Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Michael Coren, Gary Reid, Nukes, Muslims

another "usual suspect" checks in

By Judi McLeod

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Canada Free Press columnist and personal friend Gary Reid sure has his knickers in a proverbial twist over Toronto Sun columnist, television host and raving radioman Michael Coren.

Reid was quick off the mark last week to castigate Coren for his insensitive Toronto Sun column entitled, "We should nuke Iran", and takes the prolific Coren on again in today's CFP column.

While I find it atrocious that Coren thinks we should nuke Iran or any other country, I can't work up the same lather as Reid about the bombastic Sun writer and television host.

Why?

Nobody other than CUPE boss Syd Ryan and Canadian federal NDP leader Jack Layton ever takes Coren seriously.

The notion that any Western leader would rush into nuke mode on the call of Mikey Coren and his ilk is downright laughable.

To me, it is the equivalent of Toronto being safe as a nuclear weapons-free zone, all because Layton, as a city councillor declared it.

Print and television journalists, mercifully do not have the same clout they once did.

It used to be that journalists held a lot of sway over influencing public opinion.

But one day when the drive-by media wasn't looking, the reading public somehow grew up. There were far too many Dan Rathers to give the profession of journalism a black eye.

Journalists and talking heads get paid to wear John Q. Public down with their highbrow opinions.

Interesting that when it comes to opinion polls, the public rates journalists only a tad above politicians in terms of honesty and integrity.

My ex-hubby John McLeod came up with the best definition of a journalist that I ever heard: "a journalist is only a reporter out of work".

Gary Reid is a regular CFP columnist and a friend with whom I share a traditional Christmas luncheon each year.

When he wrote his first column condemning Coren , in which he also pointed out that the americans had originally armed Saddam Hussein, someone asked me if Reid was CFP's "token lefty".

"I certainly hope not," I shot back. Considering that there are far more leftwing sites than Conservative ones, I know that Gary could have his columns posted anywhere.

It's not that I like Coren any more than my friend does. It's just that Reid, who does tend to lean a little more to the left than Yours Truly, catalogues Coren in the right-wing "war monger" category.

He's not.

Genuinely right wing, I mean.

It would be a strange right-winger indeed who would keep Syd Ryan around as a regular guest on his Michael Coren Show on Crossroads Television.

In his call for the West to nuke Iran, Coren predicted, "the usual suspects will complain. The post-Christian churches, the Marxists, the fellow travelers and fifth columnists."

"Count me in as one of the "usual suspects," wrote Reid. "In this case, I join the ranks of "post-Christian churches, (whatever they are), the Marxists", yada, yada, yada.

as for the post-Christian churches, I too have no idea what Coren meant, unless he was referring to Crossroads television, which gives him free rein to keep Syd Ryan, who recently crusaded passionately for a boycott of Israel, around as a regular guest.

Coren, it would seem changes religions almost as often as he does his socks.

But anyone who believes that Jack Layton deserves generous airtime is more than a little muddled.

accused by readers of his let's-nuke-'em column of "inciting prejudice against Muslims", Coren was back in the Sun this week to remind them that he "won awards for my work in inter-faith dialogue".

Proving that he can change his opinions like he does his religion, Coren likely ticked off his own side when he wrote, "actually, I've been a strong supporter of justice for Muslims. I wrote a column during the Danish cartoon controversy urging people to understand why Muslims were so angry."

That column, it would be safe to note, did not change the Muslim world, and at last count the Danish cartoonists were still in hiding.

Still, why is it that my only reaction in coming upon Coren's let's-nuke-em piece was merely "There goes that self-serving Michael Coren again, while Reid took the kamikaze approach in a column entitled, "as one fifth columnist to a dumbass columnist"?

Don't think it has much to do with my being one of those Conservative Christian types.

Meanwhile, I do hope that Reid is over Michael Coren by the time we get together for that traditional Christmas lunch.

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


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement