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The AIH Transcript for April 9, 2019

Hosts: Carol Off and Jeff Douglas

CAROL OFF: Hello, I'm Carol Off.

JEFF DOUGLAS: Good evening, I'm Jeff Douglas. This is As It Happens.

[Music: Theme]

Prologue

JD: Tonight:

CO: Standing up with a sit-in. Our guest is among the protesters in Sudan who are defying tear gas, live ammunition, and sweltering heat to demand the resignation of their president.

JD: Trial by fire. Sheryl Richard is searching for answers, after her church was one of three black Baptist churches burned down in one Louisiana parish. And it may have been racially-motivated arson.

CO: Miller instinct. Stephen Miller is the hardline advisor behind U.S. President Trump's increasingly tough border rhetoric — but Mr. Miller's uncle tells us he does not stand behind his nephew.

JD: A terrible lesson. A blast near two schools in Yemen leaves 14 young children dead. UNICEF says this will increase fear among parents about sending their children to school.

CO: A lobe-hate relationship. An Edmonton woman quits her job at a jewellery store, because she felt concerned about the ethics of piercing children's ears without their consent.

JD: And...eggs Benedict Arnold. By which I mean, they've betrayed us by becoming part of Heinz Creme Egg Mayo, which combines eggs, mustard, and the gooey interior of Cadbury Creme Eggs. Oh, and despair.

JD: "As It Happens", the Tuesday edition. Radio that is definitely not in a new yolk state of mind.

[Music: Theme]

Part one: Sudan protests, Stephen Miller’s uncle, Claire’s piercings

Sudan protests

Guest: Fadia

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: A protest chant]

JD: A woman in white, standing on the roof of a car, leading a chant with a throng of protesters in Khartoum, Sudan. Thousands of protesters are still camped out in front of Sudan's military headquarters, demanding that longtime President Omar al-Bashir step down. And they're there despite the fact that security and intelligence forces have been using tear gas and live ammunition. Activists behind the protests say at least 22 people have been killed since Saturday, including 14 today. Fadia has been at those protests. We are withholding her last name for her safety. We reached her at her home in Khartoum.

CO: Fadia, I think things are calm now. But it's been a chaotic scene at these protests in Khartoum. What's happening there today?

FADIA: Well, early morning, about 5:00 a.m., there was an attack by the NISF (the National Intelligence Security Forces) attacked the protesters and the army. But the army attacked back in order to protect the protesters and the property of the military headquarters.

CO: Fadia, I just want to be clear about this, this is really an astonishing development isn't it that national security forces went after the protesters, but elements of the military defended the protesters. What do you make of that?

F: Yes. That's right. They have been defending for four days. Since Saturday, the protesters are getting attacked by the National Security, and the army is protecting them.

CO: What have the National Security Forces been doing? What kinds of attacks have they had on the protesters?

F: Well, the live ammunition, and tear gas. They arrest as much as possible.

CO: Maybe just describe what it's been like? I think you're 22 years old?

F: Yes. I'm 22 years old.

CO: Have you seen protests like the ones we have been seeing recently?

F: Well, no. I think this is the biggest so far. The biggest, the most dangerous, the most exciting for us — the crowd is bigger than any time before. And everyone is outside. People from all the states of Sudan, from all the races, from all the colours, and a lot of Christiane and Muslims joining together, so it's great.

CO: I understand that most of the protesters are women.

F: Yes, exactly. A big majority of the protesters now are women. And I think for us, it's an opportunity to let them hear our voices finally that we're here, we're here to get our rights because we've been always oppressed by the Sudanese regime.

CO: I guess that's why this is so unusual in Sudan, because we know that Omar al-Bashir, the president, is brutal, isn’t he? He is a dictator accused of war crimes. It has been a very oppressive society for so long. So what has allowed people to do this? Why do they feel now that they are free to actually go out into the streets?

F: Well, the accumulation of all what had been going on before the bad financial statement in the country. And I think they are not afraid anymore. People used to be afraid because the government used to kill people since forever. They arrest, and they kill, and they suppress anyone who tries to speak something different. Anyone who is trying to be against the government, so I think basically they just fed up. People cannot afford their daily needs of oil, of cash, of bread, and other stuff.

CO: So they feel they have nothing to lose?

F: Yeah, they have nothing to lose.

CO: It does sound though as though that the National Security Forces are still doing what you described. They're still arresting people. They're still shooting at them, they're using tear gas. So how can you be protected from that?

F: Well, you only get to be protected in the military headquarters. This is the only safe zone we can say because it's being protected by the army. But if you're moving around in any other place or street, you're a target of getting arrested, or beaten, or any other thing. I'm not going to say shot. You only get to be shot while you are in a small office in the other areas away from the headquarters. But since December, the streets are not safe for protesters because they could get arrested at any moment.

CO: Why do you think that the military is protecting you? And as you mentioned, they've opened the gates of the headquarters to allow protesters to come in for shelter against the gunmen. So why do you think they're doing that?

F: Well, maybe because they are putting their hands together with us because they are from us, and they're going through the same thing we are going through.

CO: And we've heard that the younger military officers are also sympathizing with the protesters. Is that your understanding?

F: Yes. Yes. That's very true and very obvious. And they even spoke to the protesters today and in the past days saying that we are being with you. We are by your side. Don't worry about that.

CO: Is that making the people like yourself feel more bold, more brave to be out in the streets?

F: To an extent, yes. But all the women were in the streets since day one, and they never got back.

CO: When you're out there with all these women and people, we've seen videos of people singing and chanting and honking their horns. Is that what it's like?

F: Well, each group expresses themselves in their own way. There's a lot of artists, there's a lot of musical groups, there's a lot of the people who do ritual dancing and music. It's not like a real festival, but in every 200 meters, you will find something different.

CO: But we also have to say this. In Arab Spring, we saw these kinds of moments in Tahrir Square or other places of great jubilation. And then there was a crackdown. Do you worry that might happen to you in Khartoum?

F: Well, no. I'm not really afraid. From what people say all over social media, and in groups, and in the province, they're not really afraid of this. They're actually they're motivating the army. They're supporting them. They're asking them that hey, we trust you. We believe in you, army. So please be with us.

CO: Do you think this will lead to the end of Omar al-Bashir?

F: I can simply say Omar al-Bashir cannot beat a nation. So I think it will lead to an end.

CO: Fadia, I really appreciate speaking with you. Please be safe. And thank you for talking to us.

F: Thank you. Goodnight.

JD: Fadia is a protester in Khartoum, Sudan. And that is where we reached her. We are withholding her last name for her safety.

