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"Who we are... The Community Dialogue on Racism (CDR) actively challenges racism & works to develop cross cultural understanding and ethnocultural equity. We are a non-profit, non-partisan community coalition comprised of individuals, service organizations and representation from various ethnocultural communities"
This quote is taken from the CDR brochure they hand out whenever they do a presentation. I had the opportunity to talk to some members of the CDR at the St Catharines Labour Council's tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., held in St Catharines on January 23rd (1997). In the interests of making a point, I must point out that the three people I talked to were middle-aged white women. I must also point out that I don't believe that what these people said is CDR policy or is held by other members of the CDR. However, I do believe it represents the mind set of a certain type of person that would be attracted to the CDR.
I don't think it is necessary to identify the people that made the following statements. they know who they are. However, I am willing to swear to the truth that these statements were made, if it comes to that.
I was arguing with one of the women about "special treatment" for minorities ie job quotas, human rights tribunals, etc. The CDR member then compared minorities to people in wheelchairs. She said the only way for minorities to gain equality is if special ramps are built for them.(How patronizing). I then asked her why so many people come here if it's such a horrible place. She replied it's because we trick them, we only want them here to support us in our old age. (So there you go all those people who freely chose Canada out of all the countries of the world to live, you were tricked!)
One of the other women then voiced the opinion that whites had held the power in this country long enough, now it was the minorities turn. The third woman then asked me how my (white) descendants will feel in 50 or 100 years when THEY are the minority in this country. This same woman then voiced the opinion that as long as there are races, there will be racism, and that the only hope for peace was for all the races to be blended into one.Some questions come to mind after talking to these CDR members. Are these three the representatives of the "white" ethnocultural community? Also I'm starting to wonder if the CDR exists to promote "cross-cultural understanding" or if is a forum for "white bashing",an attempt to blame the mainstream white culture for all the ills that minorities endure. The three women I talked certainly didn't show (at least not to me) any pride or positive feeling towards their own heritage. (It always amazes me that people like this are so big on the importance of being proud of your race and your culture, but when a white person does it, they're labelled a white supremacist, or a neo-Nazi). I got the impression that these three women feel personally responsible for all acts of white oppression for the past 500 years, and that they're going to do their best to make it up. It almost seems as if these three women were actually "racist" against their own race.(If that's possible).
I've never attended a CDR members only meeting, but I'm pretty sure no one ever talks about individual autonomy: the fact that we're all equal because we're all human beings. All we hear about is cultural equality. Well, I'll say it once and for all : all cultures are not equal. Human beings, INDIVIDUALS (of all different cultures) should however, be treated equally: with dignity, consideration, and respect. Their cultural background should be irrelevent. It is the person him or herself that matters. As long as the CDR obsesses with race and culture, they're never going to get it right.
By now I'm sure some of you are saying, "Why not do something about it, why don't you join the CDR yourself if you think you can do better". Actually I tried. Susan Azzeh(CDR Co-ordinator) said I couldn't join, because if I did, I'd just want to argue. Excuse me, but I thought it was a "dialogue" on racism.
In conclusion, the literature of the CDR talks of one thing, talking to certain members gives another distinctly different impression. The CDR is made up of individuals. If the individual members think a certain way, thats the trend that the organization will follow. I challenge the CDR to show me differently.
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http://www.niagara.com/~freedom/accniag/cdr.htm
ACC NIAGARA/freedom@niagara.com/January 1997/Revised August 28 2006