Editor:
Well, Justin Trudeau is not the only one to paint his face if any of you out there remember a singer by the name of Al Jolson. His paint colour of choice was black and he went on to be called the world’s greatest entertainer of his time.
Some of the people who have said they were influenced by him are Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis, Mick Jagger and David Bowie, just to mention a few. Now, not having heard Trudeau sing that Harry Belafonte song, I think I can say he is not in the same class as the aforementioned.
We now have everyone up in arms calling it racist and trying to get as many points as possible in a bid to gain votes. I ask the question: If that was a brown person who painted his face white, what do you think the white person would think?
I personally don’t look at it as racist or hateful if it was done in the context of a play or a skit. What I do find racist are the people that dig up this type of stuff and the people that use it as an opportunity for their own gain.
They are, in my mind, the ones spreading the hate and racism.
Ernie Tobin
