Closing The Divide, 16

Gentle Reader, I have for you some rather compelling evidence of just how bad this gap between haves and have-nots is becoming. There is a weekend morning program on CBC Radio One that I listen to on occasion, though I am having to admit that the silence of an early Saturday or Sunday morning is becoming more pleasurable for me by the week. Here is an example, pulled just from this morning. First, I will copy and paste my email to the host of this program called North By Northwest. Her name is Sheryl McKay (so sue me, Sheryl!): "Would it be possible for during the Sun Run to also announce changes in bus routes? Oh, that`s right, your target audience is all well off and they all drive cars. Well, maybe for those of us who aren`t well off and do not drive cars, and still condescend to listen to your program? Some of us would like to get to church on time. Oh, that's right, you're all atheists. Some of us have to rely on public transit. Oh, silly me, you would be absolutely mortified to be associated with members of the lower orders, such as your humble listener. Sorry to trouble you. Thanks Please start including the poor in your programming. By pretending that we do not exist, you insult not only us, but yourselves, also. Aaron" Of course, Sheryl never responds to my correspondence, I don't know if it's because she is thin-skinned or just doesn't give a shit about the poor people her program and other CBC programs studiously ignore day after day. What makes this so insulting? Well, D-uh! this happens to be public radio, Darling. And being public radio means that it is tax-payer funded, and you know something else, Gentle Reader? Here in Canada, the land of fairness and opportunity, even the poor pay taxes. Maybe not as much as others, but we still shove out our share and for this reason we also have a reasonable expectation that we are going to be included on our Public Broadcaster: not merely as tokens (this is already a very common insult that is perpetrated by the CBC on members of the LBGTQ community, aboriginals and people of colour), but as full and participating members of society. I have recently also left voicemail messages to our local weekday morning and afternoon programs on this theme: The Early Edition, and On The Coast. There appears to be among the program directors, broadcasters, hosts and producers of these programs a tacit assumption that there type of programming is exclusively for persons of these characteristics 1. generally but not exclusively white, and quite honestly Chinese, South Asians and Filipinos who have "made it" are increasingly represented sort of as "Honorary Caucasians." 2. always middle and, preferably, upper, middle class, 3. University graduates, preferably with at least a master's degree; 4. They own their own homes and hopefully live in one of the better neighbourhoods; 5. they are all car owners; 6. And they all live with White Upper Middle-Class Guilt. It would seem by the nature of the daily programming that none of the CBC's audience ever uses public transit because they have to (only to show everyone how virtuous they are for polluting a bit less); none of them live in low-end market rentals or in government subsidized housing (as I do); and they can all afford to, and often do, eat out at high-end restaurants and attend expensive symphony and other concerts at the Orpheum or Chan Centre. Whenever poor people are mentioned on their programs, we are always referred to as "The Other", or as a societal problem that needs somehow to be solved. Well, CBC, I would like us to treat this blogpost as an open letter of protest and I will be sending many of you the link. Happy Earth Day! Consider yourselves publicly shamed!