Last fall, after the catastrophic Toronto encounter between Michael Bryant and bicycle courier Darcy Allan Sheppard, I wrote a column lamenting the swift intervention by the PR firm Navigator on Mr. Bryant's behalf. I also said we'd started to learn about Mr. Sheppard, and that he was the product of a "failed adoption," plus much foster care.
michael bryant
Tax havens: out of sight, out of mind
At the root of the public fascination with the fate of Michael Bryant is a question that lies at the heart of democracy: Do the rich and powerful get special treatment?
Preventing the public from answering "yes" to that question will be a challenge for authorities, with the spotlight glaring down on every aspect of the prosecution of the former provincial attorney general for his deadly encounter with a cyclist.
How much easier for authorities to go easy on the rich and powerful when no one's really watching.
The lack of spotlight is certainly making things easier for officials in Ottawa as they deal with another very different investigation that raises the same question about favouritism toward the rich.
The problem with PR: Let's speak for ourselves
In general, I think media coverage of the Michael Bryant affair and the death of bicycle courier Darcy Allan Sheppard has served us well. Each day, new events and aspects have come into view. It's true that the early reactions from public figures focused on Mr. Bryant and largely depersonalized the man who died. The "tragedy," seen by people with careers like Michael Bryant, was mainly his.