[Music: Sombre]

Stephen Miller’s uncle

Guest: David Glosser

JD: She did President Trump's bidding at the border — and was a lightning rod for the White House's controversial family separation policy. But it seems that wasn't good enough. On Sunday, Kirstjen Nielsen was booted as Homeland Security Secretary. Her firing comes as President Donald Trump has suggested closing the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers and immigrants — which is an idea Stephen Miller — an anti-immigration hard-liner, and the President's senior advisor — is keen to follow through on. According to multiple media outlets, President Trump has now given Mr. Miller the reins on all immigration and border-related issues. That's deeply concerning to David Glosser. He's Stephen Miller's uncle, and spoke out against his nephew in a written piece in Politico last summer. We reached Mr. Glosser in Philadelphia.

Mr. Glosser, your nephew seems once again to have a lot of clout over immigration policy, and a lot of influence over Donald Trump. What do you make of that?

DAVID GLOSSER: Little difference, except now that some of the other parties in the government who had previously had responsibilities in that area have been pushed out. Otherwise, I think the cut amounts to very little difference.

CO: But some of those people had gone to pretty strident lengths to limit immigration, and to limit the number the people who come in and under what circumstances. But does it appear that your nephew would like to see — is wanting to see — the United States go even further into those hardline immigration policies?

DG: I think we're seeing now is Mr. Trump is frustrated that his efforts to limit legal application for immigration through asylum have all been challenged successfully in court. And he's now seeking lower-level functionaries, who will be happy to carry on his policies, despite the limits imposed by the court and by public opinion.

CO: But we know that President Trump is overseeing a systematic purge at the Department of Homeland Security, among other institutions. And yet, Stephen Miller still stands. Your nephew is still there. He has survived all these different shifts and whatnot. Why is that? Why do you think that he seems to have the president's ear?

DG: Oh, I think it's because he and the president share the same point of view on the subject of immigration. On the one hand, Trump does truly wish to limit the number of non-white people coming into the country, which I think is what this boils down to since he has apparently so little concern about the large number of white Canadians who overstay their visas. He hasn't said much about that. And then I have Stephen Miller appears to give every evidence of being a true believer of the support of white nationalist aims. Stephen, who has done very little else with his life other than this issue, will pursue it as far as he's allowed to be allowed to by the authority given to him by the president.

CO: You have in the past you've called Stephen Miller, your nephew, you’ve called him an immigration hypocrite. Why is that?

DG: It's pretty clear that neither he nor I would even exist if the laws and regulations that he so coolly espouses have been in effect in 1906 and the years in the early 20th century when our family first immigrated to the United States. in 1906, my great grandfather immigrated to the United States an impoverished, desperate man from a little village in what is now the country Belarus. Immigrated to the United States, and Belarus, which was then part of the Russian empire, they'd been subject to decades — if not centuries — of persecution, occasional pogroms, kidnapping of male children for lifelong servitude in the Russian army, and a host of other dangerous and painful indignities. During the late 19th and early 20th century, roughly two million Jews from Eastern Europe and the Russian Empire managed to escape that by coming to the United States.

CO: Why would you why would somebody whose family had experienced such extreme anti-Semitism why do you think he holds these views? Did you ever talk to him about them?

DG: You know, I don’t have a close relationship with my nephew. I've only talked to him perhaps 10 times in his entire life. But frankly, who cares? I don't need to know to know that. What I need to know is what does he say? What does he do? And who is he associated with? What he says is inflammatory and condemnatory and untrue. What he does is unusually cruel and unethical. And who he hangs out with are the most odious elements of the right-wing of American politics. So I don't really have to dig into the psychology of why this takes place. I mean people do have sort of a morbid interest in internal psychopathology of people that makes them do bad things. But it's completely unnecessary to know. CO: These policies that have been challenged in court, and been found to be illegal. Once again, we see it return under the guidance and suggestions of Stephen Miller, who was talking once again, there's discussion about separating children, and sending refugee claimants into the criminal system. Your nephew, Stephen Miller, is going to be the architect of these policies.

DG: He has been right along I believe. And in the immortal words of the great philosopher Mick Jagger, you can’t always get what you want. And what we're finding out here is that there still remains, despite all the efforts of my nephew and Mr. Mr. Trump, there still are strong institutions of democracy upon which our freedoms rely on that still function. The danger is, of course, that they are under constant attack. And it requires vigilance for us to maintain those institutions of democracy.

CO: How does your family feel about your nephew and his role in the White House?

DG: As the officially appointed spokesman for all three or five hundred of us, I couldn't tell you.

CO: I think you have compared it to passing a kidney stone?

DG: Yeah, I said this too shall pass. But I'd rather see it happen quicker than slower.

CO: As one does with kidney stones. If you could speak to your nephew, if you could have his ear, what would you say to him?

DG: I'm sure he's heard what I have to say, and I will repeat my message to him again. Is to have a little human kindness in your heart to understand where we come from. I mean how we fled danger successfully, and what happened to those of our relatives were unable to come into the United States or any place else for that matter in the 1930s when the immigration door had been slammed shut. They're all murdered. Who wants to live in a society which has no which has no soul or no heart, and isn't willing to help other people? The great magic of America has been our ability to successfully absorb immigrants. We’re good at it. And to blend the cultures to create a new culture based on mutual determination to have a free life and to live by the rule of law. That's what it takes to be to be an American in the best sense of the word. And that lesson seems to have been omitted from his curriculum.

CO: Mr. Glosser, I really appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

DC: Thank you. Have a good one. Bye-bye now.

JD: David Glosser is the uncle of President Donald Trump's senior advisor Stephen Miller. We reached David Glosser in Philadelphia.

[Music: Industrial]

Claire’s ear piercings

Guest: Raylene Marks

JD: It's a rite of passage for many youngsters: getting our ears pierced, so we can wear a bit of adornment. Like a grown-up. But how many of us have less than let’s say joyful memories of getting a metal rod punched through our lobes as a kid? Raylene Marks's job was not only to witness those memories being made. Her job was to pull the trigger of the piercing gun. Now I say "was" because Ms. Banks recently quit her job at the jewellery shop Claire's — after one piercing in particular became too much. We reached Raylene Marks in Edmonton.

CO: Raylene, before this incident, how in general did you feel about giving children ear piercing?

