Pioneering New Lows

Just about as despicable as you can get, posting that doctored photograph replacing Lee Harvey Oswald's head with that of Prime Minister Harper, in that infamous photograph when Jack Ruby shot the man accused of assassinating President John Kennedy. The kind of nasty high-jinks that might be associated with neanderthal-nitwits, adolescents lacking intelligence. Instead, it's the malicious work of those whose job it is to update the official web site of the Liberal Party of Canada. Beyond credulity.

Yet there it is in the newspaper, the photograph that has since been removed, once it was discovered by a visitor to the web site who happened to think this was not at all amusing, and represented, in fact, the mindset - collective we assume - of a group of juvenile-arrested half-wits. See, it's not hard to descend to the level of those whose emotional intellectual maturity lapsed on the way to assuming full social and physical maturity. So, if my words offend anyone, please pardon.

Sounds something like the LPC spokesman Daniel Lauzon: "Though we do screen the pictures before posting them, it appears the Lee Harvey Oswald picture slipped through the cracks - it has since been removed. We apologize to those who took offence to the image." A declaration of innocence of intent. And the lofty-sounding apology. Utterly meaningless in its easeful trip off the tongue to exonerate. Notable for insouciant flippancy, in fact.

Those who took offence to the image? Who in their right minds would not find that image offensive? Any low-down trick to gain a chuckle out of a jaded, values-absent audience? The photograph was doctored and received as an entry in a photo contest meant to poke political jabs at Canada's prime minister. From the very party that rears up on its superior hind legs to protest the down-and-dirty jabs emanating from the Conservative Party.

Gee whiz, the pooping puffin represented a kindly poke at a tragically comic political figure who meant well, but couldn't get his act together. The puffin enlivened the act. Not quite to be compared with yet another miserably unamusing photo doctored to show the prime minister with his hand inserted up the rear end of a cow. One a delightful little concoction of a prod, the other a mean-minded piece of derogation.

Oops, there it is again, another bit of innocence: "It's important to keep in mind that the pictures are created by visitors to our website, and do not always reflect the views of the LPC" cautioned Daniel Lauzon. Visitors, it should be pointed out, that were invited to submit their warped ideas of clever wit. However, anything as remotely offensive as the two in question did not post themselves, now did they?

Let's hear that again, Mr. Ignatieff, you know, that bit about Mr. Harper and his party indulging in the unfortunate practise of lowering the level of political debate?