THE EDITOR, Sir:
WITH REGARD to Dennis Whittingham's letter that Canada is not a racist country, I would urge him to look again. Yes, I too have lived in the United Kingdom for many years and am aware of the extreme racism that permeates throughout the society but that is not to say that it does not exist in Canada too. The difference is that Canada is a country that is built by immigrants, including black people or people of colour, so racism seems 'not' to exist.
What I will say is that there are more opportunities to access and explore than is offered or available in the UK but that is changing as people of colour make more in-roads into various areas of UK society. But even though these opportunities exist in Canada that does not mean that racism does not exist.
UNDERGROUND
In Canada, racism is more subtle and underground whilst in the UK it's in your face. Within Canada one just needs to look within the areas of employment and the ability to acquire work that one is qualified for and capable of doing, education and the performance of black children, incidents of racial profiling, number of young black men in prison and the list goes on. Similar to the same problems that exist in the UK.
Every country has both good and bad sides. We must not fool ourselves into believing that Canada is any different from any other "Anglofied" Western country, but understand that Canada also has its structures of power, barriers, problems etc.
I understand the frustration and anger that Mr. Whittingham has experienced but has it ever occurred to him that for us, especially in these countries/societies, we have to struggle anyway to make a mark?
I am, etc.,
MICHAEL McPHERSON
macky_m_m_macp
@yahoo.com
P.O. Box 93135
Brampton, Ontario
Canada
Via Go-Jamaica
