Dave Meslin has written an open letter to Don Cherry, after his disparaging remarks aimed at cyclists at the inauguration of Toronto's new city council, where Cherry said "I’m wearing pinko for all the pinkos out there who ride bicycles". I'm posting Meslin's letter here since it is currently only available on Facebook (put it up on your blog, Dave!):
Dear Don,
Congratulations on being chosen to introduce Mayor Ford on his first day at City Council. It's quite an honour.
I think it's unfortunate that you used the opportunity to be divisive and fan the flames of partisan politics at City Hall. What our city needs, and wants, is a collaborative approach to decision making that attempts to take into account different perspectives and opinions.
Today's meeting was not just the first meeting for our new Mayor, but also the first meeting for our new City Council - all 44 members who represent the City just as much as Mayor Ford. Those 44 Councillors represent a wide variety of opinions, reflecting the political diversity of Toronto. Your comments, at their meeting, with their friends and families present in the room, was incredibly rude. Or, since you you like to talk like a "straight shooter", let me just say that you behaved like an asshole.
Usually, I wouldn't waste my time writing a letter to an asshole. But you specifically singled out cyclists in your speech. And that's a really important issue to me, and I just wanted to share a few thoughts.
1) Many thousands of people ride bikes in Toronto. They ride them in the downtown area, and in the suburbs. They ride bikes in parks, on side streets, in ravines and oin arterial streets.
2) People of all ages ride bikes. Families ride bikes. Business owners, lawyers and doctors ride bikes. Hockey players ride bikes. We have bike stores in all corners of our city to serve the growing number of people who enjoy riding.
3) As someone who comes from a sports background, I would have thought that you'd encourage cycling. You may have heard that there is a severe lack of exercise amongst our youngest generation and a growing obesity problem.
4) Cycling in Toronto right now is dangerous. Hundreds of people get injured every year, simply because we haven't created enough safe spaces to ride in the City.
5) Hundreds of miles of bike lanes have been painted in the last few years, in Manhattan. Painted by a conservative right-wing mayor who believes in safety for families. Safety isn't a left-wing or right-wing issue. It's common sense. Only a fool cannot see this.
6) Mayor Ford himself has proposed over 100km of new bike lanes across the City. Good for him. This is exactly what Toronto needs and cyclists are eager to start working with his policy team to make this happen.
Maybe you think that politics should be played like a hockey game. Two sides, one winner, lots of fighting. What about compromise? What about listening to each other? What about actually thinking about what might be good for the city, rather than just spewing negative immature insults about people who ride bicycles?
I can't tell you how many times I've seen friends injured on the streets of Toronto. I've visited them in hospitals, I've rushed to emergency rooms and I've attended memorials for those who have been killed - simply because our City Council didn't have the guts to paint a line on the road. And you think it's funny to mock the politicians who are simply trying to make safer streets for the taxpayers who you claim to 'respect'?
All cyclists have ever asked for is safety and respect. They pay taxes, and deserve safe roads just like anyone else. I hope you never have to experience the loss of a loved one in a bicycle collision. It would be a horrible way to find out how ignorant your comments were today.
~ dave meslin
Comments
dances_with_traffic (not verified)
Dear Don, this is real life
Tue, 12/07/2010 - 23:21Dear Don, this is real life not a game. Learn to separate the two, I know that is hard in your beat up senile brain.
Frankly, you should just stay the fuck in the arena with the rest of the thugs and monkeys that corrupt hockey.
Do keep your lame brain opinions to your pals or some citizen is going to end up hurt and you'll have their blood on your hands! I know you don't think it matters because they're not a hockey player.
How you ever came to give a speech to city council is beyond me. What a fuckin' kangaroo court that place has become. I'm sure every councilperson felt a surreal feeling when they saw you, like some horrible nightmare they're having after they fell asleep in front of the cbc hockey game.
