Recently,I had predicted that the gun violence incidences that have dominated the face of Toronto for almost the entire year of 2005 will soon take a race marathon.My prediction was right.Its now an issue of racism.My prediction had based on the timing of the issue itself(when Canada was approaching campaign and during the campaigns itself)Normally,this is what happens when a social issue turns to be a political issue.In my opinion,gun violence is more of a social nightmare and not a political gamble.
I have always hated to discuss racism.I consider any racist very dilute people.However,hating discussing it does not mean that I am blindfolded when it happens or when it attacks someone else or even myself.In the case of the recent killings on Yonge Street,Toronto the problem,as I said above,could be the timing or pure racially motivated and enriched approach.
Nevertheless,in this incidence I must bend down and agree that the elements of racism have clouded the air and if not well tackled and detailed explained it jeopardise the whole initiative of witnessing safe cities again.The troubles that happened in France in 2005 were caused by similar approaches,similar negligence,similar elements and above all similar political non-sense.Read this article here and if you can explain WHY,HOW,WHERE and WHO and WHEN.Lets fight racism.
3 comments:
I feel we must be careful when playing the "race" card. What has been going on is a trajedy. I am not familiar with the circumstance's surrounding the 40 black people killed last year in Toronto. Were they gang members? Were any of them innocent bystanders?
I do not know for sure but I feel part of the reason Politicians are moving on this particular issue has more to do with:
1.) They are in the middle of an election. Politics will come into play.(sad but true)
2.) It happened to be an innocent bystander instead of one gang member shooting another gang member. I think less emphasis is put on gun violence by our leaders when it is gang members killing each other.
**This I know first hand as I am involved in a ministry that work's closely with gang members. They come in ALL skin colors and cop's or politicians(most but not all) don't care if they are only killing each other. This attitude may explain the negligence of government.
I say we should be careful of using "rascism" until we know for sure that is in fact the case otherwise we abuse the term. I will give you an example:
Back in June (2005) in Winnipeg city, a 15 year old aboriginal youth had been shot and killed by city police for resisting arrest and coming at one of the officers with a weapon. (Turned out to be a screwdriver) After repeated warnings from the officer, the youth charged him at close range. The officer discharged his weapon and the youth died.
A local Chief from a Native reserve went publicly before the media and charged that the shooting was "racially" motivated. He was not aware of ALL the facts he simply based his view on an assumption. Two days later the Native Chief was informed that the police officer who shot the youth was an Aboriginal himself.
Instead of accepting this reality the Chief then put his other foot in his mouth by now accusing the officer of being racist against his own people. That was just a ridiculous statement.
I do not want to pretend that racism does not exist but sometimes I feel that the term is overused where it is not applicable. The Coalition of African Canadian Community Organizations do ask some important questions that do need to be asked but I would encourage them (as you would say to me Jeff) to offer solutions.
Too much focus on what may or may not have been (racism) only draws us away from addressing the core issue of innocent people dieing over gang violence.
There were innocent bloods among the 40 other gun violence victims.As you may notice I agree that bringing the racial agendas takes us away from the core problem.My worry is that sometimes we can not convince everybody that such is not a case,especially the people who are nursing the loss of their beloved ones.The point to take accross is that lets avoid these cards but meanwhile if the cards are vividly seen,lets turn that to be the second enemy.
You make a good point. I agree. My blog entry is soon to follow, in the meantime I celebrate my birthday today so I will not get around to it until the weekend.
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