Stories and News No. 953
Last Sunday there was an attack at the mosque in Quebec City, Canada. Six people were killed and nineteen wounded.
In the following days a man was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, Alexandre Bissonnette, 27 year-old, university student with far-right sympathies, especially for Trump and Marine Le Pen.
Obvious rule for “unpopular terrorist attacks”, in a few hours the fact has practically disappeared among the greatest, so-called news sources, not to mention the absolute absence of the usual manifestations of virtual-social solidarity with the victims, as “We are all Canadian” or even Muslims.
However, in a small, local newspaper with high ambitions, Ambidextrous News, something unusual happens...
"Boss?" Says the youngest among the reporters, recently arrived to the newspaper, a freelance and above all no money guy.
"Who is it?" Asks the chief and publisher’s son. He gave the name to the newspaper, believing that it could further stress its political orientation. Nevertheless, only after he registered the magazine, was informed that ambidextrous doesn't mean at all with two right hands.
"Sorry, I know it’s late, it’s Mike..."
"Who?"
"The new one…"
"Who?"
"The kid..."
"What?"
"Ehm… the guy who brings the coffee."
"I see, now. What do you want? It’s… it’s two in the morning..."
"Forgive me, boss, but it was you..."
"I called you? I don’t think so."
"No, I was saying that it was you who said that while journalists occasionally stop, news never do."
"When I told that?"
"This morning."
"Where?"
"When we made the editorial meeting…"
"What?"
"Ok, when I brought you the coffee."
"Right. Tell me about this news."
"Well, it’s not a proper one, it's a rectification…"
"What? You wake me in the middle of the night to tell me about a trivial modification? You're fired."
"Actually, you never hired me."
"What do you mean? You don’t work with us? Who gave you my number? "
"You did."
"Why?"
"Because I'm part of the staff..."
"Who?"
"All right: because I brought you the coffee."
"Yes, the little one, now I've focused. Anyway, since it's the last time we speak, what is this rectification?"
"Do you recall that attack a few days ago?"
"What?"
"In Canada..."
"Where?"
"Of course, the one we spoke of on Monday morning, when I brought the coffee."
"That one, now I remember."
"Well, there's an important press agency that informs us of a mistake. It was not a mosque, but a church."
A suddenly peppered with agitation and excitement silence follows the latter words.
"Did you say church?"
"Yes, boss."
"Are you telling me that the attack in Canada was done in a church, and that the dead are Christians?"
"Exactly."
"Call everybody, soon! In maximum twenty minutes I want the entire editorial staff in the office.”
"No, boss."
"What do you mean?!"
"Because I just got another rectification."
"What?"
"It was a mosque."
"A mosque?"
"No, a church."
"A church or a mosque, idiot?"
The young man laughs with a clear note of bitterness in his voice.
"What's so funny? You know what this is? A bad taste joke."
"You’re wrong, boss," replies the guy of the coffee.
This is racism…
Read more stories about racism
Buy my latest book Elisa and the wonderful world of objects
Listen my song Wolves
Watch my last storytelling show with English subtitles It's amazing what a little light can do Storytelling videos with subtitles
Last Sunday there was an attack at the mosque in Quebec City, Canada. Six people were killed and nineteen wounded.
In the following days a man was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, Alexandre Bissonnette, 27 year-old, university student with far-right sympathies, especially for Trump and Marine Le Pen.
Obvious rule for “unpopular terrorist attacks”, in a few hours the fact has practically disappeared among the greatest, so-called news sources, not to mention the absolute absence of the usual manifestations of virtual-social solidarity with the victims, as “We are all Canadian” or even Muslims.
However, in a small, local newspaper with high ambitions, Ambidextrous News, something unusual happens...
"Boss?" Says the youngest among the reporters, recently arrived to the newspaper, a freelance and above all no money guy.
"Sorry, I know it’s late, it’s Mike..."
"Who?"
"The new one…"
"Who?"
"The kid..."
"What?"
"Ehm… the guy who brings the coffee."
"I see, now. What do you want? It’s… it’s two in the morning..."
"Forgive me, boss, but it was you..."
"I called you? I don’t think so."
"No, I was saying that it was you who said that while journalists occasionally stop, news never do."
"When I told that?"
"This morning."
"Where?"
"When we made the editorial meeting…"
"What?"
"Ok, when I brought you the coffee."
"Right. Tell me about this news."
"Well, it’s not a proper one, it's a rectification…"
"What? You wake me in the middle of the night to tell me about a trivial modification? You're fired."
"Actually, you never hired me."
"What do you mean? You don’t work with us? Who gave you my number? "
"You did."
"Why?"
"Because I'm part of the staff..."
"Who?"
"All right: because I brought you the coffee."
"Yes, the little one, now I've focused. Anyway, since it's the last time we speak, what is this rectification?"
"Do you recall that attack a few days ago?"
"What?"
"In Canada..."
"Where?"
"Of course, the one we spoke of on Monday morning, when I brought the coffee."
"That one, now I remember."
"Well, there's an important press agency that informs us of a mistake. It was not a mosque, but a church."
A suddenly peppered with agitation and excitement silence follows the latter words.
"Did you say church?"
"Yes, boss."
"Are you telling me that the attack in Canada was done in a church, and that the dead are Christians?"
"Exactly."
"Call everybody, soon! In maximum twenty minutes I want the entire editorial staff in the office.”
"No, boss."
"What do you mean?!"
"Because I just got another rectification."
"What?"
"It was a mosque."
"A mosque?"
"No, a church."
"A church or a mosque, idiot?"
The young man laughs with a clear note of bitterness in his voice.
"What's so funny? You know what this is? A bad taste joke."
"You’re wrong, boss," replies the guy of the coffee.
This is racism…
Read more stories about racism
Buy my latest book Elisa and the wonderful world of objects
Listen my song Wolves
Watch my last storytelling show with English subtitles It's amazing what a little light can do Storytelling videos with subtitles