Canada rates high in tolerance

RE: We have to stop tolerating intolerance (June 23)

Howard Elliott’s editorial on intolerance brings to mind a period when we were processing some 25,000 refugees. By now we have welcomed more than 40,000

A very telling graph illustrated total terrorists compared to Muslims. A small dot in a large circle. Multiplied by 10, still less than 0.1 per cent of all Muslims.

Add the numerous UN and Canadian checks that each admitted refugee had to pass and it seemed hard to understand why so many Canadians had so many concerns. Then again, intolerance and facts seldom go together. Let’s commend the many church, service and other groups as well as the numerous individuals who are making Canada proud in the world. Through their hard work, often under challenging conditions, they continue to prove that we are a tolerant and inclusive country.

As we celebrate our 150th, a 2017 annual U.S.-based survey of some 128 countries using 50 indicators is encouraging. Overall we are ranked No. 6 in a Global Social Progress Index. Right up there with the Scandinavian countries. In fact we beat Sweden at No. 8 (expected in hockey but not in this context).

We are in the first tier, the U.S. in the second at No. 18. That country has substantially slipped, especially with the tolerance and inclusive indicator.

There is still work to be done in Canada as our overall ranking is 90 per cent, some eight per cent higher than our tolerance score. Richard Ring, Grimsby