RAYLENE MARKS: You know most of the time, I didn't mind piercing the ears of children who were excited, who expressed that they were excited to get the piercing, albeit a bit nervous about the procedure. You could usually calm a nervous child. You could put them at ease and explain the procedure and it would go from there. I did have a couple what I would call grey area piercings where the children were sort of cajoled or intimidated into sitting still and listening to their parents. And even after the piercing was over and they looked in the mirror and they'd had their piece of candy, I mean they weren't happy. And then I began to ponder issues around the piercer and the parents. At what point are they violating a child's personal boundaries?

CO: How old was the girl who came in who actually kind of tipped you over the edge?

RM: Seven years old.

CO: And what happened?

RM: She came in, and my assistant manager was the other piercer. And she took her. It was to be her piercing, but I was to assist because we knew right away she was nervous. And we do double piercings for nervous children. That's when both ears are pierced at the same time; an associate stands on each side and pierces the ears. Because you know a nervous child might get scared and back out after one piercing.

CO: And then what happens? yYu've just got one ear pierced, and she has to come back and do it all again?

RM: Yes. Yes, that is why we offer doubles when there's two associates in the store.

CO: And so what was the girl saying?

RM: She was very vocal, and she was very articulate. She said Mom, I don't want their hands on me. Like Mom, they're standing too close. Like I don't like the way it feels. I don't like it when they put this on my ear. And to me, it was a clear withdrawal of consent.

CO: What was the mother saying or doing?

RM: She was saying Honey, you know we can go home whenever you want. But conversely, was not letting her go home. It was you know persuading and everything. And I do think part of the problem is that the parent was made to feel that she would have to pay for the package regardless of whether her child went through with it or not.

CO: Well, just tell us what the package is?

RM: A piercing package includes your cleaning solution, the service, and both pieces of jewelry. And depending on the jewelry you pick is the price of the package, so it could run anywhere from thirty-four dollars to one hundred and thirty two dollars. So it's a considerable investment for a parent.

CO: How far did it go? Did you actually pierce her ears?

RM: No, it was 30 minutes of crying, begging, and refusals. And eventually, Mom did get the message, did respect her child's wishes, and took her home. Before Mom left, she did ask me like do I have to pay for this? I think the answer is no. And I said I have you covered because I had intended to pay for the package, so she wouldn't feel pressured to get that piercing done.

CO: Wait a second! you personally covered the cost?

RM: No, I offered to. I was not made to. Luckily, my assistant manager said that won't be necessary. And really when I followed up with my manager the next day, I thought that would be what I was in trouble for.

CO What happened the next day with your manager?

RM: Next day as her manager, I relayed the events that happened. I said I don't think I could have gone through with that piercing if Mom had insisted on it. And she said you would have had no choice.

CO: What?

RM: She said you would have had no choice.

CO: You had to do it?

RM: Yes. According to my manager, I would have had no choice.

CO: Is that a written protocol for Claire's?

RM: So Claire's has a policy that's policy 509, and in policy 509 indicates that you can suggest to a parent that a child comes back on another day. Ultimately, if the parent wants to go through with it, I mean you can only make the suggestion. You can't just refuse service based on what you think. But the policy also dictates we reserve the right to refuse a piercing in the event a successful one cannot be done. So that policy is very open to interpretation, very vague, and allows for you know misuse.

CO: Then was it your understanding that the manager was telling you that you were wrong to have refused or ended up not… it wasn’t a matter of refusal, but you ended up not doing the piercing — you didn't feel it was the right thing to do.

RM: Yeah, I was told they would have had no choice but to do it. And moreover, I brought up a circumstance… I brought the worst case scenario I could think of. I thought how far do we take this? And said What if a mom's restraining her daughter, holding her down, saying do it, and that little girl cries and asks me not to? Do I do the piercing? And she said yes, you do the piercing. I carried out my shift in silence and shock. I really had to think about that, and I approached my manager, and I said I need to know why you think that's not wrong? And her justification was that we operate on the basis of parental consent. And that I do not interfere with a parent's decision. And I didn't feel that argument was sufficient. It wasn't sufficient enough for me to want to stick around and carry out this policy. So I said do you want my resignation in writing?

CO: You quit?

RM: I did.

CO: Did you have another job to go to?

RM: Unfortunately, no.

CO: Why did you think it was worth it to lose this career, to walk away from this job? What is it that you were protecting?

RM: A child's right to have agency over their own body. Because I had heard of kids being held down. I had heard from other employees. I'd heard about other stories in past experiences, but I thought not in my store.

CO: Since you have raised this publicly, in statement to the CBC, Claire's has said that they believe you acted appropriately and in line with their policy by refusing to do the piercing. And that if a child is distressing or resisting, Claire's employees have the right to refuse. Is that satisfying for you to hear that?

RM: It's interesting to me because before I published my note, my open letter to Claire's corporate, before I published it, I did place a call to employee relations. And the response I got was very vague. Privately, the response was different than what is said publicly, but I'm very pleased that Claire's is willing to say this publicly, and has plans to revise policy.

CO: Would you go back to work at Claire's?

RM: I don't think so. I don't know that I'd be welcomed back. And piercing is an essential part of being a Claire's employee in any lasting prospect. And just I don't know if I'd want to use a piercing gun again. I do want to do more research into piercing guns and their safety.

CO: Raylene, I really appreciate speaking with you. It's a really interesting story. Thank you.

RM: Thank you so much for having me.

JD: Raylene Marks is a former employee of Claire's. We reached Ms. Marcks in Edmonton. We’d like to hear your thoughts on this story, or your own experiences with piercings, whether you got them as a kid, or maybe when you were older. The good, the bad, the ugly, we would like to know. Call our Talkback line: 416-205-5687. Or email us: aih@cbc.ca.

[Music: Bluegrass banjo]

Minions QP

JD: There are rules about language in the Canadian House of Commons. Basically, you can't say anything too despicable about another Member of Parliament. But this afternoon, things got heated over the SNC-Lavalin business, yet again. So much so that the Speaker was forced to consider whether our elected representatives can be trusted with a word that's familiar to every viewer of the children's movie "Despicable Me". In that movie, many scenes are stolen by cute yellow goggle-wearing creatures called "minions". But Conservative MP Peter Kent wasn't trying to be cute when he said this.

SOUNDCLIP

PETER KENT: Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has shown little regard for anyone but himself in this ever deepening scandal. The banal excuses and empty platitudes about his respect for the rule of law and the independence of committees stand in stark contrast to the trail of resignations, removals, and character smearing left in his self-serving wake. Again, will the Prime Minister finally order his minions to stand down, and encourage Liberal members of the Ethics Committee to freely vote their consciences?

GEOFF REGAN: Honourable Government House Leader.

