Don’t act so surprised

By: James Burge

I came across an article (linked on drudge) regarding a Chicago teacher that used the only Muslim student in the class as an example of a terrorist. While I absolutely abhor what this teacher has done, are we really so surprised? The chance of this being the only incident of it’s type is impossible, and given the current mood of fear that touches all of us in some way, does the fault lay with the teacher who merely voiced an opinion that is shared by a large number of United States Americans (I’ve decided to make the distinction because I feel less and less kinship with our North American brothers to the south, but let’s not get into a debate about semantics, anyone who doesn’t realize that Canadians are also Americans (as are Mexicans,Brazilians, Chileans…) needs to pull out a map with more then just the US on it). 

“She used the example of if Saleh were to go on to an airplane, put his backpack down and put two wires together and the plane were to blow up – and she didn’t make a point,” said Christina Abraham, Council on American-Islamic Relations.

 So this teacher is being singled out for indefensible behaviour rooted in a belief that all terrorists are Muslim, a modern concept lost on me (likely because  Canadian History includes the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) bombings which involved mostly white francophones not Middle Easterners, as one example). If all she was doing was illustrating a deplorable stereotype, shouldn’t some effort be made to try and address this as opposed to calling for the teacher to be fired (although I wouldn’t want her teaching any of my kids.. especially history).

In the past, North American Society has been fairly homogeneous, composed mostly of descendants of white western Europeans and the like, due mostly to the rate at which Europeans flocked to ‘the new world’ in search of a better life (and gold, and god knows what else…). Are we now to say that dream of a better life is for us alone and not to those who are still arriving (or in most cases, have been here for many generations).  America wasa deam, a dream of a place where all could be free from oppressive oligarchy and live united as ‘we the people.’ But at some point that dream turned to a nightmare that has left us (especially the US) worse off, especially in terms of government control. (Although it should be pointed out that Canada did not succeed in declaring independence from the British Monarch who remains a figurehead in our country, in the form of the Governor General, to this day and with little contention)

At what point is a society responsible for the degradation of racial identity? It has to be said that majorities are undeniably blind to the plight of minorities and seem eager to regain any advantage in this fight for (in)equality. Although the US has had many high profile racial clashes that seem to only exacerbate issues of racial inequality, we in Canada are not far enough removed from Japanese internment to wash our hands of the issue.  It is due to our conviction that we must voice our disgust with such behaviour, but to also begin the dialogue that could lead to helping people gain a new perspective. One that comes, not from fear mongering, but from acceptance of the individual as a member of collective society, not a member of a race. Although it seems that the US government seem to rely on this divisiveness, and subtly encourage fear, so that they can come along and offer the majority a solution (taxes to follow) that tends to have further reaching consequences than are justified by this form of inequality (racial profiling as policy is one example that comes to mind).

The ‘Politically Correct’ movement is, I believe, one of the biggest hurdles we must face in this fight.  We can not expect to make any progress when we are afraid to discuss the issues faced by minorities by being afraid to infuriate those same minorities.  It is the majority that is afraid to talk about it, and we hide behind PC terms like diversity and equality because we can’t face the guilt of privilege that we are all to quick to deny exists.  It is my opinion that racism is rooted in guilt, and that we are afraid to admit, as a majority, that we receive benefits just for the colour of our skin. Only by our admission can we begin to address the subjugation that minorities experience.

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