YogA, prom dresses And AppropriAtion

Re: “Cancellation of SLAV was the right decision” (Opinion, July 6)

I believe our culture has already “gone to pot” before the marijuana law goes into effect.

Cultural appropriation is the new perceived “evil.” White performers are not allowed to sing slave songs. A white girl going to the prom is shamed for wearing a traditional Chinese dress. What’s next?

Should we shudder that Perry Como, a Catholic, sang Kol Nidre, a Jewish prayer? Or that Irving Berlin, a Jew, wrote White Christmas?

Imagine the audacity of white people doing yoga. India must be up in arms!

How can anyone who is not Chinese do kung fu, or not Japanese do karate, with a clear conscience?

How can Canadians whose families immigrated here wear moccasins without a sense of deep guilt toward Indigenous people?

How could people of colour perform as white American revolutionary figures in the Broadway hit Hamilton without all of the United States suffering a collective nervous breakdown?

Isn’t it refreshing when people of different colours, ethnicities, national origins, religions and cultures embrace and share the songs, literature, dress, traditions, sports and historical stories of other human beings they respect?

When will this unfortunate wave of agitation and anger over “cultural appropriation” dissipate?

When is enough nonsense enough? Can’t we all just get along?

Penny Hassan, Montreal