BARDISH Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that member. is projecting. That member and his. Benches are minions of the leader of the Official Opposition. Rather than point fingers, that members should know very well that when it comes to our members, they make their own decisions. But the Conservatives cannot fathom that people don’t agree with them. They have not had to endure that often, but we within the Liberal benches, we have tough conversations. We agree to disagree. And we try to find a compromise where it is possible. Mr. Speaker, it is with those policies that we know that Canadians are better off today than they were under…

GR: Order, order, order. I don't know that I've heard of minions described as unparliamentary, but people should be judicious. And I think we should be careful how we describe each other. And there are members… order. There are members in this house…. Order, order.

JD: That was the Speaker of the House Geoff Regan, refereeing an animated exchange between Liberal House Leader Bardish Chagger and Conservative MP Peter Kent.

[Music: Smooth jazz]

Part two: Louisiana church fires, Yemen school blast

Louisiana church fires

Guest: Sheryl Richard

JD: When members of Louisiana's Greater Union Baptist Church gathered this past weekend, it was no ordinary Sunday service, because they didn't gather at their church. Because they could not gather at their church. Their church was destroyed by a fire, a week ago today. It's one of three African American Baptist churches in the St. Landry Parish to burn down in a span of 10 days. Local officials have called the fires "suspicious," and believe they are related. The FBI and others are investigating. Sheryl Richard is the superintendent of the Sunday School at Greater Union. We reached Ms. Richard in Opelousas, Louisiana.

CO: Sheryl, I know you got the call about this fire early last Tuesday morning. What did you see when you arrived at your church?

SHERYL RICHARD: All you saw was flames of fire shooting up skyward. And as I approached that building you know watching it come down in flames, it was horrifying. Very heartbreaking.

CO: And when it was finally the light of day, what could you see of your church?

SR: All you saw was smoke and rubble. It was nothing but a horrible sight to look at: a beautiful, historical church that had stood there for one hundred and thirty years now in rubble, ashes.

CO: What did that church mean to you personally?

SR: That church goes back generations from my family, and many others that are members at Greater Union. And it's very, very dear to my heart. That's a church that my father and his family came up through. I was baptized there. I was married in that church. I've christened all four of my children, my four grandchildren. I've been a member of that church for the last 50 years, so it's like losing a piece of yourself.

CO: I'm so sorry.

SR: So am I. It's hard because at this time, we can't say who, what, or why? But it's kind of hard you know knowing that someone could attack the house of God.

CO: And it's not just greater Union Baptist Church, your church, it's two other black Baptist churches have been set on fire or caught fire in ten days. Police are investigating. What have they told you so far about these? Are the fires related?

SR: They haven't really been definitive on any of these points. All three churches are predominantly black churches that have been in the St. Landry community for quite some time. And all three, of course, set on fire are suspiciously. Fire marshals, they just know that it's possible arson. They just don't know how because whatever was used it was burned up with the church.

CO: Are police suggesting that if it was arson are they're investigating the possibility it was racially motivated?

SR: That we do not know. One may think that, but we don't know.

CO: Has your church ever been attacked before?

SR: No, it has not. We live in a rural community. Yes, we are a predominantly black church, Baptist church. But we welcome visitors from all over, and whomever chooses to come in fellowship with us.

CO: But there have been black churches attacked in Louisiana, but more recently, we've seen in southern states. In 2015, several black churches set on fire. And then, of course, just the horrible Dylann Roof attack, white supremacist who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. Are people feeling under attack, are they wary?

SR: They are wary because we don't know. Naturally, yes, we are concerned. Other churches in the area are concerned. But we're trying to stay positive, and believing that although this may take some time that whomever may be responsible will be caught and brought to justice.

CO: And I understand last Sunday, you had a service. What message did the reverend have for the congregation on Sunday?

SR: The pastor had a message of humbleness. Yes, many questions. Why did it happen? Who could possibly be at fault? Was it something that was going on in that individual or whomever’s life that may have driven them to do such a heinous act? But he also encouraged us to love anyhow, just as God still loves us in spite of our own sinfulness.

CO: He invited the fire started to join your congregation.

SR: He sure did. It doesn't matter what your sin is. God is a forgiving God. God is a just God. And the pastor, he encouraged us to do just as God would do: to forgive, and open our hearts, and pour out love and compassion upon that unknown individual.

CO: And he set up a chair for him — the firestarter.

SR: Yes, he did.

CO: Sheryl, I hope you get answers about what happened to your church. And I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

SR: Thank you so much so kindly for reaching out to Greater Union.

CO: Take care.

SR: Bye-bye.

JD: Sheryl Richard is the superintendent of the Sunday School at the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana. That's where we reached her. That church was one of three African American Baptist churches in St. Landry parish to burn down over a span of 10 days.

[Music: Sombre]

NS fishermen deaths

JD: They were both young fathers, and there were both much-loved members of Nova Scotia's Paq'tnkek Mi'kmaw Nation. Ozzy Clair and Niko Clair both died yesterday when their oyster fishing boat capsized in rough waters. A woman who was aboard survived. One of the men was found alive about three metres from shore — tragically, he could not be revived. The deaths have hit the community hard. Paul Prosper is the chief. Here is part of what he said to CBC reporter Preston Mulligan.

SOUNDCLIP

JD: Paul Prosper is chief of Nova Scotia's Paq'tnkek Mi'kmaw Nation. He was remembering two members of the community who died when their oyster boat capsized yesterday.

[Music: Music: Sad instrumental]

BC epilepsy

JD: Tavia Marlatt has left the hospital, and will continue to live at home. Last week, we told you about Ms. Marlatt, a 22-year-old with severe epilepsy. She was refusing to leave her hospital bed at Vancouver General Hospital until the health authorities gave her funding to have in-home care. They had offered space in a group home — but Ms. Marlatt said that wouldn't work for her. Now, Fraser Health has promised to find the money to help her. Tavia Marlatt spoke with CBC Vancouver about what this means for her.

SOUNDCLIP

TAVIA MARLATT: I hope that I've opened people's eyes that you know you don't have to look or act a certain way to be considered disabled. You can look like a perfectly normal person, but still have a disability that affects your judgment, and what you can and cannot do and everything. And also you know your behaviour. So I think that people… I hope people have learnt that. And I am really happy that I, hopefully, raised awareness about epilepsy. And I showed other people you know you can stand up when you think something's wrong. And that Fraser Health actually takes a look at what they've been doing and make some real good changes. And help other disabled people like me go from transitioning from the children's system to the adult system. And don't just do what the doctor says. You know, question sometimes.

