Jailing Journalists in Canada

"Stephen Harper's back-benchers are mostly lunatics." That is the type of biased and distortionary comment that Conservative back-bencher Colin Mayes thinks should have me thrown in jail. He is clearly a sane and intelligent man.

The Globe and Mail has reprinted sections of a brilliant and well-thought out article which was published by various smaller newspapers in his glorious home riding.

It is a fact that Mr. Mayes stated the following, “maybe it is time that we hauled off in handcuffs reporters that fabricate stories, or twist information and even falsely accuse citizens.”

It is also a fact that he said, in what appears to me (subjectively) to be a jovial tone, “boy, would the public get accurate and true information if a few reporters were hauled away to jail!”

He then, being the shrewd politician that he says, went on to suggest that these sort of moral and upstanding policies could never be implemented “because the media would cry ‘censorship' and ‘authoritarian state'."

I would observe, quite factually and without any distortion, that most authoritarian states do in fact jail journalists, whereas most free and democratic states do not. Not that I'm implying anything, Mr. Mayes sir.

Beyond that dear readers, you are on your own. I've spent some time in the joint and I tell you what, I ain't going back! How much time you ask? Have you heard of the Count of Monte Cristo? That was me. The man in the Iron Mask? Me as well. The Unabomber? Oh... clearly that wasn't me. Another man is in jail for that, so, uh, he must have done it.