By Neil Gonsalves | The antidote to hate cannot be more hate; the response to repugnant speech should be considered speech. In the face of hatred this article calls for humanity
@Brian - No part of me condones the comments, the posts or the likes. I do not believe they are written by bots. I do however believe that they are reflective of people consumed by hate, overwhelmed by fears, and insecure about their identities. They are looking for someone to blame for their woes and that comes out in their vitriol.
Like you, I wish my early Canadian experiences were a thing of the past that people wouldn’t have to deal with anymore. I also think social media does more harm than many people realize.
My intent is simply to avoid responding to hate with hate
Those social media posts tell an even worse story than what you see. Go back and look at the amount of likes on each post. The fact is that even if you argue that these posts might be bots - the "likes" are actual human beings. Let that sink in.
That makes me angry.
I am angry that yet again we have to endure the racism of the few.
I am angry that in my Canada, there are people spewing such vile and reprehensible rhetoric.
I am angry that people think it's okay to weaponize social media against an ethnic segment of the society they live in.
But I am also hopeful.
I am hopeful, because of articles like this and voices such as yours.
I am hopeful that the majority of my fellow Canadians - no matter their race, colour educational background, beliefs - stand against racism.
I am hopeful that as we did in the 80s and 90s our society will come together and once again squash the head of the serpent of hate and racism.
After all, this constant tension is what defines our democracy.
It's the twisted hate disguised as "humour" that twists the knife into the gaping hole left by this girl's death; hers and many others like her; the countless (countless!) missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; kids scared to go to school; adults afraid to go to work. Me? I'm white. I'm afraid to go walk in my local park. I've been shouted at for being a "fucking white bitch" by random men of colour and attacked by their dogs - more than once, more than twice. I can't walk by myself. They leave me alone if there's a man with me.
@Brian - No part of me condones the comments, the posts or the likes. I do not believe they are written by bots. I do however believe that they are reflective of people consumed by hate, overwhelmed by fears, and insecure about their identities. They are looking for someone to blame for their woes and that comes out in their vitriol.
Like you, I wish my early Canadian experiences were a thing of the past that people wouldn’t have to deal with anymore. I also think social media does more harm than many people realize.
My intent is simply to avoid responding to hate with hate
Those social media posts tell an even worse story than what you see. Go back and look at the amount of likes on each post. The fact is that even if you argue that these posts might be bots - the "likes" are actual human beings. Let that sink in.
That makes me angry.
I am angry that yet again we have to endure the racism of the few.
I am angry that in my Canada, there are people spewing such vile and reprehensible rhetoric.
I am angry that people think it's okay to weaponize social media against an ethnic segment of the society they live in.
But I am also hopeful.
I am hopeful, because of articles like this and voices such as yours.
I am hopeful that the majority of my fellow Canadians - no matter their race, colour educational background, beliefs - stand against racism.
I am hopeful that as we did in the 80s and 90s our society will come together and once again squash the head of the serpent of hate and racism.
After all, this constant tension is what defines our democracy.
It's the twisted hate disguised as "humour" that twists the knife into the gaping hole left by this girl's death; hers and many others like her; the countless (countless!) missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; kids scared to go to school; adults afraid to go to work. Me? I'm white. I'm afraid to go walk in my local park. I've been shouted at for being a "fucking white bitch" by random men of colour and attacked by their dogs - more than once, more than twice. I can't walk by myself. They leave me alone if there's a man with me.