by arthur Weinreb, associate Editor,
January 12 2004
Time Canada has named Michael Leshner, 55, and Michael Stark, 45, as the magazine’s newsmakers for the year 2003. Within hours of the June 10th decision of Ontario Court of appeal that struck down the definition of marriage as being a union between a man and a woman, the same sex partners of over twenty years, were joined in holy matrimony.
Time Canada conducted an unscientific poll on its website that indicated that most of the people who gave their opinions opposed the magazine’s choice. It may be that some of the respondents did not appreciate what the award entails - person or persons can be newsmakers of the year even though what they did to attain that status may be viewed in a negative light.
Readers can be forgiven for not realizing this. News organizations that designated newsmakers of the year are prone to wimp out as Time did in 2001 when it named Rudy Giuliani as its person of the year. While the former Mayor of New York did a remarkable job in the wake of the terrorist attacks against his city, the real newsmaker for that year was Osama Bin Laden. Bin Laden changed the world for years to come, if not forever.
The notion of warfare as being between nation states had changed. The relative peace that the world thought it knew when the Cold War ended was over. Bin Laden definitely changed the world and should have been made newsmaker of the year. But Giuliani was a safe, and politically correct, choice.
Time Canada didn’t wimp out like Canadian Press did when they named Paul Martin as its newsmaker of the year. Martin didn’t do anything in 2003 except formalize what was obvious in previous years. Jean Chrétien came second. at least Chrétien did something — he left. and Macleans, in its first newsmaker of the year award, chose United Nations special envoy for HIV/aIDS, Stephen Lewis. If Lewis had actually accomplished anything in respects to actually helping HIV/aIDS victims, the magazine didn’t get around to mentioning it. again, it was a safe, feel good choice.
Time Canada’s choice for newsmakers of the year was an excellent, although controversial, one. The magazine was right in pointing out that the two Michaels represent a rise of social liberalism in Canada. and contrary to what many people think, Paul Martin becoming Prime Minister of Canada does not represent a shift to the right. When Martin was asked in a year-end interview about how he can reconcile the concept of gay marriage with his strong Roman Catholic beliefs, Martin said that the Charter of Rights takes precedence. In the next breath Martin said that he would hold consultations on the issue. If the Martin-loving media noticed a contradiction in what Martin had said, they were keeping it to themselves. If the refusal to allow gays and lesbians to marry is indeed a "right" that should be protected under the Charter, then consultations shouldn’t be held, any more than people should be allowed to consult about whether or not blacks should be able to vote. Martin’s wishy-washy statement that would make Jean Chrétien proud shows that there is no political will to do away with gay marriages. Time Canada at least recognized this.
although the Michaels, Leshner in particular, are gay activists, their status as Canada’s newsmakers of the year is largely symbolic, in much the same way as Rosa Park’s simple act of defiance in refusing to sit in the back of the bus, became a symbol of the desegregation movement in the american south. and the likelihood that the Michaels’ marriage will one day be dissolved is about as great as the requirement that non whites will be required to ride in the back of alabama buses: there is no going back. Time Canada should be commended for recognizing the significance of the increase in social liberalism that has become ensconced in this country, despite the perception that the country is now run by someone who is a cross between Newt Gingrich and Mike Harris. Time deserves credit for not picking a safe choice like Canadian Press who, except for a spy and a couple of figure skaters, has always chosen politicians.
Time Canada had it right -- Canada is becoming more socially liberal. Leshner’s and Stark’s marriage was indeed the most newsworthy Canadian event in 2003.