Shane Doan affair -- my opinion. Further Update

The following is the full text of an e-mail I sent to federal party leaders Stephen Harper, Gilles Duceppe, and Jack Layton and our MP Tony Martin, regarding the Shane Doan affair.

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Messers Harper, Duceppe, Layton, and Martin:

I am addressing you all in the same e-mail in order to have you all understand my feelings on this matter.

First of all, I am not Canada's biggest hockey fan. I occasionally enjoy watching the game, especially during the NHL playoffs, but otherwise I am relatively indifferent to it. This week, however, I have had cause to become very interested in hockey, and specifically the Shane Doan "controversy."

I place the word controversy in quotes because I believe it was a completely fabricated and opportunistic sham that was perpetrated on Mr Doan, Team Canada, and the Canadian people.


M. Duceppe: I respect the need to stand up against racism and cultural prejudices, but I truly believe you were way off-base this time. The incident involving remarks ALLEGED to have been made by Mr Doan in December 2005 was investigated by the league, which concluded he did NOT make them.

Mr Layton: Once again you have found a parade in progress and have stepped in front of it to take the lead. Once again, you have taken a non-issue and parlayed it into more media exposure for yourself. I guess the old adage is true: there's no such thing as "bad press."

Mr. Martin: I am greatly disappointed that you did not speak out on behalf of common sense to defend Mr Doan, and suggest to your colleagues that they had more pressing matters before them. On the other hand, I am relieved that you did not find it necessary to walk in lock-step with your leader and make a pronouncement against Mr Doan.

Mr Harper: I am pleased that you have, finally, taken a stand in support of Mr Doan. It is unfortunate that you waited until AFTER Hockey Canada and Sports Canada officials were forced to appear before a Commons Committee to defend Mr Doan's appointment. I have heard a number of media analysts suggest that yourself and other MPs who supported Doan felt it necessary to wait until after the hearing so as not to appear "anti-French." How sad that 140 years after Confederation the relationship between French- and English-Canada has not matured to the point where we can disagree without being accused of "racism."

There are far weightier issues facing this country. That a handful of Parliamentarians, led by the ever-disgruntled Bloc Québecois, found it necessary to dredge-up unfounded allegations from 2005 and accuse an outstanding hockey player of racism only shows that they are unable to find a more positive way to get their names in the media. The only shadow that has been cast by this incident is over the credibility and sensibility of these Parliamentarians.

I believe Parliament ought to issue an official apology to Doan for placing him under this unwarranted cloud of suspicion, to Team Canada for similarly placing them in the middle of this non-issue, and to the taxpayers for this frivolous waste of our money.

Sincerely,

David J Root
Sault Ste Marie, ON

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The first reply came in this afternoon from... Tony Martin!

Tony's was a very polite and thoughtful reply. He first explained that Jack's response during the media scrum was meant to express his (Jack's) dismay that the issue had been raised at all.

Tony stated he raised the issue with colleagues and expressed his wish that "Team Canada can get on with their job and we can get on with ours."

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Jack has now responded. He tells me that "New Democrats fully support Canada's national hockey team and ... hope they'll bring home the gold medal this year."

He also says that now that Hockey Canada, which receives $3.2 million in taxpayer funding, has appeared before the committee "the job of the MPs is done on this file."

He also said, "I agree with those wanting the country to move on." He then went on to give a hammertime-like plug for the NDP's "robust agenda" which puts working families first.

There's been no word yet from Mr Harper or M Duceppe.