JD: That was Tavia Marlatt speaking with CBC Vancouver. Fraser Health says that the 22-year-old with severe epilepsy will receive funding for in-home care.

[Music: Ambient]

Yemen school blast

Guest: Sara Beysolow Nyianti

JD: They were in class when the blast hit. The Yemeni children were young — the oldest about nine years old. The blast on Sunday in Sana'a, Yemen's capital, left fourteen of them dead. It's just the latest incident there to underline the horrifying reality that not even schools are safe. Sara Beysolow Nyianti is UNICEF's country representative in Yemen. We reached her in Sana'a.

CO: Ms. Beysolow Nyianti, this blast happened near not one but two schools. Can you tell us what happened?

SARA BEYSOLOW NYIANTI: To be very frank with you, we are not sure all that happened because we were only dealing on the back end in terms of the effect it had on children. And we know that 14 lives have been lost. Those are children whose lives were cut short — children who didn't have an opportunity to reach their fullest development potential. Children whose bright future — children whose dreams for Yemen were literally just cut short. So we don't have the details of how it happened, but we know how it has affected families.

CO: But if you can tell us from those who were there, who witnessed it, what the blast did and who was affected, where they were affected?

SBN: Well, I can tell you about the family I met today. They were just a few houses away from where this happened, and the wife was in the kitchen preparing lunch. And she has three small children. We were at the hospital today, where we saw the 8-month-old Mohammed, who had injuries from broken glass. We saw the father, who had scars all over his head. The wife had scars all over her face. And the little baby boy was in surgery for his head because he had blows to the head. And they were just there hanging on a thread, hoping that he would survive. And for them, it was catastrophic because it destroyed everything that they had, and it destroyed really their hopes in terms of their future for living in that area. And so they are traumatized. And they are only an example of so many families that were affected by this. We don't have the actual numbers. We know that the U.N. Resident Humanitarian Coordinator were able to say that they know that over 100 people were affected.

CO: When you say affected, what do you mean by that?

SBN: Injuries — in terms of total injuries. The reports from the humanitarian coordinator is that there are over 100. Now, what we know is that today, as it stands today, many people didn't send their children to school. We know today many children were free to go to school. Besides their parent’s fears, they had their own fears. And what we know today is that we don't know all the faces of those who were affected. But we do know that people were affected. Children died, and schools and to be safe for children to go to school. The children need peace. We need to stop the war. And we need for children to go to school, and feel safe in their schools.

CO: A description somebody gives of the windows of the school where it blasted, shrapnel scattered everywhere, so that these children who are just preparing for lunch were killed or wounded by all of this spray of materials. And as you say, the psychological effect even of those who weren't injured it must be considerable?

SBN: Exactly, because imagine at 11:45 A.M., where the school staff are preparing for lunch, this is where the children go to find comfort, they go to find a safe space. And to have children go to school and suffer this kind of an attack is just unforgivable. It's just atrocious.

CO: And now we say that the reluctance to send the kids to school. If it was just this one incident it would be bad enough. But these children have been living in a war zone for years now. This has been in Sana’a very, very difficult for them. How difficult was the decision on the part of parents even to send their kids to school?

SBN: Well, you know Yemen is a country where you have a very tough education sector revival because you have a situation where some teachers in some parts of the country have not been paid for many years. We have you know five years of conflict. We have two million children out of school. And so in a situation like this, UNICEF presently is responding to have teachers incentive pay to encourage teachers to teach the children. We have partners who are doing school feeding to ensure that children get a very good meal a day, noting that the situation of near famine, noting the situation of hunger and poverty exacerbated by the conflict. So a lot of efforts are going on from different humanitarian partners trying to ensure that children can go to school. When things like this happen, and they have repeatedly, definitely it undermines the efforts that we're putting in place to restore the education sector.

CO: And we have seen at last August, the horrible strike on a school bus full of children — 40 children dead when their bus was hit by a bomb, and now this school. And this is, of course, as you point out in addition to all the things like the lack of food, that medicine, the amount of suffering that's going on in Yemen because of the war. What does it take to get the peace you said that is absolutely necessary for children to live safely?

SBN: Piece is just putting down their arms and stopping the conflict, and having discussions around the issues that divide the country. And looking closely at the issues that bring the country together. Peace just calls for people to put down their arms, and allow children to have the space to grow, to thrive, to reach their fullest development potential.

CO: And why is it so difficult to achieve? I’ve been asking this question now for the years this war has gone on. Why is that so difficult?

SBN: To be honest with you, I don't know why it's too difficult. But I do know something. I do know why it's difficult right now for a child to feel like they have a chance of surviving in Yemen. I do know why is difficult for a child to feel as if they may not have a future in Yemen when they see so many children dying. It's difficult for the average child to survive in Yemen. And I don't know all the answers. What I do know is this peace. We have an opportunity to try to restore Yemen to its pre-conflict years, and try to take it towards a sustainable development path.

CO: All right. We will leave it there. It's very disturbing, Ms. Beysolow Nyianti, but I appreciate you speaking with us tonight. Thank you.

SB: Thank you so much.

CO: Goodnight.

JD: Sara Beysolow Nyianti is UNICEF's country representative in Yemen. We reached her in the capital of Sana'a.

[Music: Horns!]

Crème Egg mayo

JD: A chef on the Spanish island of Menorca served it to a French duke in the 18th century. The island's capital is named "Mahon" — hence, "mahonnaise", which became "mayonnaise". Or a chef invented it in the French city of Bayonne in the mid-eighteenth century. It was originally called "Bayonnaise", and the name just morphed over time. At this point, we know Spain and France won't agree on which country invented mayonnaise. But each fiercely insists that it did. By contrast, there is absolutely no argument over who invented Creme Egg Mayo. No one but the people at Heinz would ever want to take responsibility for this. I'm so sorry, but you heard me correctly: on April 1st, Heinz tweeted, "Heinz Creme Egg Mayo. Yep. It's a thing." But that was April Fool's Day, so everyone went to bed assuming, and hopping, it was just a bad and somewhat scary joke. Only to be greeted the next day by a second tweet. Quote: "We weren't kidding. Heinz Creme Egg Mayo is a thing!" You're trying not to understand. I'm so sorry, but it's my job to make this crystal clear. Heinz Creme Egg Mayo is made of: the white stuff in the middle of a Cadbury Creme Egg. And mustard. And eggs. Real eggs. If you can still hear me from inside your panic room, I have good news: it's not in grocery stores. Heinz is just doing some kind of special pop-up tasting in London in a couple of days, pre-Easter. So you can't buy it, not even by some horrible freak accident. You're safe. For now. And, as long as we all stick together, we'll probably be fine — come what mayo.

