Today I was listening to CKNW's John McComb's show about the Bountiful Community's polygamy situation vis a vis law enforcement's attempt at charging them. John McComb is for sure an intelligent individual. He's not the sort of shock-jock who says off the wall things to get callers with extremist views on the line so they can get into a right wing feeding frenzy. He sounds like a left-leaning, soft spoken and sensitive individual. However, today's show made me think that there was a sinister nature to his intelligence.
John played stupid by stating how is it that the government and law enforcement seem unwilling to do anything about what is going on at Bountiful. How there are accusations of child abuse, how 15 year old girls are married off to 80 year old men, how they are the 9th wife at that, etc. Wally Opal, the Attorney General, was also the subject of his monologue. John reported that Mr. Opal is bringing special judicial agents to review the Bountiful case again for charges to be laid. Then John goes on about how, in the face of child abuse, the government seems unwilling to do anything.
Now we all know that most radio stations are for-profit organizations. Their mandate is NOT to bring you the news, but to sell advertising, and the news (ie: their version of the facts) is what keeps you glued to the radio program so that you can hear advertising so that more advertising can be sold at a higher price.
It seems John is very adept at being a radio station employee. But in listening to the conversations John is having with callers, we find out a few things: 1) John volunteers the fact that the RCMP had already done an investigation within Bountiful, interviewing people, collecting facts, etc. with regard to child abuse and had come up with no charges which could be laid, 2) John admits that should Mr. Opal attempt to lay charges but fail, that the Constitutional rights for religious freedom of expression and assembly will trump polygamy charges in a Supreme Court and law enforcement will not have another chance to get at Bountiful again, 3) John acquiesces to the notion brought upon by a caller that child abuse charges trump religious rights protected by the Constitution.
Yet John continues to ask the question, at almost every station break moment, how the government is unwilling to protect children from abuse at Bountiful and how the government can not stand up against them when it comes to polygamy. As though he was as stupid as his callers. He already knows that Mr. Opal has gone beyond what governments ought to be doing in seeking to charge people with crimes, that in fact, extra efforts and a special course of action are taken to get Bountiful on whatever they can. He already knows that not enough evidence could be erected to lay child abuse charges as a result of the RCMP investigation. He already knows that talking about religious rights in this country has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not people can be charged with child abuse.
After his monologue, a rash of callers chimed on about how the government does nothing. How the government allows child abuse to occur. How the government will bring in Shariah law because it can't combat the religious laws at Bountiful. Well of course all these rants by people, as usual, STUPID PEOPLE, are going to cause more stupid people to listen in. Thanks John, for pandering to the common idiot. I hope you feel great when you get a raise. What a bastard.
John played stupid by stating how is it that the government and law enforcement seem unwilling to do anything about what is going on at Bountiful. How there are accusations of child abuse, how 15 year old girls are married off to 80 year old men, how they are the 9th wife at that, etc. Wally Opal, the Attorney General, was also the subject of his monologue. John reported that Mr. Opal is bringing special judicial agents to review the Bountiful case again for charges to be laid. Then John goes on about how, in the face of child abuse, the government seems unwilling to do anything.
Now we all know that most radio stations are for-profit organizations. Their mandate is NOT to bring you the news, but to sell advertising, and the news (ie: their version of the facts) is what keeps you glued to the radio program so that you can hear advertising so that more advertising can be sold at a higher price.
It seems John is very adept at being a radio station employee. But in listening to the conversations John is having with callers, we find out a few things: 1) John volunteers the fact that the RCMP had already done an investigation within Bountiful, interviewing people, collecting facts, etc. with regard to child abuse and had come up with no charges which could be laid, 2) John admits that should Mr. Opal attempt to lay charges but fail, that the Constitutional rights for religious freedom of expression and assembly will trump polygamy charges in a Supreme Court and law enforcement will not have another chance to get at Bountiful again, 3) John acquiesces to the notion brought upon by a caller that child abuse charges trump religious rights protected by the Constitution.
Yet John continues to ask the question, at almost every station break moment, how the government is unwilling to protect children from abuse at Bountiful and how the government can not stand up against them when it comes to polygamy. As though he was as stupid as his callers. He already knows that Mr. Opal has gone beyond what governments ought to be doing in seeking to charge people with crimes, that in fact, extra efforts and a special course of action are taken to get Bountiful on whatever they can. He already knows that not enough evidence could be erected to lay child abuse charges as a result of the RCMP investigation. He already knows that talking about religious rights in this country has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not people can be charged with child abuse.
After his monologue, a rash of callers chimed on about how the government does nothing. How the government allows child abuse to occur. How the government will bring in Shariah law because it can't combat the religious laws at Bountiful. Well of course all these rants by people, as usual, STUPID PEOPLE, are going to cause more stupid people to listen in. Thanks John, for pandering to the common idiot. I hope you feel great when you get a raise. What a bastard.
