Looking at the logs it seems that my little corner of the web became somewhat busy yesterday as a result of an article that ran in the Toronto Sun, by Alan Cairns. Apparently googling any combination of "Val Smith", Stern, Fans, Toronto Police or "crazy self involved harpy" throws my page pretty high on the google results page. Yay, time to dissect a media article and all the crazy quotes within.
"A Toronto anti-violence activist who slammed satellite radio shock jock Howard Stern wants criminal charges laid against Stern "fanatics" she says are harassing her."
Let us look at the voice that the "reporter" is already using in the first sentence of his article. He refers to Val as an "anti-violence activist" instead of the more correct, "free expression hating fascist". He also refers to Howard Stern with the derogatory term "shock jock" when he could have used the more correct "talk radio host". Excellent work in establishing right off the bat which side of the debate you are on sir, I'll bet you graduated right at the top of your J-School class.
"Val Smith wants Toronto Police to charge two local Stern fans amid fears she is in danger from "intimidation" and "threats" that followed her criticism of Stern on her website."
From reading that it sounds like she has a non-stop parade of Stern fans picketing outside her house and work, chasing her in cars, calling her at all hours of the day and night. In reality of course she has received a few emails, which she has posted on her website and none of which have been threatening in any way. Most have seemed to be downright pleasant in comparison to the personal insults that Val has flung on her website.
"Smith said Stern's views on women make her "skin crawl.""
Which specific views on women would that be Val? I've listened to hundreds of hours of Stern and never found him to be gender biased in any way. If anything he is more openly insulting towards men than he is towards women. Of course this is something you would never know Val, as you would never actually listen to the show so that you can have an informed debate on a topic you seem so passionate about.
"In a series of profane and vile chat entries on the American-based Stern Fan Network (SFN), one subscriber who lives north of Toronto encouraged Stern acolytes to not only "fight back" against Smith but also to look up her home phone number."
Profane and vile in whose opinion Mr. Cairns? Did you read the entire 30+ page thread or just one or 2 posts that Val provided to you? Did you even read that much or did you just take her word that was written was both "profane" and "vile". Do you have some particular problem with people "fighting back" against those who wish to usurp their rights?
"One agitated Stern fan from Peterborough, who Smith has since identified on her website, also threatened in an e-mail to post her address, e-mail address, social insurance number and car make and licence number on the SFN."
Odd, you'd think that if that was true Val would have posted that email to try and discredit the person instead of the one that she did post. Excellent work in casting the fan as "agitated" Mr. Cairns as opposed to say, pissed off that someone is trying to tell him what he can and can't choose to listen to in the privacy of his own home.
"In a complaint letter she sent to Toronto 43 Division Det. Peter Moreira late Tuesday, Smith argued that charges should be laid."
Hold on a sec, in Val's original post on this topic on March 5th, 2006 she said that she had already contacted the police in regards to this matter. Was she lying then or is she lying now? Where is the letter? A cursory examination of Val's website should make it abundantly clear that she has a tendency of posting copies of all of her complainants. Why not this time if such a complaint does exist?
"She fears violence not only against herself but also against other unrelated Valerie Smiths who may be targeted. "Is it necessary to wait until some Valerie Smith is attacked by these creeps before that happens?""
If someone was looking to do harm to the actual Val Smith I wouldn't think it would be that hard to find the correct one. She's the one who looks like she hasn't smiled in 20 years and has a giant stick protruding from her ass.
"A Toronto anti-violence activist who slammed satellite radio shock jock Howard Stern wants criminal charges laid against Stern "fanatics" she says are harassing her."
Let us look at the voice that the "reporter" is already using in the first sentence of his article. He refers to Val as an "anti-violence activist" instead of the more correct, "free expression hating fascist". He also refers to Howard Stern with the derogatory term "shock jock" when he could have used the more correct "talk radio host". Excellent work in establishing right off the bat which side of the debate you are on sir, I'll bet you graduated right at the top of your J-School class.
"Val Smith wants Toronto Police to charge two local Stern fans amid fears she is in danger from "intimidation" and "threats" that followed her criticism of Stern on her website."
From reading that it sounds like she has a non-stop parade of Stern fans picketing outside her house and work, chasing her in cars, calling her at all hours of the day and night. In reality of course she has received a few emails, which she has posted on her website and none of which have been threatening in any way. Most have seemed to be downright pleasant in comparison to the personal insults that Val has flung on her website.
"Smith said Stern's views on women make her "skin crawl.""
Which specific views on women would that be Val? I've listened to hundreds of hours of Stern and never found him to be gender biased in any way. If anything he is more openly insulting towards men than he is towards women. Of course this is something you would never know Val, as you would never actually listen to the show so that you can have an informed debate on a topic you seem so passionate about.
"In a series of profane and vile chat entries on the American-based Stern Fan Network (SFN), one subscriber who lives north of Toronto encouraged Stern acolytes to not only "fight back" against Smith but also to look up her home phone number."
Profane and vile in whose opinion Mr. Cairns? Did you read the entire 30+ page thread or just one or 2 posts that Val provided to you? Did you even read that much or did you just take her word that was written was both "profane" and "vile". Do you have some particular problem with people "fighting back" against those who wish to usurp their rights?
"One agitated Stern fan from Peterborough, who Smith has since identified on her website, also threatened in an e-mail to post her address, e-mail address, social insurance number and car make and licence number on the SFN."
Odd, you'd think that if that was true Val would have posted that email to try and discredit the person instead of the one that she did post. Excellent work in casting the fan as "agitated" Mr. Cairns as opposed to say, pissed off that someone is trying to tell him what he can and can't choose to listen to in the privacy of his own home.
"In a complaint letter she sent to Toronto 43 Division Det. Peter Moreira late Tuesday, Smith argued that charges should be laid."
Hold on a sec, in Val's original post on this topic on March 5th, 2006 she said that she had already contacted the police in regards to this matter. Was she lying then or is she lying now? Where is the letter? A cursory examination of Val's website should make it abundantly clear that she has a tendency of posting copies of all of her complainants. Why not this time if such a complaint does exist?
"She fears violence not only against herself but also against other unrelated Valerie Smiths who may be targeted. "Is it necessary to wait until some Valerie Smith is attacked by these creeps before that happens?""
If someone was looking to do harm to the actual Val Smith I wouldn't think it would be that hard to find the correct one. She's the one who looks like she hasn't smiled in 20 years and has a giant stick protruding from her ass.
