Christie Blatchford column on Layton's death sparks angry response
A column published by National Post writer Christie Blatchford is generating heated on and offline discussion for what many believe to be its insensitive and opportunistic response to Jack Layton's death.
Blatchford calls Layton's final letter "vainglorious," and compares the "over-the-top" reaction of people grieving his death to that of mourners at Princess Diana's funeral.
Since its publication Monday night at 6:53 ET, the comment section of the article has so far generated 1,032 replies and remains active. The column's top 10 comments deride her for both the content and timing of her comments.
Here are some tweets on the controversy:
The column was published as a response to Jack Layton's final letter to Canadians. In the letter he expressed his gratitude for the political and personal support he has recieved over the years from Canadians, and most notably since he was first diagnosed with cancer. The letter also contains his wishes for the future of NDP leadership and features a call to Canadians for optimism and hope.