Hotashi

A couple of nights ago I was watching TV with my mom and sister. It was a discussion between the audience, the anchor and an Ontario MP on the debate over whether the Lord’s Prayer should be removed from the Ontario Legislature. I was interested to hear what the responses were from viewers (which I acknowledge is obviously screened). After hearing numeraous individuals call in, I was quite appauled by the consistent Othering language used by many “Christians” who called in. Some of the response were along the lines of these statements:

1. They come to our country and they should accept our traditions.
2. We have to give up our traditions to those people who come here.
3. Canada is more than accomodating to their religions and I don’t see why they should come here and tell us to throw away our traditions.

At what point will they become us? What is it to be Canadian? Does it even matter that I am legally a Canadian citizen? Will the colour of my skin always trigger labels of Other, immigrant, and alien to these Canadians? Does it even matter that I am typically classified as a Christian? According to the statements I heard, I am not a “real” Canadian because I immigrated here.

Well what about “those people” who have been in Canada for generations and are NOT Christian? Are they still not seen as Canadian? Why? What defines a Canadian? Whiteness? Christian-ness? Why are Others still seen as a threat to Canada? Why aren’t they allowed to shape Canada and Canadian culture the way that other “Canadians” are allowed to? When will they be accepted as equal citizens? It is so disappointing to see the same rationality that existed during overtly racist policies designed to keep Others out and Whites in, still resides in the hearts of many Canadians. Of course, I know these comments do not represent all Canadians, and I certainly hope (although I’m more likely being naive) that most Canadians don’t hold these beliefs.

What also bothered me while watching this was that the facilitators of the discussion did not even attempt to draw attention to the inherent racism in the words of these callers. The MP was quick to correct them on the details of the debate, but didn’t even think it was necessary to clarify the Othering that was taking place. Sure it would have diverted off topic, but at least give some discretion to the viewers and future callers so that they can recognize how their words were creating an “us” and “them” labelling session. And to think that this moron was voted into a seat to represent Canadians…can our society be any more pathetic?

Lastly, in reference to the popular arguement of keeping with tradition that was used to keep the prayer in the Legislature, I need to state this. Keeping a tradition for the sake of tradition is dangerous. Traditions have been used in this country to voilate human rights numerous times, so you need to come up with a better justification than ‘it has always been like that’. That was (and is) the same rationality that was/is used to justify the secondary status of women, the oppression and marginalization of racialized peoples, homophobic laws, etc. Ask yourself why you want to keep a tradition. If it is just because that’s all you’ve ever known, then keeping the tradition is more about your own alientation and complacency than it is about benefitting Canadian soceity and the peoples who call it home. Serving yourself, especially in reference to your irrational fears, is harmful to those you Other as well as the people you pass your irrational fears onto.

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