A Case of Bad Taste All Around

Spare me the sanctimonious outrage at the funny remark made by one unlucky sap on Facebook named Blake Marsh, a now-former tester at Eidos Montreal who posted this on his Facebook page;

"You just can't find good assassins these days!" 

Actually it's quite a funny line, I don't care what anyone says.

Telling jokes about dark and tragic situations is a time honoured tradition called gallows humor
in French, rire jaune, and in German Galgenhumor.

"It is argued that gallows humor often occurs in societies whose inhabitants have limited means of expressing discontent, yet in which significant discontent is experienced. In these instances gallows humor can provide an outlet for airing subjects which people may feel is safer than open dialogue." 

Pauline Marois is utterly detested in the English community, an enmity that is profound and deep and there is nothing strange or outlandish about the statement or the joke, it may not be your cup of tea, but the righteous moral indignation is just as bad.

Those who don't like it, don't have to listen.

"I give this bitch a month before someone with better aim comes forth and does what must be done."

Substitute the words 'this bitch' with a name like 'Bashir Assad' and I doubt anybody would consider it hate speech at all.
And, no, I'm not comparing Marois to Assad at all, I'm just making the point that changing the name of the target of a barb, doesn't turn hate speech into justifiable commentary and if one isn't hate, neither is the other.

So everybody climb down from your high horse, we still have freedom of speech and wishing someone would kill Bashir Assad is not an incitement for anyone to do so.
Same goes for Pauline Marois.

If everybody on Facebook who wished someone dead were prosecuted, our courts would be overflowing. What Blake Marsh said falls well within the parameters of free speech.

If and when Blake Marsh publishes a want ad for a hit man to undertake a contract to kill Marois on his behalf, the police would be rightfully justified in arresting him, that is the  difference.

Until then, all you complainers need a lesson in civics.

I don't usually quote from the comments section, I was going to use this quote from Julius Grey, one of Quebec's most renowned advocates for free speech, but Ed Brown beat me to it, so the credit for the 
re-quote goes to him ;

"FROM ED BROWNThe words of Julius Grey who specializes in Human rights.“The freedom of speech normally means freedom to say unpleasant terrible, tasteless, idiotic things, as well as freedom to say wise and pondered and well thought-out things,” he said.Edgame-tester-loses-job-over-hate-speech-against-"

The same goes for  the notorious web site ParkAvenueGazette.com where  Colonel James Angus Brown calls on Canadian society to change its laws and make sedition a hanging offence, making Pauline Marois and her ilk prime candidates for the noose. It's his opinion.

If the police couldn't press charges then (and rightfully so) this case pales by comparison.

As a former boss, I know how hard it is to fire an employee with three years on the job and I have no doubt that the company over-reacted.
I think Mr. Blake has a legitimate case for wrongful termination and/or reinstatement and I hope he doesn't take his abrupt termination lying down.

Making politcal hay

Speaking of bad taste, I was thoroughly disgusted at the politicization of the funeral of the poor fellow killed at the Metropolis, Denis Blanchette.

It was a political event extrodinaire, where the PQ undertone and presence was all meant to dress up Mr. Blanchette as the victim of Anglo hate.

Pauline insisted on elevating a senseless murder into a political event as she assiduously worked the crowd outside the church, shaking hands with the hoi-polloi with a great big smile, like the seasoned politician that she is.

Pauline glad-handing outside funeral. Always time for politics!

Once she elevated the affair to a 'civic' funeral, federal politicians scurried to attend, not wanting to be left out, the whole proving that politicians are whores, regardless of affiliation.

They reminded me of the insufferable Brian Mulroney who at the funeral of Jean Charest's father which I attended, spent the entire time shaking hands with a wide grin on his mug, as if the whole affair was a personal photo-op.

Inside the Montreal church, the sad spectacle of $3,000 suits worn by the politicos contrasted sharply with the bereaved family, most of whom who could not afford a simple sports coat, some wearing t-shirts.

The real mourners

There they were in all their splendour, the PQ leadership, milking the death of this poor unfortunate  for all the political capital they could muster.
I actually saw PQ wunderkind  Léo Bureau-Blouin on TV sharing a big smile with someone inside the church. I guess he was really shook up.

How broken up was Pauline Marois over the death of Denis Blanchette?
She couldn't even remember his name, pronouncing his name as Denis "Blan-chay" in an interview on TVA. Link{Fr}

What a sick and sad spectacle.

The 'civic' funeral was nothing more than a PQ rally, a reminder to the faithful that the evil Anglos are always out to harm the faithful.

Think I'm exaggerating?

Where was the state funeral for the murdered children of nut bar Guy Turcotte and where were the state funerals for the multitude of others murdered at the hands of the deranged?

What made this death so special? I'll let readers mull over that.

Do you remember these names, Joëlle Laliberté, Marc-Ange Laliberté and Louis-Philippe Laliberté, the children killed in a bizarre murder/suicide pact made by their parents, all because they were broke.
State funeral there?
Nope, in fact the mother Cathy Gauthier Lachance, who survived her suicide attempt spent just four months in a psych ward before being freed. (but that is another Quebec story).

I somehow don't think that Richard Bain will be that lucky, do you?

How about a state funeral for another wrong-place/wrong-time innocent victim. Where was the state funeral for the poor fellow killed by an errant shot by the Montreal police who were so intent on confronting a homeless wacko with a knife that they opened fire wildly on the street with deadly consequeneces.

No state funeral or big crowd at the funeral of Patrick Limoges

Does anyone even remember the name of that poor soul? His name was Patrick Limoges and not too many officials showed up to his funeral, as if it was his own fault for embarrassing the police and the state. Link

At least Mario Bealieu, the blowhard head of the SSJB had the decency to say what Pauline and the civic funeral intimated, that the English media was responsible for creating a climate of hate towards the poor francophone majority and are responsible for what happened. Link{Fr}

According to the narrative, Quebecers are the victims, not the oppressors.

I have no problem with Quebecers promoting their language and culture, it is when they rob others of their culture, to satisfy their own selfish needs that it becomes problematic.

Mr. Beaulieu and his ilk are nothing more than linguistic vampires, sucking out the lifeblood from our community to satisfy their bloodlust.
There is nothing noble or normal about that.
 
Too bad that they are offended when we call them out for what they are. Xenophobes and thieves.

As for Pauline, what can I say about a women who exploits the unfortunate death of a wrong-place, wrong-time innocent for crass political gain.
I suppose in all honesty every other politician would have done the same, somehow we expect better from women, which admittedly is a sexist notion, beyond belief.

What we view as neccessary qualities in male political leaders - cunning, ruthlessness and ambition we somehow view as unseemly for female politicians.

Give Pauline her due, she got to where she is on her own guile and determination, she didn't have much help from the insipid and disloyal PQ caucus.

She is a force unto herself and truthfully, that's what makes her so damn scary.