Somebody pinch me.
vélotect (not verified)
Thank you Don Cherry, you
Tue, 12/07/2010 - 23:45Thank you Don Cherry, you just polarized my city council (not yours) against our wholly unprofessional mayor. I can now rest assured that mr. Ford will only accomplish the least offensive of his goals, and his loyal council members are less so for your pithy introduction.
hpvrider (not verified)
When I saw on CTV news that
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 00:34When I saw on CTV news that Don was putting the Mayors chain around Fords' neck I thought that if Lastman was in the pic then they could be the new Toronto 3-Stooges!
I've never worn pink. Re maybe, but never pink!
Sorry Don, I couldn't resist after all you are a very loud instigator in the public eye, and you are an asshole!
Guess I have to watch out for balck SUV's in the bike lane now!?!
Mad Jack McMad (not verified)
I just want to take a little
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 10:40I just want to take a little of this space to state my appreciation for the fine people who work with the mentally ill and/or dementia sufferers. Today I have more respect than ever for Ron MacLean.
Fin (not verified)
As Don Cherry ages, he is
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 15:32As Don Cherry ages, he is becoming more and more of an unclassy guy. I love hockey but he is sticking out more and more as a sore thumb another (thankfully bygone) era.
dances_with_traffic (not verified)
I have to get me one of those
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 16:25I have to get me one of those buttons... the perfect accoutrement for a Toronto cyclist.
Random cyclist (not verified)
Well I can't say that I am
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 16:50Well I can't say that I am surprised. In fact folks this is a really good thing. If Ford had any brains he would have started off slyly with a "lets all work together through our differences" type of thing while in the background doing his evil deeds. Instead this blubber for brains could not resist the chance to beat up on his enemies. What Ford does not realise is that he has shown his true colours and right from the get go everyone knows that this is war.
hamish (not verified)
Yes, it's relatively good
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 17:44Yes, it's relatively good news that Mr. Cherry shot off his mouth courtesy of Mr. FFFord. I'm less sure it's useful to respond back to Mr. C, calling a grumpy old white guy anything but a gasshole, as he did drive in from outta town, with his pink jacket in the back seat, shown on CTV I think.
The real task is not to call names but to work on the Councillors, including the middle-of-the-road ones, to ensure that Mr. FFFord doesn't have the votes.
And maybe thank the Councillors that wore pink today; spacing.ca is selling pink buttons.
Darren_S
So for months people have
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 22:34So for months people have teased Ford about being fat. Yesterday they got called pinkos and are now crying? This is not Romper Room folks. If you dish it out get ready to take it.
dances_with_traffic (not verified)
It sure is the romper room,
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 10:52It sure is the romper room, just look who our leader is and who gives the speeches! If it got anymore childish they'd need their diapers changed. In fact Don probably does need his diaper changed cuz he sure is cranky.
Also, you'll be sure to note the asymmetric nature of the relationship... up next a speech slandering queers, immigrants, homeless and pregnant single mothers! Lots more speeches to come! Oink Oink!
Random cyclist (not verified)
Way to paint with the
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 16:01Way to paint with the broadest possilbe brush. Who exactly? Anyone prominent? Was it everyone that Don Cherry insulted by calling communists?
Really, do you think Ford's weight had anything to do with Don's scorn? If so you're living on Mars.
And this is a question of professionalism and class. Don and Rob, and for that matter Doug, have none. Rob is lucky he's got dad's money to fall back on, because if this city was really a business, and we were really customers, he'd be in big trouble right now.
Seymore Bikes
Don Cherry - A very bad
Wed, 12/08/2010 - 23:18Don Cherry - A very bad choice for your entry into a 4 year term as Mayor. I just hope the Ford camp is looking at it the same way, because that was a train wreck in every sense.
Rob Ford's biggest challenge is to prove he is worthy of the position - and I gotta say, out of the gate, it ain't lookin' so good
Celina Starnes
Hello, This is Celina, a
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 11:01Hello,
This is Celina, a cyclist from Vancouver. I just read about the embarrassing comments that Don Cherry made during the inauguration of the new mayor in Toronto. I am sorry that this happened. We can hope that his statements were so extreme that he alienated people that are not as radical in their positions – pushing more people to the “left”.
