Covert racism is less harmful

20:no Regarding the following Roast published Nov. ROAST: To Prime Minister Trudeau for wanting to bring in more immigrants to fill jobs in Canada. Perhaps he should offer those jobs to the indigenous people.

It is the right of every citizen to agree or disagree with a government’s decision. As that is the topic of the first sentence of this roast, I will ignore its problems and focus instead on the second sentence. This second sentence has no relevance to the topic of a government decision. It is instead a gratuitous slur thrown at the indigenous people of our city.

I doubt that it is The Herald’s intention to be an active agent — fostering and contributing to racism that infects our city — and I will proceed with that in mind — but know that that is what and who you are. Such slurs should not find audience through these pages.

I am grateful for this example, for if it is not intended, then it is unintended. And that is the problem. It is the insidious nature of a covert racism to go unnoticed and unintended. This does not diminish the harm it causes us all, settler and indigenous alike. Its wounds are deep, durable and not always immediate or obvious.

Recently Martin Heavy Head brought the issue of racism in Lethbridge into our public conversation. This reality needs to remain in our public discourse until we glimpse the concept: “love thy neighbour.”

David Gibson

Lethbridge