journal features

Rob Ford's not all bad

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-eight years and a million words

Toronto, 2014.05.20

Rob Ford's not all bad; thanks to him, parents are having the "drugs are bad" talk with their kids waaaaay ahead of schedule. Yesterday I was able to explain a character in one of Mari's favorite Miyazaki movies to our son by using Dear Mayor as an example. The character was pushing some berries that would ease the main character's pain and fear. The main character was about sixteen, and Ken identified with him.

Maybe if you have to resort to explaining a situation via Rob Ford that should have been an indicator that the material was not suitable for kids. But when that includes every newspaper box the kid passes, month after month after month....

rand()m quote

On the endless saga of Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto; "It shouldn't have had to come to this. I'm so tired of getting up every morning and wondering, 'What will it be today?' I'm so tired of giving the benefit of the doubt again and again, only to be let down again and again.... Somewhere a responsible adult has to appear, draw a bright moral line, tell the truth and say unequivocally what won't be tolerated. Somebody has to do the right thing."

—Denzil Minnan-Wong