I am not going to talk about access, disability or seniors today. I am going to take a few minutes to clarify my anger. I am beyond angry and that bothers me since it is exactly what Trump and his ilk want. Keep us angry and it’s easier to divide us. The shooting at the Quebec mosque shouldn’t surprise anybody but should sadden all of us. We have allowed our political masters to use a nationality to divide us by creating islamophobia. Check the history of Germany in the 30’s and you will see a lot of comparisons.
I’m angry that the likes of Rona Ambrose can stand up in the House of Commons and make a plea for tolerance with such a straight face. This is the same women who has been actively involved with a Canadian political party who built their base by spouting hate and demonizing certain philosophies for the past ten years.
I am angry that a major Canadian political party is even considering a leader like Kellie Leitch. Here’s an educated women who hides her racist comments behind “Canadian values“. I am 4th or 5th generation Canadian whose ancestors arrived in Canada to escape religious persecution in Europe.
I grew up being taught that Canadian values were tolerance, acceptance, compassion, diversity and above all caring. How do you define, let alone test for, Canadian values? In my mind this is nothing more than spreading the seeds of discontent and mistrust towards particular segments of our society.
I am angry over the term “terrorism” when describing a “hate crime”. The deaths of 14 female victims of the Polytechnic massacre was classified as hate not terrorism although it did terrorize women. Words are powerful and now is not the time to start playing semantics. Words create imagery and imagery can create false understanding of words so let’s not let “hate” become “terrorism”. That’s the nature of “fake news“.
I am angry over the fact that we keep hearing about ways to counter radicalization while supporting an American President intent on spreading hate. That hate contributes to radicalization and the last thing we need is an American President playing into the radicalization of North Americans. I’m angry that that same President can jump on a Canadian tragedy to further his agenda to spread hate by hiding behind the term “terrorism“.
I am angry that more people didn’t stand up and raise their voices the minute Trump began his hate mongering but even more so over his denigration of a disabled reporter. That particular action has cause me to lose some very special friends because they didn’t see it as a big issue. I’ve worked for 50 years to dispel stereotyping of the disabled to have it all come undone in an 18 second Trump speech.
I am angry over how many people have “normalized” this behaviour to the point where we are now totally desensitized to actions of outrage. Be that by action as at the Mosque or by policy like Trump’s ban on traveling.
And I am angry that we, as a society, have allowed ourselves to become as divided as we now are. I know what I’m doing to counter that…do you?
Opinion shared…
A Poster Child's Perspective 
I’m American, but I lived in Alberta for nine years when Ms. Ambrose was representing Edmonton–Spruce Grove. I share your distaste for her and the Conservative party. I don’t know Kellie Leitch, but I will go research her. Apparently Trump’s election has unloosed both countries’ hidden racism and just plain hatred. I’m not pretending it hasn’t always been there, but it’s right out in the open for everyone to see now. I always found it interesting how unaware some Canadians could be of what was going on in their own ridings, but could detail every bit of American politics that CNN and MSNBC had to offer. I’m just disappointed in everyone these days. Believe me, some of us really do care. I don’t know why there aren’t enough of us, but I pray every day that will change.
I grew up in Calgary but have spent a lot of my career living in other areas of Canada. Canada is a very diverse country but are definitely not immune deficiency to racism unfortunately. Leitch is running for the leadership of the federal Conservative party but believes immigrants need to be “value tested”…
I have been appalled by individuals who knowingly knew what the new us president is like. Either there’s a lot of ppl in the states who think like the president or we’re conned into believing lies and bs. It does affect us up in Canada. Soo many have voiced their great concerns that hate will spread to Canada. I’m not saying we are not without hate as shown in Quebec but I do know this. Canadians live in a multicultural society and are much more accepting of other races and cultures. As I walk through a mall I see soo many different races and all I truly see are ppl with big hearts and hopes and dreams . So I ask all Canadians not to fall for rasism. My father was welsh and my mother Canadian. That makes me an immigrant by association. I was born and raised Canadian but I like other have roots elsewhere. That’s what makes Canadians is our diversity and that we live mostly in peace and harmony with each other. As my wife who is going for permanent residence says ” I’ve never seen so many ppl with smiles on their faces and smiling and saying hello or how are you or holding a door open and saying please and thank you. She is right. Just as hate can be passed on so can good ideas and good manners. I see and hear of soo many in Canada who stretch out their arms and help each other. I was actually told in the uk to go home you blotty foreigner!!!! Lest did this person know that my roots are also in the uk. I don’t know why it was said but I did not respond. Perhaps this soo called brexit has effected soo many there. Thank you for reading this