There is a woman who lives and works in Cobourg who has put herself out in front of the pack, and she deserves support not abuse. On Monday 24^th she did it again. Set herself up for a torrent of vitriol, and it came, on Facebook and on the local newsblog.

Not giving an inch in the local debate that has pitted ‘Hang ’em high’ advocates against ‘we want to save lives, and don’t care how it is done’ she came out strongly on the side of the Humanists. Speaking before Council she had the temerity to castigate Council on their attitude towards the marginalised and accused them of discrimination against the homeless.  As a result of media reports of the meeting the comment section fired up.

This attitude of “shooting the messenger” is not new; dating back Centuries. A wiki reference – “An early literary citing of “shooting the messenger” is in Plutarch‘s Lives: “The first messenger, that gave notice of Lucullus‘ coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes that, he had his head cut off for his pains; and no man dared to bring further information. Without any intelligence at all, Tigranes sat while war was already blazing around him, giving ear only to those who flattered him”. But with social media littered with ‘keyboard warriors the problem is made much easier with devastating consequences. So this brave woman’s stand against, what she saw as a case of institutional injustice, became an attack on her behaviour. Sad.

Well we at the BurdReport would like to thank you for saying what you said to those who deserved to hear it.

Thank you Theresa Rickerby.