March 24th, 2008

I sort of vacillate between my feelings about people. Most of the time I can pretty much tolerate people. Other times I hate 'em all. I become especially aggravated when faced with the idea that there are ever-shrinking resources in this world, and ever-increasing demands on those resources. I think, "too many damned people" and then go into some funk or verbal rant about people. My wife winces and cringes when she hears me starting in on yet another anti-person diatribe.

And, I gotta be honest here: I am most intolerant of ... um ... intolerance. Put it this way: We live in a country that is currently engaged in a giant experiment called "Multiculturalism". It has seen some success as well as some setbacks. But as soon as I get a whiff of superiority from someone—directed at me, especially (sorry, I'm human, but at least I'm being honest here)—I get furious.

But back to Canadian Multiculturalism:

As for successes, well, we haven't shot each other into pieces yet, despite allowing pretty much anyone with a pulse into our country. We've made lots of -er- marginal people feel right at home, and though they may be living something akin to low-income lifestyles, they are most definitely not living in squalor or abject poverty. If they let you off the boat here, you are bound to see a better and healthier life for you and your children. (And though you might stay poor, your children have a great chance to rise through the ranks.)

But as for setbacks, here is where we need to improve ... No, here is where some of our immigrants need to be better-educated: Put simply, Multiculturalism does not mean immigrants are allowed to be intolerant of other cultures, while being allowed to scream racism at every turn. If you are allowed to come to Canada and feel free to exercise your religious and cultural values, great. But being intolerant of other cultural values is not part of that freedom.

Multiculturalism is not an absolute: It does not give you license to do and say anything you like. It still contains some built-in need for tolerance and compromise. Oh, and we do have a set of laws you must obey that, like it or not, are awfully British in origins and ... er ... kind of white.

OK, one more thing, then let the cries of "racism!" begin: In Canada, those shrinking resources I mentioned are still awfully abundant. One might have had to fight and bite and scratch tooth and nail for every little thing in one's country of origin, but one really ought to relax and take it easy here in Canada: There is still plenty for everyone ... provided we relax and act with less desperation and more maturity. (Oh, sure, as if that would happen ...)

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