Up until today, I've never had a problem with Michaëlle Jean. In fact, given her life story, I even had a fair amount of respect for her, albeit a fair amount of disinterest in the rubber-stamp position she holds as Governor General. This news story from the BBC that I read late last night, however, has changed my mind about her. I know that the Canadian government is grasping at every single thing it can reach to try to show solidarity with the Canadian seal hunters whose livelihoods and butchering have been affected by the EU's recent vote to ban the importation of Canadian seal products, but c'mon?
Ms Jean used a traditional Inuit knife to help gut the animal then ate a slice of raw heart.It came weeks after the EU voted to ban Canadian seal products, but Ms Jean did not say if her actions were in response to the EU proposals.
An EU spokeswoman said the story was "too bizarre to acknowledge".
The governor general is the representative of Canada's head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.
Ms Jean was touring northern Canadian communities and was at a festival at Rankin Inlet on Monday attended by hundreds of Inuit when she ate the seal heart.
Asked later if her actions were a message to the EU, she said: "Take from it what you will."
Trying to make a statement is one thing, but did anyone really think that this could possibly drum up any postive PR? I mean, really?
3 comments:
I have been following this story with a look of horror on my face. It's just a strange way for anyone to show their support for the seal hunt, but actually I think it's understandable given her background as a journalist. She knows how to play the media, and it's working, at least for some people:
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Search/1124830.html
I think that most Europeans already opposed to the seal hunt probably read about this and saw it as nothing but an insensitive thumbing of the nose.
I, too, lost respect for the Governor General when I found out about her remark.
Post a Comment