The not so Great Racism in Canada Thread

[CivicBlues]

There has to be an corollary to Godwin's law that applies to Skyscraperpage Canada threads.

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Francophones and Anglophones approaches 1, regardless of the subject matter at hand.

I nominate it should be called Acajack's Law

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

There has to be an corollary to Godwin's law that applies to Skyscraperpage Canada threads.

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Francophones and Anglophones approaches 1, regardless of the subject matter at hand.

I nominate it should be called Acajack's Law

Should I take that as a compliment?

[lio45]

Originally Posted by CivicBlues

There has to be an corollary to Godwin's law that applies to Skyscraperpage Canada threads.

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Francophones and Anglophones approaches 1, regardless of the subject matter at hand.

I nominate it should be called Acajack's Law

That had me laughing out loud... it's pretty true though (and why would it not be? That's what Canada is. Also, as something grows longer (say, the random typing of a monkey on a typewriter), the probability of finding anything in there grows (and approaches 1 given enough time), so you aren't saying much!) ... and was also well-phrased.

In all fairness to Acajack, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who brought it up this time.

[Truenorth00]

Acajack.

Weren't you worried and fearmongering about protest violence in Ottawa? How'd that work out?

Did your kids' intelligence sources prove accurate?

[Truenorth00]

At least we should be happy that none of our political parties are using Nazi symbols and neo-Nazi virtue signaling in their campaigns.

The first result for a Google search of “upside down red triangle” is a Wikipedia page detailing Nazi concentration camp badges. Google’s official “knowledge panel” reiterates this, linking the same Wikipedia page. The results on the rest of the first page almost unanimously show the same thing.

But the fact that the upside red triangle has been an explicit piece of deadly Nazi iconography for seven decades hasn’t deterred Trump’s 2020 campaign from using them in Facebook ads. This week, the campaign started running a series of ads, disparaging Antifa demonstrators and featuring a large, bright red, upside-down triangle. Antifa, is of course, short for anti-fascist. The red triangle was sewn on uniforms of people interned in concentration camps, including anti-fascist political prisoners. Millions of Soviet and Western anti-fascist soldiers died defeating Nazism, including hundreds of thousands of Americans.

....

Media Matters noticed the campaign had purchased a total of 88 ads featuring the concentration camp badge symbol, which Mother Jones confirmed. Each ad started with a 14 word sentence. The number 1488 is a common neo-nazi hate symbol that makes reference to Adolf Hitler and a widespread white supremacist slogan.

https://www.motherjones.com/2020-elections/2020/06/trump-upside-down-triangle-antifa/

The Nazi identification symbology chart:



Yellow stars were for Jewish people, pink triangles for gay men, red triangles were for political prisoners, mostly left wing.....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_concentration_camp_badge

[lio45]

Uh oh, SSP Canada is now directly connected to the abyss that is SSP Current Events...

:/

[Truenorth00]

I wouldn't normally post this. But it is some shocking 🞵🞵🞵🞵. And I'm genuinely grateful we don't see 🞵🞵🞵🞵 like this here. And goes to show how bad all this can really get if left unchecked.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

[
I wouldn't normally post this. But it is some shocking 🞵🞵🞵🞵. And I'm genuinely grateful we don't see 🞵🞵🞵🞵 like this here. And goes to show how bad all this can really get if left unchecked.

Stephen Miller is always behind this 🞵🞵🞵🞵, I'm almost certain.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Acajack.

Weren't you worried and fearmongering about protest violence in Ottawa? How'd that work out?

Did your kids' intelligence sources prove accurate?

Nope. I wasn't fearmongering. Just reporting some surprising content. That was more widespread than I would have expected.

I didn't wish for it to happen and was glad it didn't.

Canadians can really be way too "No True Scotsman!" for me sometimes, though.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I didn't wish for it to happen and was glad it didn't.

Canadians can really be way too "No True Scotsman!" for me sometimes, though.

I think it's an important lesson. We are different like that. Both as a country. And as a city. I never expected substantial violence in Ottawa. Would have been shocking if it happened.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

I think it's an important lesson. We are different like that. Both as a country. And as a city. I never expected substantial violence in Ottawa. Would have been shocking if it happened.

Don't disagree generally, but I am at the point where pretty much anything seems possible.

I never would have thought that Toronto could ever have a higher homicide rate than NYC, for example.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by esquire

You can take solace in the fact that nothing would be resolved or figured out in this thread even if it were made up of nothing but non-white voices because it's a discussion forum, not a decision-making body with any kind of actual power.

I wanted to reply to this but forgot earlier today...

You're obviously correct, but I'd add that the conversation in here can be an interesting probe/sample of how the general population of Canada (including ethnic East Asians like hipster duck and South Asians like saffronleaf) would likely react to the various approaches.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, right...?

(Also keep in mind, SSP Canada is younger, more urban, and more educated than the country's average by a fair bit; we're way more socially liberal than the typical voter.)

[lio45]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Don't disagree generally, but I am at the point where pretty much anything seems possible.

I never would have thought that Toronto could ever have a higher homicide rate than NYC, for example.

