Imagine a world where people aren’t being labelled
By Lethbridge Herald on January 7, 2022.
Editor:
I would like to first of all state I think I have some understanding of the pain and suffering of what we call minorities in this country called Canada. This could be those who consider themselves Indigenous, Black, Brown or Asian peoples. I personally like to call them “fellow human beings”. Although it is only my opinion, I think that in recent times, the movement towards “Black Lives Matter”, the “orange shirt movement” or even the LGBTQ+ movement, is actually creating more segregation of peoples.
I like watching shows like “Survivor” and “Big Brother.” Why? I like to observe how people interact with each other. In a recent American “Big Brother” series, a group of six black people formed an alliance to make sure that they “made history” by having the first black winner of “Big Brother.” I’m thinking, how sad. Here you are trying to achieve equality, by practicing one of the same type of behaviours that you despise: segregation!
It is the same labelling with women and others: The first female “fill in the blank”. The first Muslim, the first Indigenous etc. Why are we labelling people? We are all the same.
I will always look at people based on their actions. I will not judge anyone by their race, sex, colour, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs or any other label. Why do we label the people in Russia, China or any other country as being “bad” people? I believe it is a form of brain-washing.
Please stop the hate and labelling. We are all the same. One of my favourite songs because of its lyrics, is John Lennon’s “Imagine.” I look for people who are honest, caring and loving of others. So, here’s a toast to my fellow human beings. Cheers! Be the best you that you can be and please try to make this world a better place.
Doug Cameron
Lethbridge
9-8
Yes ,just imagine a world where vaccinated/ vaccine free people weren’t being
singled out or labeled or jailed.
As I said in my letter old school, “I will always look at people based on their actions.” Although I would hope that people would get the vaccination, the actions I don’t accept, is people that disobey rules in place by AHS and walk around in stores without masks endangering others. I also don’t respect those that hold illegal protests by charging into City Hall or stopping health care workers from doing their jobs. If someone doesn’t trust the vaccination for COVID-19, fine. But your beliefs and actions do not trump mine. I have the right to feel safe and secure from the actions of others. I won’t get into my personal life but I have a very good reason why I don’t need to be exposed to this virus due to the actions of others.
Mr. Cameron expresses a viewpoint shared by some but the reality is that we ALL see color. It’s what makes life both interesting and problematic. Interesting, in the sense that when a few people of ‘color’ move into an established region, we accept and even celebrate it. But when too many move in, and our shackles go up. It’s the same ALL over the world and in EVERY culture. Before globalization, there was little mixing of color; the door to immigration throughout the western world was pretty much only open to whites. In Canada, all that changed in the 60’s when government declared that we needed more people to sustain our tax base. What most Canadians expected was an influx of white Europeans to enter and provide jobs. What we got instead was a river of colored people clamoring to get in. Compounding that we now have millions of refugees, asylum seekers and illegals making dangerous journey, risking their lives to be part of our white society. Pulling at our heart strings we’re letting them in but racism is growing and its something we can’t ignore. Multi-culturalism is an experiment that is blowing up in our face. Look at world migration maps and what you see are solid lines going from south to north; from poor countries; war torn countries all migrating to those established by whites. There are no lines going in the opposite direction. Take a trip to Africa, India, any Muslim country, Mexico or South America and you’ll see why. And if you do, don’t expect the red carpet to be rolled out for you – don’t expect democracy, clean water and sanitation; Medicare, education and every other good thing that whites over the centuries have fought so hard for.
prairiebreze: Again I quote: “I will always look at people based on their actions.”
Commendable; I think most of us are of that mind.
One more thing. You say we all see colour. I agree 100%. If you don’t see colour, then you are probably coloured blind. When people say they don’t see colour, they are trying too be all politically correct IMO. Colour can be beautiful or it can be ugly. It all depends on the persons actions towards others.
You seem to have forgotten about the 60 million refugees from Europe to Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Turtle Island. ‘We’ seem to feel a lot of ownership over something that isn’t ours.
