Editor:
The May 27 letter from EW Bopp was appalling enough on its own, however when reading it on the very day 215 bodies of young victims of systemic racist policies were discovered at the Kamloops Indian residential school, it creates a heinous irony.
Perhaps the flippancy with which this writer refers to the “so-called genocidal colonial past” can now be seen for the ignorance it deserves.
This letter demonstrates a dangerous lack of knowledge or compassion for those who have suffered from racist and ethnocentric policies and actions in our short history as a nation.
From the tragedy of residential schools, to sexism in the military and RCMP, police brutality against persons of colour, the internment of Japanese Canadians, or the Komagata Maru incident, our nation has far too many examples of wrongs to atone for.
I am proud to be Canadian, and I recognize that this nation is indeed a mosaic, as I was taught many years ago in school. We welcome and celebrate all cultures; what a vibrant place to live and learn when we can share in celebrations as diverse as Diwali, Chinese New Year, Ramadan, Christmas and Hanukkah.
Bring on the multiculturalism – it makes us all better citizens of the world when we see and understand the cultures and world view of others.
Carol and Marc Lepine