[Music: Show tune]

Part three: Brazil textbooks, dad synchronized swimmer

Ottawa measles

JD: She loves Harry Potter. And she's a cancer patient. And that's why an Ottawa woman was gifted the trip of a lifetime — a holiday to the UK. Now, traveling is always risky when your immune system is compromised. But she was cautious, she was vaccinated against measles. So she was baffled when, soon after she came home, she was hospitalized — for measles. Hers is one of two cases right now in Ottawa. She spoke with Robyn Bresnahan, host of "Ottawa Morning", from her isolation room at the Ottawa Hospital. CBC has agreed to keep her identity confidential because she fears being blamed and targeted online. Here's part of their conversation.

SOUNDCLIP

WOMEN: I went on my dream vacation, and was probably exposed to somebody who was unvaccinated, and carrying the measles. And I happened to be quite immune suppressed. I've had a really rough winter illness wise. And I'm a cancer patient, who’s lost their spleen. And if you don't know what a spleen does, basically it jumps into high-gear when you get a respiratory infection. So it was like this perfect storm of bad immune that that allowed me to become infected.

ROBYN BRESNAHAN: How did you react when doctors told you that you had measles?

WOMAN: Oh, disbelief, a little bit of shock. Honestly, I kind of feel like unusual and unexpected is my wheelhouse these days, so it was darkly, darkly funny for about two minutes, and then the seriousness of it and the concern about who I could have potentially exposed became very overwhelming for me.

RB: I understand that you also feel quite angry, angry at who?

WOMAN: Well, I feel like this is such a preventable illness. And all it takes is a vaccine for most people that would protect you. And if people weren't so hesitant, or anti-vaccine, I might not be sick. And I might not be worrying about all these people that I exposed. Like it it's not an illness that we have to have anymore, you know? And it’s an illness that has some really severe repercussions for some people. And it's just a little bit infuriating to know that somebody made a choice somewhere down the line and it's probably why I've gotten sick.

RB: You asked for your name to be withheld this morning to do this interview. What are you afraid of by making your name public?

WOMAN: Well, when public health made the announcement over the weekend, the hate and the anger and the xenophobia even that appeared on these comments feeds was really upsetting. I got really defensive and I got upset. And I know that people don't know my story, but the assumption was that I was an anti-vaxer, and that it was my fault, you know? And I really want people to realize that it's not just anti-vax folks that are going to get sick if people aren't vaccinating.

RB: What is it like to be in the isolation ward in the hospital?

WOMAN: It's really lonely. I'm not allowed to touch my husband even. Like he's the only person allowed to visit me because he was exposed to me the whole time. But he's not allowed to touch me. It's been quite lonely and quite upsetting at times, especially over the weekend after reading those comments on the public health announcements. I was really upset that night. And luckily, I had a lovely nurse who put on a gown and gloves and a face shield and a mask and gave me my first hug in a week, which was like I started to cry.

JD: That was a woman in Ottawa who has cancer, and contracted measles even though she is vaccinated. She was speaking to CBC's "Ottawa Morning". We have agreed not to identify her, because she's frightened of being targeted online.

[Music: Ambient]

Brazil textbooks

Guest: Ivo Herzog

JD: It wasn't a coup, it was an "institutional shift." It wasn't a dictatorship, it was a "democratic regime by force." Those are some of the changes the Brazilian government is planning to make, to the way school textbooks frame the country's two-decade military regime. From 1964 to 1985, the dictatorship is believed to have killed hundreds of people, tortured thousands. But Brazil's Education Minister, Ricardo Velez, apparently found that summary reductive — because last week, he declared schoolchildren should be taught, quote, "a wider version of history." That doesn't sit well with Ivo Herzog — whose father, the journalist Vladimir Herzog, was one of the dictatorship's most famous victims. We reached Ivo Herzog in Sao Paulo.

CO: Mr. Herzog, what worries you most about the changes to the textbooks in Brazil?

IVO HERZOG: Well, I think it's a big crime when I read that news that remember what was done in Germany in the beginning of the Nazi regime, when they were like burning books, and trying to fuel a new reality. And trying to do to make people to believe in something that was not true. And trying to bring a unique ideology around the country to justify what happened a bit later during the Second World War.

CO: The Education Minister says what he is attempting to do with the school textbooks he wants to, quote, rescue the vision of the events in 1964, the coup, and he wants to develop what he says a true and real idea of what happened. What do you think he is talking about?

IH: The president, the foreign minister, and several other people that are in government nowadays they say that there was no military coup in 1964 — that there was just an intervention to save Brazil from becoming a communist country. I mean that's not right. The history about that period is very well documented. We even had about seven years ago, the National Commission of Truth that made very deep investigation about the crime of that period, and published that report. So we know what happened in 64. The books are right. So that's why again, I says that when I hear something like that that remembers a Nazi fascist regime.

CO: I just want to ask something about your own father — the personal story for you concerning this. What happened to your father? He was journalist Vladimir Hertzog. What happened during the coup and the dictatorship?

IH: He was a journalist, he was working for a public television that belonged to the government at that time, the dictatorship government. In October 75, they tried to arrest him. They were arresting several journalists to torture and to interrogate. And to try to find the underground movements that were trying to bring Brazil back to democracy. My father was part of the Brazilian Communist Party. It was not legal for you to have any party. There was only two official parties: one from the government, and one from the opposition. They tried to arrest him on the 24th October, but the team of journalists of the public television convinced the agents that my father had to put the news on air on that night. And therefore, my father presented himself voluntarily on the following morning, October 25th. And just a few hours, later like four or five hours later, he was dead due to torture. The government tried to say that he had committed suicide. But when the Jewish community received his body for preparation for burial, they saw all the violence that he had suffered. And the rabbi and at that time said this person had not taken his own life. He was murdered, so he has to be buried in the centre of the cemetery. The Jewish tradition if you commit suicide it’s the biggest shame that you can have. So you have to be buried close to the walls of the cemetery.

CO: He was among about well about 400 people who disappeared or killed, and thousands others were detained and tortured. And democracy finally restored in 1985. All of this was revealed in the 2014 National Truth Commission. Is it your sense that school children will not in the future be taught about what happened during the coup and the dictatorship? That this will be erased from your history?

IH: Exactly. So democracy is about us knowing what's going on, and as citizens, trying to make up a better country. If you don't know about the country, we don't live in a democracy.