And it was the white ‘refugees’ after the 2nd world war that made the places they inhabited the good places they are today elevating the standard of living all around them.
Ah, I see, ‘White man’s burden’ is alive and well.
I was wondering when someone would reference Rudyard Kipling. Sadly, Kipling’s poem was published in 1899, more than 100 years ago.
The editor might wish to examine a little more closely the question of why we are so focused on identity politics today ? . The answer is obvious. It is brought to you by the liberal left, both here in Canada and the US. The editorial staff at the Lethbridge Herald seems to fully support the liberal left, so you need look no further for your answer.
Well how about we compare which is more problematic then. On the liberal left we have indeed tucked right into “identity politics” starting with feminism btw, which was obviously WAY overdue, and then we moved onto OTHER historically oppressed and enslaved people, also way overdue. Arguably a tad overzealous I would agree in that
On the conservative right we have white supremacy and continued patriarchy (manifesting in growing autocracy as in ALL are men of course)
But overzealous because “pent up,” so understandable because these groups of people are far beyond just pent up. We’re talking centuries.
And on the political right we have tradition or the status quo, i.e. white men in charge of everything important. Even their “god” is a white male, which along with tradition may explain why more conservatives are religious than liberals. There are fundamental differences in attitude in other words, with one side being described generally as OPEN, the other CLOSED. Guess which is which.
So which one best lines up with the ongoing dynamics of human society, particularly in 2022 when we are facing climate change and a pandemic simultaneously? In other words, which side is more adaptable to change? Obviously the left, with its openness being the key.
I’d say the Lethbridge Herald skews religious right actually, just somewhat covertly, which is a trend I’ve noticed on the right, haven’t you? Look at the federal conservatives right now.
One reason they are more covert is because their chosen political philosophy has been fully manifesting lately in the U.S., and has led to a teetering democracy due to “post-truth” and “the big lie” which has contributed to the worst pandemic response in the world as well as sliding toward “third world” status on other important markers as well. But despite the unprecedented gong show of their politics, entirely courtesy of their insane right wing, everyone fully expects the Republicans to make gains at the midterms!
The right wing is not only demonstrably the worst in governance, they have actually become a real threat.
brought to you by fox “news”.
You might find the whitey-friendly postmedia papers more to your liking.
glad to see you, fes!
great entry, doug. it is ironic and demeaning to watch tribalism play out in ways that seek to justify separation, which in turn confers special entitlement – an elitism, and in turn an in group to which only a select that qualify may belong. ugh! hardly a step forward.
what too many are missing is that each and every race, ethnicity, sex, and religion has conditioned its “group members” into a cage that both commands and limits choices, behaviours, customs, and expectations. why must a white be confined to “white” choices? why must a female be confined to female realms? thankfully, females now have opportunity to pursue all avenues of professions and education, at least in our society. why must a “black” person buy into “black” culture or forgo their essence; ditto natives: how decent is it that natives who create a life for themselves come to be shunned as “apples” (red outside, white inside) by some other natives? it is all due to social conditioning that we each are confined to limitations placed upon us by how we appear. how superficial and degrading is that?
if there is only one thing i wish we all could agree upon it would be the idea that we are all equal. we come from the same origin – for what purpose, from where, and to where we go…however that truth plays out…is the same for each. we know of one universe, and we know very little of it. what we should know, however, is that our host planet is a tiny little speck of a thing in the grand universe, and we are even tinier little specks. the big laugh in all of this, that which underscores so much of the illusion, is the giant ego. and yet, the reality is our brains and minds and physical encasements are incredibly limiting. it is through our hearts that we can most feel, be, and know, but it is the ego that dims us down. we are all universal – we do not leave here with our stuff, nor our body/material form. i expect we will not at all appear as we do here in this life in whatever afterlife there may be. let go of the illusory shackles that are conferred upon us by conjured customs that limit and separate us into ever tinier compartments. to break free, or, as the doors sang, “break on through to the other side” and explore and experience as broadly and deeply as you may.