I saw an interview with Georges Laraque recently. Georges Laraque is a prominent citizen in Montreal a former NHL Montreal Canadien hockey player. Laraque is also a black Canadian.
Georges Laraque is a smart man. He gets it, he’s a good guy.
Mr. Laraque got me thinking. What he said, and if you’ll forgive me, I’ll paraphrase because while I’ll attempt to direct quote I didn’t record or write down what he said. Laraque said that ‘every act of racism should have direct and immediate consequences’. If you’re a government employee, then you should be fired, no if, ands or buts.
While I don’t necessarily agree with his approach, I do support his call for action over what’s gone on for eons. Because “’lip-service” hasn’t solved anything.
What is racism? Racism is a concept created to describe the demeaning and bullying of people of a different race. In other words, racists are nothing but bullies. Bullies exist everywhere in every ethnic group. Bullies have discovered they can control others with terror. It doesn’t mean they’re right; it means they have learned to control people through hate and fear. Over time and unchecked, they have honed their fine bullying skills to the point where it doesn’t even look like they are using hate as a control mechanism.
Racism is one form of bullying. Bullying of the elderly is known as “Ageism”. Religious discrimination and persecution are other forms of group-bullying. Domestic violence, even if just verbal, is a form of bullying, and of course our children know it well in the school yard. But, because bullying occurs everywhere, it can seep into our institutions—private, public and even political institutions. We’ve all witnessed the bullying that occurs in parliament on all sides of the isles—the name calling, the false innuendos and grandiose accusations.
But, no matter how you slice it, bullying is a form of violence, and therefore, it’s not something we can continue to tolerate. Especially not in our parliament by our political leaders—role models for our youth and future generations.
I have found that it exists according to the old 90/10 rule that says 10 percent of the people cause 90 percent of the problems. So, if we are to focusd on the 10 percent who are causing the problems, how does Georges Laraque’s solution apply? Should it apply to everyone, even our politicians?
Andrew Scheer is stepping down anyway, but what about Justin Trudeau, should he not resign as a result of his “blackface incident”? Apparently, Quebec high school students are now emulating the Prime Minister and following his example.
Justin Trudeau, both inside and outside the chamber, has engaged in bullying and racism. Isn’t it time he led by example and stepped down? Are you with me Georges Laraque?
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