I am writing to you and the other cycling organizations in Toronto to make a suggestion. I suggest that Toronto’s pedestrian and Toronto’s “pinkos out there that ride bicycles”. Claim what Don is trying to label “you” with. Reach out to your connections in the cycling community and ask that they grab the Pinko pins and t-shirts go to their forgotten ‘80s drawer or nearest thrift shop and find the most outrageous pink jackets and get on your bikes!
From here in Vancouver, we look at all that Toronto has done to encourage people to get out of their cars and to move to a more sustainable transportation options. Please don’t let these sentiments go by without a loud united response from the PINKOS!
Good luck!
Ed
Yee haaaa! I'm in. Looks way
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 14:15Yee haaaa! I'm in. Looks way more fun than a boring old Critical Mass ride.
hamish (not verified)
There was a pretty mainstream
Thu, 12/09/2010 - 21:01There was a pretty mainstream online swipe at Cherry and many of his foibles and oinkers on MSN homepage today.
http://sports.ca.msn.com/nhl/photos/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=26672262
Great spacing buttons are getting out there quickly!
Random cyclist (not verified)
Anyone want to get in on an
Fri, 12/10/2010 - 15:36Anyone want to get in on an order of pink "Share the Road" riding vests...?
leave a comment on my new blog giving your blog url and I will be in touch with the details... custom ones are $48 US at Champ-Sys + duty and shipping... so I'm guessing that will be about $65...
hamish (not verified)
was the url of the new blog
Sun, 12/12/2010 - 14:45was the url of the new blog cut out as per ibike.to policy, or sometimes policy?
thanks for sharing
hw
Eugenics doesn'... (not verified)
Ha Ha Mezlin is right Don
Thu, 12/16/2010 - 09:21Ha Ha Mezlin is right Don Cherry is an asshoe.
That was the ceremony to install the new Mayoe Rob Ford.
But really people.
"If I lived downtown, I would be with the cyclists"
+Rob Ford
Not long after saying that he suggested that bike lanes in Toronto be replaced with physical separation as is found in Europe and often touted as the solution for Toronto. All bike lanes made separate facility, in the same physical space.
What to make of that? He even recommends it would be good in Etobikoce because the roads are exceptionally wide and have the room available.
Rob Ford holds a position more dramatic than any other local elected official in regards to accommodating bicyclists with facilities in downtown and the suburbs, despite his rhetoric and his affinity for septuagenarian peacocks. *
Maybe it is time to send a delegation of people who can speak to him and his sort?
Eugenics doesn'... (not verified)
My bad, that suggestion above
Sat, 12/18/2010 - 10:36My bad, that suggestion above was made without thinking.
Obviously the most effective response is to print t-shirts and buttons.
That always works.
We'll show them!
LOL @ ineffective means
Johnny (not verified)
Everyone who needs a job goes
Wed, 12/22/2010 - 13:20Everyone who needs a job goes to the CBC where they pay a large amount to re-cycled hacks in the media. Tom Clark, Kevin O'Leary, Amanda Lange, Lara DiBatista, Andrew Coyne, the list goes on, but to have to put up with this insignificant imbecile named Don Cherry tops the cake.
Cherry use of his Coach's Corner to propogandize his beliefs and agenda(& yes people do love him for that, aka Harper's cronies) is totally uncalled for & should be stopped by the CBC. But they wont do that cuz Cherry is bigger than the CBC & he knows it.
Now for his comments at Toronto Council, well lets face it CHERRY JUST PROVED HE IS AN ASSHOLE. Because you ride a bike you are a pinko? I guess the bicycle now is used in the same context as a "Treehugger"?
Cherry, do us all a favour, leave Canada, go to the USA, you are better suited for living there.
CBC sucks, & so does Cherry.
Eugenics doesn'... (not verified)
CBC Rocks! Has a lot of good
Wed, 12/22/2010 - 19:16CBC Rocks! Has a lot of good talent too. You should watch CBC and listen to it's radio programming. It's decent TV and the by far the best radio programming