CO: President Bolsonaro didn't hide the fact that he is nostalgic for that time. That he is a big supporter of the military, and feels that this was a positive part of your history. Is that view shared? I mean he was elected by a lot of people. Do people share that nostalgia for the military dictatorship?

IH: Well, there is a significant piece of the population that yes, they do, because education is a problem in Brazil nationwide. Our education system is not good. And again, people don't know about living in a dictatorship. People don’t know what is living with not having your own rights. People don't know what's living under censorship.

CO: He wants to have the year anniversary of the coup to be celebrated — commemorated — in Brazil, which he describes as it was a sovereign decision by Brazilian society. Do you think that people would like to see it commemorated in Brazil?

IH: Just in San Paulo, there were over 10,000 people going against that. They got together in a public park here, and in silence, they protest against that celebration. How can you imagine you celebrating a movement that was responsible for the assassination of more than 400 people? How can imagine celebrate the assassination? What's that? I thought we were human beings. Human beings don't kill.

CO: Mr. Herzog, we will leave it there. I appreciate speaking with you.

IH: I appreciate it also. Thank you very much.

CO: Bye-bye.

JD: Ivo Herzog is the son of Vladimir Herzog, a journalist tortured and killed by Brazil's secret police in 1975. We reached Ivo Herzog in Sao Paulo. After we interviewed Mr. Herzog, Brazil's Education Minister, Ricardo Velez, was fired and replaced. The Brazilian government has not said whether this will affect the planned changes to school textbooks. We do have more on this story on our website: www.cbc.ca/aih

[Music: Ambient]

Nissan ex-boss

JD: Carlos Ghosn is back in a Japanese jail. But that didn't stop the former boss of Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi from holding a press conference. He just had to do it by way of a pre-recorded video that his lawyers played for journalists this morning in Tokyo. Japanese prosecutors are accusing Mr. Ghosn of financial misdealings at Nissan — and working with Nissan executives helped them arrange his arrest. In his video, Mr. Ghosn shared his own theory about the case.

SOUNDCLIP

CARLOS GHOSN: This is a conspiracy. This is not about specific events. This is not about again greed. This is not about dictatorship. This is about a plot. This is about conspiracies. This is about backstabbing. That's what we're talking about. And why? So you can say why this happened? Why it happened because there was first a fear that the next step of the alliance in terms of convergence, and in terms of moving toward a merger would in a certain way threaten some people, or eventually threaten the autonomy of Nissan. Which, by the way, has never been threatened for the last 19 years, when the alliance was created. I've been the fiercest defender of the autonomy of Nissan. And I made it very clear that no matter what other steps in the future, this would continue. But this autonomy must be based on performance. Nobody get autonomy for the sake of autonomy. People get autonomy because they can be more performance autonomy. That was where the fear came because the performance of Nissan is not good. It has degraded it a lot. Three profit warning in a couple of years, many scandals, not the fact that bad things happen at the level of the company. But the fact that when you react to the bad things happening in your company, you must be trusted. And in this case, and in many cases, it could not be trusted because the company said problem were fixed where there were not fixed. This is where we had the problem with the actual management of the company. So we're not talking about… I have a lot of respect for Nissan. I'm talking here about the few executives, who obviously for their own interests and for their own selfish fears are creating a lot of value destruction. Names you know them. We're talking about people who really played a very dirty game into what's happening. But, hopefully, the truth will happen and the facts will happen. But at the end of the day, during all this period, I suffered not only because of my case, but who was taking care of Nissan, who was taking care of the brand, who was defending corporate value, who was defending the shareholder interests? Finally, what I would like to say is my big hope, my biggest wish is to have a fair trial. I am privileged to have three competent lawyers around me who's going to defend the case. But they don't share with me a lot of serenity about the fairness of the trial.

JD: That was jailed former Nissan, Renault, and Mitsubishi boss Carlos Ghosn, appearing before the press by way of a pre-recorded video statement in Tokyo earlier today.

[Music: Electronica]

Dad synchronized swimmer

Guest: Christian Gosselin

JD: About once a week, Christian Gosselin and a group of men get together at a local Winnipeg pool. Normally, they're there to watch their young daughters practice their synchronized swimming. Lately, however, those dads have synced themselves up. And formed what's believed to be Manitoba's only men's synchronized swimming team. This is what it sounded like at their recent practice.

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: A coach calls out a count, while Queen’s “We Will Rock You”]

JD: That was sound of the men's synchronized swimming practice in Winnipeg. Mr. Gosselin is the man who started it all. And his team is planning its big debut performance next month. We reached him in Winnipeg.

CO: Christian, had you been secretly harboring a desire to be on a synchronized swimming team for some time?

CHRISTIAN GOSSELIN: I can't say that I was. No, that would be quite the story. No, it came through the love of my kids. That’s how we got involved.

CO: You have been watching your daughters do synchronized swimming for some time then?

CG: Yes. The older one is probably in her fifth year now, and the younger one is in her second year.

CO: And lots of parents go and watch the kids do things like this, but they don't decide that they're going to try and do it themselves. So what inspired you to do that?

CG: It was a combination of events. I guess you could say the discussion with one of my friends or joking about doing a routine together. And then my wife being on the board, the 10th anniversary of the Aquatica Synchro Club, it kind of checked off all the boxes.

CO: So you had one other dad who was going to join you. And how did it go from that to being a team?

CG: I asked the question to the head coach first of all, to see if it would be something she'd be willing to take on. And she immediately said yes. I sent an email saying here's who I am. Anyone want in on the fun? You know it took 2-3 days, and I had five other dads and husbands ready to join. And by the end, as you've seen, there were a total of 11.

CO: And so they were seriously… they want to get in the pool and do what their daughters are doing or what the girls are doing?

CG: Yeah, pretty much. I think we've all got different reasons, and some were more… well they're willing to do what it takes to raise money for the club, and to help development of the athletes. Some was just out of interest. One was just to find out you know what their daughters do every day.

CO: The pictures of your team are absolutely delightful and charming, and all of you have been wearing the Bermuda shorts here. I mean I hope no one takes offense, but you don't all look exactly like athletes here.

CG: No, and it's funny cause I did mention that in my initial e-mail. We are not aspiring to be Olympic athletes, for obvious reasons. One being our age.

CO: What are you finding is the hardest part of being a synchronized swimmer?

CG: Being upside down under water.

CO: [laughs]

CG: Orientation. You have to have tremendous strength, because as soon as you lift a body part out of the water, you start to sink. I guess the best comparison I've heard is that it's like running 400 metres while holding your breath.

