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Cover Story

One upmanship factor in "Coalition of Idiots" MP mail response

by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com

October 1, 2004

One upmanship seems more important than sincerity when Canadian Liberal Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish responds to email and letter writers complaining about her anti-american rhetoric.

In fact, people writing letters of complaint about her latest anti-american slurs get form letters in reply, Canada Free Presshas learned. Letters to Parrish are computer rated as "positive", "constructively critical" or "crude, vile or threatening" before writers get a response.

Parrish portrays supporters of the U.S. ballistic missile shield program as members of the "coalition of idiots". In the run-up to the Iraq war last year, the Liberal MP created a public furore on both sides of the border when she said, "Damn americans. I hate those bastards."

"Thank you for your email on Missile Defence/"Idiots" statements. We received over 7,000 letters and emails and therefore cannot respond to them individually," is the generic response being sent out over Parrish's signature.

Responses are tailored according to letter content. They include: "a) The language used was perhaps bold, but it expressed an honest frustration at the lack of attention Canadians were paying to such an important issue, allowing it to `slip under the radar' of public debate. I offer no apology for passion or moral indignation."

Parrish response number two sounds very much like Defence Minister Bill Graham's recent remarks on Canadian MP anti-american rhetoric: "Our trade partnership with the U.S. is reciprocal and interdependent. Trade did not end when Canada refused to enter the war in Iraq. My off-the-cuff comment will have no effect on trade." (Emphasis ours).

The third response attempts to throw scientific fact at email and letter writers: "Based on the serious criticism of hundreds of scientists, scholars and former U.S. military personnel, one must conclude that the missile defence system, as proposed, will not work. You can't "shoot down a bullet with a bullet". It will challenge our mutual enemies to develop more exotic missiles and therefore accelerate the arms race, making us an even greater target for terrorists."

and this zinger: "If your comments were crude, vile or threatening: I offer no response. Thank goodness you were part of a very small group."

"It's the first time I've seen an all-purpose email," Terrance Walbert of Baltimore, Md., told CFP. "Maybe something went wrong with the mail merge software. Sounds like she got the idea by reading position papers from John Kerry."

Walbert also included for CFP the John Kerry PowerPoint presentation he sent Parrish. "You may enjoy it more than she would have."

Under the subject "From one idiot to another", Walbert originally dispatched his email of complaint to Parrish on aug. 25.

"I saw your comments about the "coalition of idiots". You're at it again. So, from one idiot down here below the 49th parallel to a sure-fire one above it, please enjoy my PowerPoint presentation about the man who no doubt is your favorite US presidential candidate. Just click on the icon and enjoy."

The New Year of 2005 is just around the corner. The lowing of the cows and the bleating of the sheep will be heard in vast new pastures--the local council chambers across the land.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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