A diaper on the beach or just an urban myth?
This comment came in overnight and demonstrates both the anger of the writer and the blindness to other points of view.
"I live opposite the beach and park and I'm sick, tired and fed up with the disgusting behavior of the weekend visitors to our park and beach. I've watched them urinating on resident's grass, digging holes in the sand to use as a toilet, etc. Mr Burd wake up you idiot and take a look at what is really happening to our once beautiful park and beach. You sure have your head buried in the sand." signed Anonymous.
No wonder the writer wouldn't put a name to a note such as this, btw calling me out as an idiot won't work, I'm inured to the remark, and if I am burying my head in the sand it won't be the sand in front of the correspondents' house - it's full of diapers and feces (or so I am told)! But, if anonymous has time to sit on a property and watch such disgusting behaviour why didn't he/she grab a camera and capture the evidence on tape. After all if it happens as often as described it would be a no-brainer. This tale of the buried diaper has to be tracked down - truth or Urban Myth? Perhaps a phone call to the Parks Department on a Monday would determine the number of diapers that jammed up the beach sweeper. Were there any diapers discovered during the Sand-Castle competition? If there were nobody is talking, perhaps on the orders of the Tourism Department cockahoop with success from its viral marketing campaign bringing thousands of tourists to Town.
But back to the point, last night a delegation appeared before Council to read out the list of documented complaints and suggested that an Ad-Hoc committee be formed of Residents and Staff, and others. Well here's a suggestion for Council; put a couple of Visitors on the committee! Otherwise the committee would like a bunch of angry neighbours (just as it looks now). Now., the idiot that I am (yes I did take that insult seriously folks) happens to think that an average of up to a couple of thousand weekend visitors coming to play in Cobourg is a good thing, I also think that the facilities and the Town workers have done a good job but have been overwhelmed on a couple of occasions (The RibFest weekend for sure) and a few bad people have not been as civilised as the rest of us. After all we don't all make a habit of peeing in the bushes on Bay St. but some do - that has to be stopped and if we need more washrooms at the East End we should build them. If the garbage facilities are overflowing we should thank the visitors for bagging the garbage and put in bigger bins. How many campers at Presquile or other tourist spots take their garbage home? They don't they deposit them at the drops provided. We have to be more frequent in our pickups.
Editorial comment
And let this winter be a period of learning, I for one don't want to see any more letters written by disguised racists letting fly with idiotic opinions written in code. Cobourg is not just a haven for Memsahibs and Masters living out their retirements in a white colony, we have to share what we have with a diverse bunch of other folk. And if the lovely people who meet regularly in the Dutch Oven every morning to right the world with their views from the Right don't like this opinion then I make no appologies.
"I live opposite the beach and park and I'm sick, tired and fed up with the disgusting behavior of the weekend visitors to our park and beach. I've watched them urinating on resident's grass, digging holes in the sand to use as a toilet, etc. Mr Burd wake up you idiot and take a look at what is really happening to our once beautiful park and beach. You sure have your head buried in the sand." signed Anonymous.
No wonder the writer wouldn't put a name to a note such as this, btw calling me out as an idiot won't work, I'm inured to the remark, and if I am burying my head in the sand it won't be the sand in front of the correspondents' house - it's full of diapers and feces (or so I am told)! But, if anonymous has time to sit on a property and watch such disgusting behaviour why didn't he/she grab a camera and capture the evidence on tape. After all if it happens as often as described it would be a no-brainer. This tale of the buried diaper has to be tracked down - truth or Urban Myth? Perhaps a phone call to the Parks Department on a Monday would determine the number of diapers that jammed up the beach sweeper. Were there any diapers discovered during the Sand-Castle competition? If there were nobody is talking, perhaps on the orders of the Tourism Department cockahoop with success from its viral marketing campaign bringing thousands of tourists to Town.