CO: Wow! And I guess the nose plugs you had belonged to your daughters, and they didn't exactly fit your noses?

CG: That's one of the challenges. Yes. So we tried those initially, and they were super tight, and they kept popping off, and as soon as you go upside down, the water goes straight into your nose.

CO: How is it going?

CG: You know what? It's beyond my expectation. I was really doubting myself when we had our first meeting that we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. And from the feedback we've gotten for just people working around the pool or just the moms watching, they seem to all agree that it's already 100 per cent improvement. [both laughing] So our ultimate goal is hopefully have a minute and a half of something that's fairly synchronized.

CO: The video of… well, you're still early on. So it is a bit rough, but it's absolutely charming, Christian. And for anyone who thinks that this is mocking because you know that synchronized swimming has been locked before, but this isn't it at all. It's really lovely. It's a really nice tribute to the sport.

CG: Yeah, I think at the same time, you know all these imperfections show to what extent this is not easy. It's something you have to work at. You know we're only practicing you know an hour and a half a week, and our kids are doing three, four, five, six times a week. And now we know why.

CO: I wish you great success with it. You all look lovely even if there is a bit of unsynchronized swimming going on.

CG: Yeah. No, we hope to entertain. That's for sure.

CO: Christian, thank you.

CG: Thanks Carol.

JD: Christian Gosselin is a part of the men's synchronized swimming team in Winnipeg. That's where we reached him. To see some photographs and a video of the team in action, and you know you do, go to our website: wwwcbc.ca/aih.

[Music: Ambient]

Ottawa weather

JD: One of the jobs of a morning radio host is to prepare their listeners for the day's weather. Let them know if they need sunscreen or an umbrella. Or in the case of Ottawa right now — a parka. Well, "Ottawa Morning" host Robyn Bresnahan has had enough. The weather in the capital city has been awful. And she doesn't want to be the bearer of bad news anymore. So she roped in other people to do it for her. First, we have Ottawa's English poet laureate, Deanna Young, with her take on today's weather in the form of a poem: "Ottawa Spring.”

SOUNDCLIP

DEANNA YOUNG: Dread, at times heavy mixed with despair, changing to disillusionment this afternoon. Risk of despondency this morning, and early this afternoon. Denial and desperation amount five to 10 centimetres. Disenchantment northeast 20 kilometers per hour, gusting to 40. All hope falling to minus one this afternoon. Acceptance minus 7 in the afternoon. Vexation index 6 or high.

JD: That was Deanne Young, Ottawa's English poet laureate, reading this morning's weather. Jonathan Rose, defensive back with the Redblacks, also gave it a try. He called in from Alabama — and yes, those will be birds chirping in the background. Good

SOUNDCLIP

JONATHAN ROSE: Good morning to my good people of Ottawa. I am the bearer of bad news this morning, because unless you have a positive attitude or a positive outlook on life, this weather is probably not going to change much for you. Currently going into it today, there's going to be light sporadic snow today, with a minus three temperatures in Ottawa, with the windchill of negative 9. Oh my goodness! Other than that, you can expect a little bit more snow throughout the day, with a heavy makes of ice pellets. So if you have a hood or umbrella, I would always advise you bring that with you throughout the day with the light snow, with a probable total of five to 10 centimeters, which that’s regular in Ottawa. You know just put your boots on, you can probably truck through that. But I would keep that umbrella and that hood on as an advisory for me. You all take that weather hell how you see fit, but I'm out here in sunny Alabama, not too sunny today. We've got a few showers coming our way, a couple of rainstorms. But you know the reason I had to relocate back home is because I don't have to worry about any snow advisory. But that's Jonathan Rose for you. If I dampened anyone’s day, I am so sorry. Go to your nearest Starbucks or Tim Hortons, get you a nice coffee and take this day. Don't let the snow and the obstacles be a bearer of bad news on your day.

JD: Ottawa Redblacks defensive back Jonathan Rose trying to put an optimistic spin on Ottawa's snowy weather on "Ottawa Morning" today — because host Robyn Bresnahan refused to be the only one giving lousy forecasts.

[Music: Guitar]

Maritime goodbyes

JD: This is how you end a radio conversation…

SOUNDCLIP

CO: So you’ll have tofu tubes thrust upon you with no say?

GUEST: That's absolutely correct. And that's one of many reasons why Brexit is not a good idea.

CO: We'll leave it there. Ms. Scott Cato ,thank you. Thank you.

CO: We will leave it there. Peter, I appreciate speaking with you. Thank you.

GUEST: Thanks, Carol.

CO: Coming to a bathroom near you.

GUEST: That's right.

CO: Professor Guy, thank you.

GUEST: You are welcome.

CO: Bye.

GUEST: Thanks for having me.

CO: Well, I'm getting a very good vibe from you Christiane. So thank you.

GUEST: Thank you so much, Carol. I appreciate it.

CO: Take care. Bye-bye.

GUEST: You too. Bye-bye.

JD: You see? A little summation, a thank-you, and a goodbye. Polite, and conclusive. Of course, as I said, this is the radio. Everyone understands how a radio interview works, and that when Carol has asked all the questions, you both say goodbye. Now, unlike radio hosts, regular people can't get off the phone by saying "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave it there." Still, in most of Canada, you talk for a while and then you both say "Well, okay, I'll let you go then," whether anyone has said they want to be "let go" or not, and you say "Bye for now," and that's it. Well look, I'm originally from Nova Scotia, we don't let each other go quite that easily. A few days ago, the Halifax band The Town Heroes posted a Facebook video depicting this ongoing issue. It's called "Saying Goodbye is the Hardest Thing...For a Maritimer". Here's an excerpt.

SOUNDCLIP

[Sound: Two guys keep exchanging goodbyes]

Yeah well you seem pretty busy so you know what. I'll leave you to work and. We'll chat another time. Yeah. OK. Take her easy buddy. OK. Yeah. Yeah. Have a good one. Take your slow. OK. You take care now. OK. Bye. Yeah bye bye. Yeah. No no. You have a good one. We'll see his own land. Yeah. Take her slow. We'll do we'll do. Yeah. Take her easy out. All right buddy take care. Yeah. You too. You do.

01:14:38 - SPEAKER: M36

What's that. One once at the reception must be. Can you hear me. Yeah. No I'll I'll even tour. Hi. I said I'll catch you later. Okay. Are. Yeah. Yeah. Bad bad service or something. Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah.

JD: That is an excerpt. It goes on for another minute. You can find the whole video on the Town Heroes Facebook page.

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April 9, 2019 episode transcript

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