Nails and Integrity

and the Reading List for 19 Jan 24

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Wednesday’s column was about an episode in the Conception Bay East - Bell Island by-election.

The point was simple: even someone as experienced as Fred Hutton when it comes to be in public under pressure can screw up and give a comment that he will wear.

Some may have missed it but I have said elsewhere that if Fred wins, he’s a sure bet to get a cabinet seat. And when Andrew Furey packs it in, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Hutton replace him in the Premier’s Office.

Some people took the column as a licence to crap on the Liberals generally and Fred in particular. Almost all of them did it while wearing a mask, a fake name. That’s something I have no time for and in the commenter on the column, who also was or is a paid subscriber, I made it plain just what I thought of the comment.

As long as I have been offering opinions publicly, that’s the standard I follow: I put my name on my words. I expect others to do the same especially when they are saying something critical or just shitty about someone else. It’s simple. And it’s a standard I can get pretty ruthless in applying.

This now the 20th year I have been writing publicly and offering some pretty strong views. Someone asked me today if I’d ever had any difficulty dealing with the same people I’ve criticised as a result. Generally, no, is the answer, with one or two noticeable exceptions. Safe to say I am not in any danger of having to go Christmas shopping for Danny Williams and his publicist or David Cochrane. Bruce Chaulk might shoot my owl rather than take it, if one is a Harry Potter fan. But the rest have been very good about it and in some instances, people I have tussled with have become friends.

The reason is that for the most part, I’ve not been personal in my comments even if people take things personally sometimes. It can be embarrassing. I make mistakes and I take responsibility for my words. I have been known to apologise. which is to say, I take responsibility for my words and actions. That’s another part of why I think I’ve been able to carry on as I have and not been run out of town on a rail.

Another reason is that I simply don’t write the way I used to. Sometimes I do, but it is no longer the norm. That means the nature of my criticism is different and is less likely to get taken personally.

And lastly, give credit to people in public life who act professionally even if inside they’d just as soon string me or someone else up by the toes, slather us in honey, and dip us in fire ants.

Enough of that.

On to the week’s reading list.