People who have worked with pop-up organizations over the years have learned to be wary. There are just too many that work the “poor-me” street and trade on Canadians’ instinctive succour of the underdog. While we have been trying to stay away from the subject of these people, it is clear that group calling itself Black Lives Matter in Canada has an agenda that goes beyond the black community.
This group is working the political angles. It is targeting exposure and media interest well beyond its natural territory. It is doubtful that they have much interest, concern or involvement in their own community.
They speak about police brutality with an American accent. They take their name and measure from the American Black Lives Matter. They seem to take no heed of Canadian attitudes and concerns. They are users, not contributors.
This group must be blind to the border between Canada and the U.S. They accuse Canadian police of the same brutalities as American history has bestowed on that country’s excesses. Nobody denies that Canada has had its own excesses. Carding, racial profiling, bigotry and police brutality have to be recognized, exorcized and stopped if and when and any time it happens.
But what happens in Canada can be solved in Canada. Nobody is perfect but it is by all communities working together that we improve our policing. Our communities do not want to be divided into black, brown, yellow, white or any other colour or religion, beliefs or country of origin. Our strength is in our diversity. We are always at our best when we work together.
Black Lives Matter is a false challenge in this country. It implies that the black community has been targeted in Canada. It implies that the black community are somehow apart from the mainstream. And that is an insult to this country. It was Canada that stood firm as beacon when blacks were still slaves in the U.S. It was the terminus of the Underground Railroad.
It would be silly to suggest that Canada has less prejudice than America nor should we take any pride in it being less. We must always strive for zero intolerance.
When Black Lives Matter used the Pride Parade in Toronto to try to make a statement, it was an insult to every black member of the LGBT community. They do not need to be patronized by these users who call themselves Black Lives Matter. Neither does the rest of the Canadian community.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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