Hasn't Toronto always looked up with envy to NYC, anyway? Good for them that they finally achieved parity (or even exceeded it).

Actually, as you pointed out a few times, I wouldn't put it past a certain element of SSP to brag about this (as it's clearly a "big city" characteristic, therefore, you just know you want to rank as high as possible there).

"Stats show that we smoke/drink more." "No, we do!"

"We have more whores." "No, we have just as many! And they're worse than yours!"

"We're more gritty." "No, we are - just look at all those recent pics! See how full of junkies and garbage we are!"

"We swear more often." "Not true! 🞵🞵🞵🞵 you!"

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I never would have thought that Toronto could ever have a higher homicide rate than NYC, for example.

Correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't this trope just about 2018? Or was this true for 2019 as well?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Correct me if I'm wrong. Wasn't this trope just about 2018? Or was this true for 2019 as well?

How is a statistical fact a trope?

It may have only been one year that Toronto was actually higher, but they have been quite close for a couple of years.

To anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s even that idea was akin to palm trees growing in Iqaluit.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

How is a statistical fact a trope?

It may have only been one year that Toronto was actually higher, but they have been quite close for a couple of years.

To anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s even that idea was akin to palm trees growing in Iqaluit.

New York City in the late-'80s and early '90s was basically "The Purge". Something like 2000+ murders a year.

Good on them for coming so far. Some may bemoan the lack of character New York has today compared to the past, but the cost of that character was immeasurable on its poor and marginalized residents.

May Toronto one day experience something similar in terms of decreased homicide rate.

[SignalHillHiker]

We're making some changes.



No idea where this will end up. Vast majority of the people opposed to "Discovery Day" seem pretty reasonable to me, the type who might approve of John Cabot Day or whatever else - seems to be specifically the word "Discovery" that annoys them, for the obvious reasons. Or it could end up St. John the Baptist Day, or something that celebrates the Beothuk, or Labrador's Indigenous groups. Or it could just be "June Holiday". Curious to see.

One thing for sure, Shanawdithit is getting either a statue or a holiday in the province before this is all said and done. She's the first thing that comes to mind when anyone here thinks of Indigenous people, and there was already a protest at her memorial garden in Bannerman Park calling for a statue.

For the Beothuk, year-round European settlement in Newfoundland in the 17th century led to drastic change.

There was violence between the Europeans and the Beothuk. Reduced access to coastal areas, and the salmon and seal meat they provided, as well as exposure to European diseases took a heavy toll on the Beothuk in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Shanawdithit died from tuberculosis at the age of 28.

A small, easily overlooked plaque in front of the Riverhead Wastewater Treatment Facility on Southside Road in St. John's indicates its location is near the place where she was buried.

...

There is a life-sized statue of Shanawdithit in the forest surrounding the grounds of the Beothuk Interpretation Centre in Boyd's Cove. Gerald Squires created it and Lubin Boykov poured the bronze. The unveiling took place in the year 2000.

But Sheppard wants a statue in St. John's as well, either somewhere close to Confederation Building or downtown, given that Shanawdithit died in the capital city.

...

Sheppard said that as an Indigenous person in the province, he finds the lack of related images and memorials challenging, pointing out that there are even statues of a Newfoundland dog and a Labrador retriever in St. John's.

"I want a day in this province to recognize the history of Indigenous people and the Indigenous people that exist here," said Sheppard.

Bolded line is a great point - hopefully they lead with that to convince people to spend the money despite our financial circumstances.

And one other potentially more significant change. Our coat of arms was granted by King Charles I in 1637 so it's very, very outdated.

The provincial Liberal party passed a resolution at its annual general meeting this past weekend calling for the province's coat of arms to be updated.

At the meeting, Torngat Mountains MHA Randy Edmunds referred to the representation of what he called "noble savages" on the coat of arms. As an aboriginal person, Edmunds said, he believes the province has made progress since the coat of arms, with its shield flanked by a pair of Beothuk men, was drawn up in the 1600s.

Afterward, Ball told reporters change is coming.

"I can guarantee you that is something we'll be looking at — and modernizing — what those symbols should appropriately reflect," Ball said.

It's difficult to find an official image of the coat of arms on the government's website.

A page within the Communications and Public Engagement section says the coat of arms is not a good marketing tool and "does not represent all the incredible qualities of our province and our people."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/shanawdithit-beothuk-statue-1.4710707

[kwoldtimer]

"June Holiday" - now that would capture hearts and minds ....

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

"June Holiday" - now that would capture hearts and minds ....

Indeed, the absolute epitome of a bland, meaningless and inoffensive designation for an official holiday.

Is this what Canada is coming to.........

Are we so embarrassed by our history now that we refuse to acknowledge it, or celebrate it????

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Indeed, the absolute epitome of a bland, meaningless and inoffensive designation for an official holiday.

Is this what Canada is coming to.........

Are we so embarrassed by our history now that we refuse to acknowledge it, or celebrate it????

Spoken like the true grandfather of future graduates of Forest Valley Glen Meadows High School, who will live on Fox Hollow Chase Court in downtown Xville.