But back to the point, last night a delegation appeared before Council to read out the list of documented complaints and suggested that an Ad-Hoc committee be formed of Residents and Staff, and others. Well here's a suggestion for Council; put a couple of Visitors on the committee! Otherwise the committee would like a bunch of angry neighbours (just as it looks now). Now., the idiot that I am (yes I did take that insult seriously folks) happens to think that an average of up to a couple of thousand weekend visitors coming to play in Cobourg is a good thing, I also think that the facilities and the Town workers have done a good job but have been overwhelmed on a couple of occasions (The RibFest weekend for sure) and a few bad people have not been as civilised as the rest of us. After all we don't all make a habit of peeing in the bushes on Bay St. but some do - that has to be stopped and if we need more washrooms at the East End we should build them. If the garbage facilities are overflowing we should thank the visitors for bagging the garbage and put in bigger bins. How many campers at Presquile or other tourist spots take their garbage home? They don't they deposit them at the drops provided. We have to be more frequent in our pickups.
Editorial comment
And let this winter be a period of learning, I for one don't want to see any more letters written by disguised racists letting fly with idiotic opinions written in code. Cobourg is not just a haven for Memsahibs and Masters living out their retirements in a white colony, we have to share what we have with a diverse bunch of other folk. And if the lovely people who meet regularly in the Dutch Oven every morning to right the world with their views from the Right don't like this opinion then I make no appologies.
10 comments:
Ben, why worry what the Dutch Oveners think ? Stop drumming up business for the DO and giving attention to it's provincial elders.
To Anonymous #1 - people care what the Old White Guys at the Dutch Oven think only because they, and their outmoded opinions rule the day in Cobourg.
It's always wise to pay attention to what the enemy is up to, and this is no different. Besides, sometimes they're quite amusing!
Get Real, the daily morning coffee forum of the OWG's plays out in every small town in Canada. Amusing yes, but hardly the " enemy ". Cobourg under the microscope reveals all kinds of curious little creatures on the body politic.
This curious out-of-towner wonders: Where do the good guys and gals meet, if not at the Dutch?
Per capita of population (according to the United Nations Accumulated Wealth of Elderly Caucasians study, 2004) Cobourg, On., has by far the greatest number of white Cadillac automobiles in the world -a distinction formerly held by West Palm Beach, Fl. With a ratio of one white Cadillac to every 2.5 senior citizens of the Caucasian race, Cobourg out-ostentates all other jurisdictions where DOW (doddering old wasp) populations hold diminishing sway. It is believed white is the colour of choice because of the annual overwintering in Florida where white automobiles reflect rather than absorb strong sunlight.
More fraud from Anonymous.
Provide a citation.
Every place that serves coffee in Cobourg has a group of regulars. Most often, that group holds political opinions that are sometimes loudly expressed in vigorous exchanges. Same for other villages, towns and cities across the province and the whole country. This is healthy.
Where else in downtown Cobourg are there groups of opinionated regulars, similar to those at the Dutch Oven but of different political stripes? "Meet at 66 King East" "The Human Bean" "Monroe's After Five" if you're talking coffee. Kelly's if you're talking beer. Tim Horton's if you're talking outside of downtown.
I like the fact that free speech reigns, even when it is speech I would not personally endorse. Remember Voltaire, the French philosopher, who said "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
In terms of opinionated regulars, the Dutch Oven might attract a group of behind the scenes king-makers from among local small business owners with a right-wing tendency but I have heard people say they refuse to go into The Human Bean because of the strong political views that hold sway among customers there, albeit different ones. I would venture to say that the opinionated regulars at "Meet at 66 King East" and "The Human Bean" have been on slouches about getting like-minded folks elected to Town Council and make strong runs at other political positions.
Let's not oppose this. At times, democracy is messy, combative and impolite but I'm with Voltaire.
It has been a great pleasure for me to watch the death throes of Section 13.1 of the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Not a single political party has the courage to give the final kick.
To quote:
"13. (1) It is a discriminatory practice for a person or a group of persons acting in concert to communicate telephonically or to cause to be so communicated, repeatedly, in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a telecommunication undertaking within the legislative authority of Parliament, any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination."
Presume your objection is that free speech on the net should not be subject to censorship.
There is unintended humour in the combination of the polite formality of "Mr Burd" with the clear rudeness of "you idiot." Gotta love it when someone reveals more about themselves than they reveal about what their subject is.
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