Celebrate — don’t cancel — cultural divide
Although highly effective in this millennia as a means of social reform and in calling out injustices of a sexual, racist and behavioural nature, cancel culture has created an environment of fear.
It’s an apprehension of life and has gone too far.
Men are now fearful to approach the subject of sex and the slightest reference to an ethnic characteristic is pounced on as racist.
Coming from Montreal, where cultural differences are respected and celebrated, I find it excruciating.
Cultures that have evolved over centuries and take pride in their areas of expertise have no recognition in this bland homogenized society we are creating.
In Europe, and Montreal, we celebrate the notion that certain nationalities have precision in certain vocations. Hiring those highly skilled ethnicities for a particular task is a sign of respect, not racism.
Italian stone masons, Jewish lawyers, French chefs.
Different tones, inflections and attitudes, tastes and smells permeate this world of “spice” interest and excitement.
I was in a adult class of 30, here in
Kelowna, with a student from Libya, and he commented on being asked where he came from. Another student took it upon herself to apologize for that horrible racist experience and offer condolences.
I was horrified. I think he was too.
Why can we not show interest in another person’s country of origin?
I found the question perfectly natural — “and can you please tell me something about it”.
We watch travel shows, cultivate and mimic ethnic wines and food but can not inquire about a person’s life experience ?
There’s another component to the cancel culture that has a corporate influence. It’s considered racist to enquire which hemisphere of the globe you are calling to obtain service from a Canadian company.
An offshore branch taking Canadian jobs, that employs workers with a completely different frame of reference, to counsel you on your cold Canadian problem.
If you address that in the conversation you are being racist.
Cancel culture corporate gags have effectively been put in place.
A coworker from Peru has headed home because no one, other than me had the nerve to talk to him about his heritage. He was fascinating and unable to share his life experience, so he’s gone. Our loss.
I truly hope the pendulum will slow its swing to allow us all to relax and just enjoy our differences rather than pounce on every imagined verbal infraction.
CALGARY — Athletes setting significant records in their sport are often too busy achieving those milestones to process their place in history in the moment.
What helps Jennifer Jones wrap her head around a career 153 wins at the Canadian women’s curling championship is seeing them through the eyes of people she loves.
Jones became the career leader in wins at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts with a 6-5 win Tuesday over Newfoundland’s Sarah Hill.
Jones arrived at the 2021 Tournament of Hearts two back of the 152 victories held by Colleen Jones.
Jennifer Jones knows the record would have meant a lot to her late father Larry, who died two years ago at age 80.
“My dad always loved the records,” Jones said Monday. “He always followed all the records. I know he would watching from above, (be) very, very proud.
“It definitely means something to me. As you kind of approach the end of your career, just to be remembered for doing something that you love is pretty remarkable.”
Wins is among many records Jones holds in women’s curling. If the six-time national champion prevails in Calgary, the 46-year-old from Winnipeg will be the only woman to win seven. Should daughters Isabella and Skyla take up curling, the record book provides a compelling argument their mother is the best.
“My kids do look at it. There’s a book with my name in it with some records,” Jones said.
“I hope if anything it just shows them that if you work hard, that dreams are possible. I just want them to have the best possible life and if this can have any impact on that, it’s absolutely incredible.”
Jones’s first win in 2002 was an 8-4 victory over Prince Edward Island’s Kathy O’Rourke, who is P.E.I’s alternate in Calgary this year.
Jones’s 153rd wasn’t a work of art as her team’s shooting accuracy was 80 per cent, but it was one Jones and her Manitoba foursome needed to get to a 3-2 record.
Sitting on 2-3 until their next game Wednesday wouldn’t have felt uncomfortable.
“We were grinding it out today,” Jones said. “We really needed this win to stay kind of in there in the competition.”
Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges (4-1) topped Pool B early Tuesday ahead of PEI’s Suzanne Birt (3-1). Manitoba was knotted at 3-2 with Chelsea Carey’s Wild Card One.
St-Georges downed Nunavut’s Lori Eddy 75. Carey lost a second straight game, falling 7-5 to B.C.’s Corryn Brown.
B.C., Newfoundland and Saskatchewan were even at 2-2 in early draw play.