TheLegendsLeague | Bryan Espiritu

Last week I was asked a few questions by some dude, (now identified as Ben Kaplan of the National Post), regarding my experiences and thoughts about the streetcar and transit system here in Toronto. I answered my questions truthfully, saying something to the extent of, “Environmentally, the benefits of riding public transit are great. The worst thing about the fucking thing is the passengers. We’re so used to having it around that we find anything and everything to complain about. The fact is, it’s a fucking convenience.” I told them how I’ve seen a couple dogs get hit by streetcars after he asked me if I thought drivers should be drug tested, and they went on to doing their things as editors and writers, and chopped up what I said and mashed it into a small blurb that’s almost completely nonsensical just like everyone else’s.

So why am I posting this?

Well, for a couple of reasons…

First one is this – when they asked me where I was from, I said Canada. It’s the fucking truth. I’m not born in the Philippines nor do I associate myself with the culture at all. I actually have very negative reactions to the idea of being Filipino. So then he said, “Well, your parents, where are they from?”. And so I told him, “The Philippines. But I’m from Toronto. I was born in Toronto.”

Every person who answered Canada that is white is outlined in the printed version of the paper as being from Canada, and weren’t second guessed or requestioned when they said that that was their “country of origin”. If they were not BORN in Canada, their answers were given as their true countries of origin, ie. Hungary, Nairobi, Poland, and were rightfully printed as such. There was another interviewer by the name of Rebecca Tucker, whom I hope wasn’t doing the same thing.

I always thought the greatest thing about this country was our multiculturalism, and it would have been great to use the fact that the faces of our citizens reflect a diversity that is held in common by our one “country of origin” – Canada, rather than trying to make it seem like everyone of a race outside of something caucasian, has immigrated here. We’re all immigrants to this fucking place unless you’re an aboriginal, and that’s gotta be recognized, foreal.

I gotta say this, as blunt as a newfie would – Fuck you Ben Kaplan. That was an asshole move on your part.

My second reason for posting this is for the passenger to my left, who is identified as Shawn Mercer. You see, Shawn told Ben that he was on his way to Old City Hall to try to deal with an old marijuana case that he’d been dealing with for a long ass time. *I shuttered*. He told him how he’s had to miss work, reschedule shit, and struggle with the courts to try to sort this whole thing out, and Ben was empathetic. He asked him the same questions he asked everyone else: Best Streetcar Experience, Worst Streetcar Experience, Best Thing About It, etc, etc. And went his merry way.

Shawn was excited about being in the paper. When his photo was taken, he even asked the photographer to show him what his shot would look like. He cut into my talk time to tell the interviewer, Ben, that his mom was a TTC employee. And the young 21 year old seemed like his day had, to some extent, been made.

But then Ben Kaplan and his people decide that it might be a good idea to put 21 year old Shawn Mercer’s “En route to court on marijuana charges” in the city wide weekend edition of the National Post. I know, it’s Shawn’s wrong doing, and Shawn knows now to never tell everything to a news reporter or writer, but I’m sure his employer does too.

Damn..

I gotta say this as blunt as a newfie would – Fuck you Ben Kaplan. That was an asshole move on your part.

Have a great morning commute peoples. It’s Wednesday morning, we’re almost halfway there.

Peace.
be.