Editor:
Re: Jagmeet Singh ‘disgusted’ by refugee rhetoric at Burnaby South debate, NOW, Feb. 11
While I didn't attend the Burnaby South all-candidates meeting on Monday night, I saw it on YouTube and I found parts of it quite disturbing.
I was born in Canada and my family trace back to the United Empire Loyalists. All of my life I have been upset with racism, narrow-mindedness, bigotry and people treating others disrespectfully based on ethnicity, skin pigment or any other superficial reason.
I was particularly disturbed by the Trump rally-type atmosphere in the room. I believe the old adage that the empty vessel makes the most noise.
I would say that distinction goes to People’s Party candidate Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson and her cheerleaders at the meeting. She came across to me as a clone of Donald Trump.
She spoke a lot about “Canadian values” but what came across to me was a kind of arrogant disrespect for minorities, people of colour, the LGTB community and people who believe that women should have a choice over their own bodies.
She spoke about how narrow-minded people like herself were going to crush the other candidates in the upcoming byelection and federal election.
I hope she is wrong.
I hope that Canadians are more enlightened than our southern neighbours. When I was growing up, I distinctly remember how each wave of immigrants was singled out for ridicule by some members of the dominant group.
They were each, in turn, taunted with a derogatory name. The People's Party seems to be continuing in this dreadful tradition by singling-out refugees for derision. This is shameful conduct on the part of a political party and I think it should be roundly condemned by all fair-minded Canadians.
Canada is strong because we are diverse and inclusive. As Martin Luther King said, judge people by their character, not by the colour of their skin, nor by their country of origin.
Daniel Theal, Burnaby
