It is too bad the media cannot find more important news. The best answer to the current media tempest came to us the other day from New Brunswick. This reader said, “You do know that Justin Trudeau also taught drama, don’t you?
“And did anyone who saw his costume and make-up at that time think to tell him his make-up was inappropriate? Probably, not.
“And have we heard any of his political opponents say, ‘He’s apologized, let’s move on.’”
I was born in an era when black and non-black radio listeners alike in North America were listening to two white men playing the parts of blacks in a very popular radio show called ‘Amos and Andy.’ We also listened to Eddie Anderson playing the character, Rochester, to radio’s Jack Benny, as well as Hattie McDaniel playing the black maid, Buelah, who solved all the problems for a white family.
It was also the era when major league baseball executive, Branch Rickey, sent a young black baseball player, named Jackie Robinson, to Montreal to play for the Montreal Royals and to see how he would handle himself.
But we can hardly crow about Canada’s supposed open arms to all. We still have some white supremists around to embarrass us. We also have sob-sisters in the media that tell us all white men are rotten and we owe apologies to women, aboriginals and people of color for past insults and abuse.
I hardly think any person owes any apologies for things that happened before they were born.
I look at this current kafuffle with Justin Trudeau as a question of intent. At the times when Justin Trudeau appeared in black face or any other color, was he deliberately insulting an entire race? The answer is ‘No.’ Was he deliberately hiding the fact that he did wear the make-up? The answer is ‘No.’
Does anyone care? The answer is probably ‘Not much.’
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Copyright 2019 © Peter Lowry
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