Stretching Credulity

Mayor Rob Ford appears to believe that nothing he can possibly do would ever have the damning effect of abandonment by his league of supporters who appear to see the man as an embodiment of the average person confronted by life's troubling personal circumstances and making the noble effort to overcome all impediments to keeping himself sane, in control, and determined to face all his accusers serene in the knowledge that he has done nothing wrong.

Nothing that wrong, actually, that those who persecute the poor man, could use in a court of law, that is. He has, after all, on countless occasions said he is prepared to face a court of law to prove that he has done nothing criminal. Morals and ethics on the other hand, are the purview of the individual. In working so strenuously to shame him, his accusers have instead brought shame on themselves. His brother and the legion of those prepared to vote him back into office can attest to that.

Canadian Press -- Rob Ford with favourite bobblehead character

He's been perfectly willing to admit that he has not always acted wisely. Why should he, he's an ordinary mortal, after all, and no one is perfect. Some are even less perfect than those who proclaim their imperfections as though they were medals of courage in the battle of life. Mr. Ford will be swift to agree that he has said "stupid, silly, juvenile" things, making a fool of himself and embarrassing the City of Toronto.

But so what? He has apologized. What else is required? Show me the man or woman who hasn't done things that might have embarrassed themselves or others and I'll show you a cardboard effigy of an angel temporarily visiting Planet Earth. He has most generously apologized for his shortcomings. But face it, there is no imperative for him to resign his duly elected post as Mayor of Toronto.

Ford the Bad and Toronto the Good, isn't that impressive?

It's like the bad marriage that results when opposites attract. He is what he is, and what he is satisfied the perceived needs of enough voters to ensure their man got into office. He's a man of honour, he'll tell you so. While honourable, he has succumbed on occasion to very human vices. So do him something, he says. And no one does, so where's chief of police Bill Blair's case against him?

Mayor Ford's claim, on the other hand, is that he has effectively saved the City of Toronto $1-billion in operating expenses by cutting back on unnecessary expenditures. And there's the point, you see, chief Blair was so put out because Mayor Ford cut $21-million of spending requested by the Toronto Police Force that his declaration impugning the mayor was an act of passive vengeance. Its vibrations are still reverberating.

The Toronto Star and its reporters represent a despicable claque of irresponsible trouble-makers out to 'get' the good mayor. Sending out a reporter to spy over his back fence. Is there no respect, no privacy, no sensitivity to the needs of a family to have its little enclave protected from sinister eyes? And to think that young children, innocently disporting themselves in the privacy of their backyard being photographed without permission by a reporter who may be suspect himself....

"I have little kids, and when a guy's taking pictures of little kids, I don't want to say that word, but you start thinking, you know, what's this guy all about?"

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is shown in this photo with Anthony Smith, left, and Muhammad Khattak, right. Photo: Handout