She's Witch. Burn Her 
The Story of Nora Loreto and her Silly Tweet  

So yesterday a freelance journalist named Nora Loreto wanted to
start a conversation and so she tweeted the following three
tweets:




 

 
Needless to say, it was the second tweet that garnered all the 
Attention. 
What happened next will be legend in the annuls of cyber bulling 
and doxing.  The outrage heaped upon her head was like nothing 
I'd seen in my life.
Justine Sacco (joked about not getting aids because she was
white) got off easy compared to what was thrown at Nora.
I've read the word “cunt” more in the last two days then I have
my enter life – and I read a lot.
When I saw the tweet I was outraged and tempted to get online
and call her a Stupid Head (I have a 7 year old) but in the end I
just made some dopey statement saying she would have to reap 
what she had sown.  
It was an outrageous tweet but no sensible person should be
comfortable with the level of toxic waste being fire-hosed at this
woman.
Here's the thing.  I believe, truly believe, that her line of thinking
is becoming quite common amongst a great many people living
in the country today.  Call them the Alt-Left, neo Marxists, SJWs 
or whatever you want, but Nora is not alone in what she believes.  
She set herself up as an easy target here – but she shouldn't be the
target.  Her ideas needs to be the target.
You read the tweet and at a basic human level you know that
what she said is a “bad thing”.  Maybe you're not someone who's
used to dissecting higher thoughts – teasing out subtle nuances in
complex equations but you've got instincts and a basic level of
human goodness that most of us possess, and you know it was
“just not right.”  You get angry and, because it's so easy to do,
you send her a message, calling her the worst names you can
come up with – names that match the level of anger you feel.
And if you're really dim witted (you can be a good person but
stupid - happens all the time.) you threaten her or wish horrible
things to happen to her and her loved ones.
But what is accomplished here?  You can take some satisfaction
in the punches being thrown at her, but to be clear, she doesn't
seem to be too bothered by them.  She's not backed down an inch
and she has managed a pretty good campaign to make herself the
victim in the story – claiming all the outrage is evidence she's
right.  
Maybe she'll be hard pressed to find work going forward. But
maybe it'll be easier?  After all, “It doesn't matter what they're
saying about you as long as they're saying it.”  She's famous now
and will be for a good long time.  If she's smart, and I suspect
she is, she'll figure out a way to capitalize on the notoriety. Frank
James (Jessie's brother) lived out his final days giving tours of
his farm for 25 cents.  
In time the furor will subside and the folks who piled onto Ms.
Loreto will untangle themselves and go about their business –
and nothing will be accomplished at all.
But here's what should be done – instead of attacking this
woman, we should band together and attack her point.  I know.
Brilliant, right?!
Her ideas (and the timing) is what's offensive – even if there 
might be some truth in it.
So let's look at the idea.  
She stated that because of the gender, age and skin colour there
was a greater outpouring of support for the survivors of the
crash than might have been were those variables different.
Is she right or wrong?  And if she's right the more important
question is why.  I feel certain Ms. Loreto knows the answer to
both of those questions and no amount of facts would dissuade
her from that but maybe we can all learn something by
discussing the issues.  Heaven forbid we expand our thinking a
degree or two and become a little more thoughtful.
A bus load of Indian children perished in crash a few days ago.
24 kids died.  Many of you probably didn't know that and you
certainly didn't open your pocket books and send money overseas.
Is it because you're racists?  I don't think it's proof one way or 
another. If a team of Swedish hockey players had met the
same terrible fate would Canadians – as of this writing – round
up nine million dollars in charity?  Probably not.   Is it because
we hate Swedes?  Nope.  We just happen to love our own
country.  It didn't hit close to home – it hit us at home.
Now, if it had been a busload of young Canadian female soccer
players that met this fate, what then?  I think the level would
have been about the same.  We can't know for sure and hopefully
we never find out but that's what I believe.  As mentioned, I have
a daughter. I think I'd be more inclined to donate on the behalf of
the girl's soccer team. That what we do.  It's not that I believe
girl's are more deserving, it's just easier to imagine the grief the
closer you get to the flame.  In the end to suggest the grief was
greater in general because boys died rather than girls isn't a
statement one can make with any level of confidence.  
And what about their age?  Would we mourn less if we were
talking about a busload of seniors heading to a lawn bowling
tournament?  Of course we would!!!  How idiotic can you be!?!?
Oops – there I go attacking the person and not the point.  The
point is, it's a universal truth that the untimely death of someone
with a lifetime remaining on the card is infinitely more tragic
than someone with a lifetime of memories in the bank.  That's
basic human nature.  Even my dull friends should be able to
understand that.
And what about their skin colour?  Well, now you're getting to
the sticky bits.  What if it had been a team of young First Nations
hockey players that this happened to?  It doesn't need to be said,
(I will anyway) that I sure hope we never find out – but I fear in
this case it is likely true the white boys would generate more
charity than the Native boys.  So that's something we could talk
about but how about we let the devastated parents of those
youngsters bury their children first and then we could have that
conversation and we might all be a little better for having it.
What do you say?

Clint Lien
April 12 2018
Victoria B.C.