"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 1 November 2012

What?????

Elizabeth Bishenden has left a new comment on your post "It Is Misinformation":

Steve Falk has expressed his opinion about the future of the Aurora Jazz Festival. If you disagree with it, feel free, but stick to the argument. Implying, especially if done anonymously, that he holds that opinion because his wife works at the ACC is scurrilous and undermines any pretense of sensible discussion on your part. 


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I don't know about "scurrilous" Elizabeth. 
What we do here is  exchange tid- bits of  information  that may or may not be meaningful.

Tell-tale Tit
Your tongue may be slit  
And  every little puppy do
Will have a little bit 
  
Steve Falk wrote a letter to the editor with the clear intent of influencing  public opinion.  The letter contained misinformation. 
He was called on it.  
He was most likely misinformed to begin with.   He clearly did not take the precaution of being properly informed and it didn't stop him from making accusations.
There isn't anything  scandalous about that. 
More embarrassing  perhaps. And potentially damaging to one's credibility.
When accusing others of less than  commendable conduct, one really ought to be careful where one places one's feet. 
That Mr. Falk's wife works at Church  Street School may or may not be of interest. 
The first e-mail received in the campaign to win friends and influence people on behalf of the Jazz Fest came from Tracy Smith, 
a member of the Culture Centre Board.  Itself a  self-indulgent guzzler of public resources, if one may use that term about an institution less than venerated in the community.
If Mr, Smith did not wish  to associate the Culture Centre with the Jazz Festival, and accusations against a Councillor,  he might have been wise to stay out of the fray. 
He did not. 
He  used the opportunity  to hurl about some personal invective while he was at it.
Still, where  there isn't any, it's hard to see where one might find 
guilt by association.
In these days, when wives  no longer feel compelled  to surrender their own identity, it's not  even easy to associate wives with husbands.         

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I finally got around to George St.Kitt's Press Release. It also seems to include whoppers.

Anonymous said...

" Scurrilous" ? Us? Where? Hum-bug!

Anonymous said...

I find myself perplexed by Elizabeth. Should we refrain from pointing out inaccurate information until the next Auroran? As for the cheap shot, if she will hang around with us for a while she will meet our resident Dung Bug. It hates everyone & everyone. We just ignore it.
But, welcome back anyhow, Elizabeth.

Anonymous said...

"We just ignore it (sic)"

What was that you were saying about inaccurate information?

(Yes, welcome back, Ms Bishenden.)

Elizabeth Bishenden said...

I have no problem with people pointing out inaccurate information. I do take exception to innuendo that a well-respected and helpful citizen in Aurora might have an opinion about a matter because of his wife's employment rather than because he is... well, helpful and well-respected. The way I see it, Steve Falk's considerable contributions to our community make him someone who has the credibility to comment on what happens in Aurora.

His is not the only opinion I think is important - I am pretty interested in hearing all sides of an argument. I can tell you one thing, though. I don't put much faith in the words of "Anonymous".

Anonymous said...

If Mr Falk's spouse worked for St Kitts Music it might have some bearing on his support re: the Jazz+ Festival. As it is, it's a total non-issue, and should never have been brought up by a member of the tinfoil hat brigade.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with Steve Falk's stance on this issue. But, one thing in his favour in expressing his opinion is that, unlike many others always sounding off, he actually grew up in this town.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of " Anonymous ", there is a letter in the Auroran which purports to be from the AFA. But there is no name assigned to it. Ron Wallace instituted a policy that there had to be a name with a # so he could check and possibly follow-up. I think the new ownership has been doing the same.. The only other exception that I've see was Ballard's dog.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone here believe the St Kitts gang would still be involved with the Jazz Festival if part of the town's conditions for the event was the refraining from use of "St. Kitts Music" and other references to the family music business. In otherwords an end to the free marketing of their "business" ?