My Dog Teaches … About Schadenfreude
 In some ways, English is a remarkable language. If we don’t
have a word for something, we think nothing of importing from
elsewhere, which is why the English language has considerably
more words than any other. "Schadenfreude" (pronounced
shaw-den-froi-duh) is one of those highly descriptive words
imported from German.
It means "finding pleasure in another’s misfortunes". It is the
stifled laughter we might experience when we see someone stumble
and spill coffee over himself. It is the guilty pleasure we may
experience when a rival fails at some endeavor. It is the
laughter on America’s Funniest Home Videos when someone
has obviously hurt himself in some silly way. Perhaps it
explains the intense media and public interest when a celebrity
falls from grace.
For many dog lovers I have talked to, the recent tragic event
involving Michael Bryant is a delicious case of Schadenfreude,
as the former Attorney General of Ontario has been charged with
dangerous driving causing the death of a cyclist. In an ironic
twist of fate, he finds himself on the other side of media spin
– in the very uncomfortable position of being tried in the media
and the court of public opinion.
For those who may not remember, it was Michael Bryant who used
his position as Attorney General to champion the concept of
using the media to ostracize certain members of society and then
using the law to minimize their rights. It was he who
vociferously declared that all pit bulls are dangerous and must
be eliminated from the province – despite the fact that he could
not pick one out from photos of a dozen or so dogs and on
numerous other occasions displayed ignorance of his targeted
wrath.
Under his direction and with blatant disregard for any true
data, law-abiding and responsible owners were criminalized for
the type of dog they owned. Owners of "pit bulls" found that
their family pets were labeled "vicious" and were a "menace to
society". Pit bull owners were "drug dealers, dog fighters and
criminals". Neighbors were encouraged to report pit bull owners
to the police; in fact, some municipalities obliged by turning
over lists of "pit bull owners" to our men in blue. Some pet
owners found themselves fighting for their dog’s lives. Others,
unable to cope with the societal pressures, simply gave up and
turned their pets over to be destroyed.
Never mind that pit bulls are known among dog experts to make
poor guard dogs because they are so friendly towards people –
even strangers. Never mind that the acknowledged characteristics
of the breed include stability and sociability with children.
Never mind that there are millions of pit bulls that have never
hurt a soul.
In the new Ontario according to Michael Bryant, no evidence of
wrongdoing was needed. With complicity from a willing press, it
became fashionable to denigrate people simply because of the
things they owned. First it was pit bulls. Then, in another
shameful period of violation of our rights, cars that had been
"modified for street racing" were taken away and crushed without
any evidence that they had ever been illegally used.
The man who caused so much trouble for so many of us in this
province is now in a heap of trouble himself. For many, this is
Schadenfreude. For others, it is Karma. Some call it "just
deserts".
As the former Attorney General demonstrated with his crusade
against pit bulls, lies repeated often enough can never become
factual, but they can certainly become the agreed-upon truth. He
is very savvy that the media is the battleground where public
opinion is formed; within mere hours of the death of the cyclist
and shortly after calling his lawyer, he hired a high-priced
public relations firm to fight the coming battle over his public
image.
Many people I know would be happy to see Michael Bryant suffer
the same fate that he orchestrated for so many others – tried
and convicted in the media without regard to the truth. But in
this, I would urge that we be extremely careful in what we wish
for. I do not want to see Bryant charged and convicted based on
false or inflammatory information; with the Dog Owners’
Liability Act, I have seen first-hand the gross injustice and
erosion of our rights this can lead to.
If we allow ourselves to be ruled by emotions based on hatred or
revenge or act out of false or misleading data, we end up
contributing to the Orwellian vision Michael Bryant seemed to
have for Ontario. Let’s forget about Schadenfreude and work to
create a fairer and more just society.
Visit our website at www.petitorial.com
Previous "Petitorial"
articles by David McKague:
Editor’s note:
I would like to encourage dog lovers everywhere
to start a PETITION to have this law thrown out or revised to such
a form where justice prevails. SFR.
|
|
