Skip to main content

Ignorance

...what is with some people?...

O

n Thursday, March 19, 2008, the Globe and Mail published a front page story on the death of Natasha Richardson. To my surprise, when the story broke on the Tuesday, I followed it with great interest. I wasn't alone. It captured the attention of millions. I'm not entirely sure why that happened, but it did. I'm not sure why I got caught up in it. I was reading everything I could to get the facts on the story--something I rarely do.

In reading the comments about the article I came across this entry:

Golden Locks from O'bama Land, United States writes: This death is on the hands of Canada for not having the proper medical capabilities and instead having to airlift her to the Good Ole USA; your favourite country to hate.

Posted 18/03/09 at 8:35 PM EDT | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment

First, it's impossible to know if this person truly believes the comment or is simply throwing lighter fluid on a fire, but let's assume it's believed in which case there are a number of problems with the comment.

I don't like the fact people hide behind pseudonyms and aliases. If you're going to make comments, tell us who you are.

Next, she was treated in Montreal. They have world class medical facilities. McGill University is the home to the founder of modern medicine--Dr. William Olser. To say there was a lack of "proper medical capabilities" is absurd. It simply isn't true.

Second, she wasn't airlifted to the US to get proper medical treatment. The last thing you would want to do with someone with a head injury is put them on a private jet and fly at 45,000 feet. Unfortunately, she was brain dead before she left Canada at which point there was nothing more that could be done.

I'm not sure what compelled me to write an entry on this. I could spend all day finding such examples of ignorance and not change one thing.

Posted 2009/03/21 at 08h05ET in Current Events.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

CRA & E-Filing

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 ... Online Tax Services Suspended by CRA ... I received an email press release from the Canada Revenue Agency late on Tuesday stating they were shutting down the computer that processed e-filed personal tax returns. For many tax preparers the announcement means they will have to file paper returns or wait for the system to come back on, but it could be a long wait. Until we can announce a business recovery date, the Agency will provide daily updates to the media on the steps we are taking. On the surface, e-filing a return makes sense because it is more efficient, but at present it only makes sense for simple returns. If you file a return beyond a T4 and an RRSP deduction, you can expect follow-up letters requesting original receipts. For accountants, this hassle means additional time—time that usually can't be recovered. As result, many accountants file paper returns for their benefit. What is required is a system that allows the recei...

If Only We Could Agree

Monday, June 11, 2012 ... have you been accused of misspelling a word you know is correct ... S usanne O’Leary wrote an interesting article on her experience with the variations of the English language in different countries. You know the obvious ones like colour with or without a “u” but less obvious ones like travelled versus traveled. Growing up in Sweden she learnt English in school—the UK variation. In publishing her books, she read reviews where she was criticized for improper spelling. False accusations as it turns out. While I write tire and cozy, it’s not incorrect to write tyre or cosy. Same language. Both accepted. Just different. You can read her write-up here along with the numerous comments posted by readers. I found it interesting, but that’s me. As a Canadian I deal with this issue everyday. I feel her pain when she’s criticized for something based on ignorance. No fun. I was told by a boss that “data are” isn’t correct. It should be “data is.” Read...

The Crusades (1935)

Sunday, March 29, 2009 The Crusades. Feature film. (1935, 125 mins) IMDB ... a Hollywood romance with swords thrown in ... T he title is extremely misleading. The film is not about the crusades but a love story set in the midst of a crusade led by King Richard. Richard never spoke English and barely even lived on the British isles. He was a Norman who spoke French, but you wouldn't know that from this film. The filmmakers also want you to believe the King would have been caught up in something as trivial as love. Not a chance. Marriage wasn't about love. It was about matters of state, about power, and with that power, wealth. A true-to-history film about King Richard and the Crusades would lack romance and therefore wouldn't appeal to a broad audience. What we have in this film is nothing more than a love story. Richard is betrothed to Alice, the sister of King Philip of France. He doesn't want to marry her. He decides to go on the crusad...