Stop denying your racism
Dear Editor:
We entered this world in a profound sense of love, but along the way we learned to hate. How does this happen? Our memory works through the catalogue of stereotypes as a shortcut to thinking too much. Our preconceptions blind us with mental shortcuts, justifying what we see as “normal.” But what if that “normal” wasn’t ideal?
When we see a homeless person, do we see someone who lost everything and gave up on their dreams? When we see the cornered minority being questioned by multiple police, do we see the systemic permission to harass the populations of colour with rare adverse consequences? We tell ourselves that it couldn’t happen to me, so it can’t be with them.
I am First Nation, and I was adopted and raised in the very white community of Kelowna in the 1970s. The white view was all I’d been exposed to as I grew up. Into adulthood, things grew complex and I had to face the fact that I held racist views against my own people.
To change this, I switched my view to all First Nations being virtuous and good. Then I worked for the local band and found that they too can be corporate dictators just like every other company I worked for. While putting together a community computer lab in the centre of the reserve, my greatest lessons came from the kids who frequented the place. I realized I had a truly fortunate upbringing.
We learn stereotypes from the family or the community we grow up with.
Now those tides have turned.
The world was outraged by the actions of a cop. Domestic terrorism was used to permit the militarization of police forces. The War on Drugs was its most effective tool. Racial profiling and unrestricted bullying by police directly feed the prison industry. These actions have gone unceasing through centuries fuelled by anger and insecurities of both the aggressors and the targets. Yet the recent public outcry is shifting our views on what a secure society looks like.
Perception changes depending on the angle. We all contain a little prejudice in our past. We can cover it, contain it, and oppress it but it will not help. A proper purging requires dialogue, either with someone else or with just your pen and paper. Put it out there like a confession kept private. Hide from it no more. The pain of dealing with it is called growth, and the relief of getting past moves us all towards a better society.
Darrin LR Fiddler Marijuana Party of Canada
Kelowna-Lake Country