Jamie West Blog - CHML
May 22, 2006
So now CHML is racist. What a crock. If that is all the protestors have to stand on...they are not going to win an intelligent and intellectual debate. This morning we were banned from the Confederacy newsconference.
The protestors have taken a "if you're not with us, you're against us" attitude. The protestors called a 10am newsconference and then decided to ban us and CH News.
I am outraged at the STUPIDITY of this move.
I have been nothing but balanced in my reporting of this story and have bent over backwards to allow all voices to be heard. I begged protestors a week ago to fill the phone lines when the barricade was partially opened....Nothing.
I invited Chief Allan MacNaughton and Sub Chief Leroy Hill into studio and offered them an hour of the show to explain their position in the early days before the OPP raid. They agreed and then arrived and said they would only speak for half an hour. They gave up a half hour of air time! I have repeatedly taken native protestors up on offers to hear their voices including taking their "Clyde Powless" led organized tour behind the lines a couple of weeks and as recently as Friday evening, I arrived at the barricade to meet with a protestor who had emailed me suggesting we have coffee and talk. He expressed surprise that I actually showed up. We talked for over an hour respectfully and we both listened. We didn't agree on a number of issues but we each allowed the other's voice to be heard. He suggested I walk back to the barricade with him. I did and was told by at least two women that I was a racist. I offered to give them and their spokespeople two full hours on my show to make their case.
Their response was SILENCE. In all my years as a journalist 20 of them now...I have never had more difficulty connecting with the protestors and other confederacy leaders. I have litterally had dozens and dozens of phone calls and messages go unanswered.
It's 2006 and if you can't communicate and shut out reporters from your newsconferences you'll never get your message heard. Does that make sense?
I suggest the Six Nations Confederacy get some serious communications help now.
This is a disgrace.