to make a parody of anyway.
Mr. Ford is well known for profiting from things that would sink other politicians: A DUI, marijuana possession, offering (probably insincerely, but still) to score a guy drugs, his personality. But I don’t see how anyone can look at this and see anything other than a rank embarrassment. He hasn’t said anything particularly offensive. I don’t doubt that he wants to solve the problem. But on a core urban issue, he has shown himself to be completely out of his depth — and what’s worse, willing to run his mouth about it. I don’t know which would be worse: If this communications train wreck was his own idea, or the product of some spectacularly terrible advice.
A bit over the top on Ford- but your ideology is at play and full of passion- I used Passion vice BS. Toronto has had a fair number of Bozos as Mayor- What about the last one.
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