1. As an educator finishing up his 20th year in the classroom, I've come to recognize and look forward to serendipitous teachable moments.
And on March 20, Derek Harrison provided me with just such an opportunity.
2. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Derek Harrison (aka "Rants" aka "Rants Derek"), a founding and charter member of the Plaid Army/Diagolon seen in this video showing he doesn't understand what "coup" means, was a frequent subject of the ARC when it was active.
3. He was one of Faith Goldy's helper monkeys on her ill-fated mayoral campaign.
4. How did that campaign go again?
antihate.ca/the_auditor_re…
5. He also became an early supporter and member of the PPC.
6. In fact it was at a PPC event that he got into a fight with a 70 year old @TarekFatah.
pressprogress.ca/toronto-sun-co…
7. Derek may have been a bit dramatic in the aftermath.
8. When Derek Harrison isn't watching documentaries, reading peer reviewed research, getting wrecked by septuagenarians, and other "man things" he spends much of his time live streaming. You can see some of those anti-Semitic and racist streams in the following ARC article.
9. "After Being Shoved Tarek Fatah Strikes White Nationalist and Faith Goldy Supporter Derek Harrison With Cane At Bernier's PPC Immigration Speech"
anti-racistcanada.blogspot.com/2019/08/tarek-…
10. Derek Harrison was also in Ottawa participating in the #OttawaOccupation with other Diagolon members.
While my video lacks the technical skills of the one Derek made of me, mine detailing his ups and lows in Ottawa isn't without its charms.
11. So that brings me to the teachable moment.
Derek (or someone working on his behalf) created a video featuring moi.
And since he posted it twice on Telegram he must have really wanted people to see it.
12. Derek notes that the shirt I'm wearing in the profile picture on Twitter is the same one that I was wearing during my @cbcfifth interview.
He is correct about that.
13. He is incorrect about the meaning though. I assume this is because he is playing dumb or is, in fact, not as clever as he seems to think himself.
He appears to believe the symbol on the shirt is that of Mercedes and links it to that company's past affiliation with the Nazis.
14. Well, no.
No it isn't Derek.
In fact that is the symbol of the Popular Front, the Republican coalition that opposed the fascists during the Spanish Civil War.
15. Specifically, the reason why I wear that shirt is to honour the memory of people a hell of a lot braver than I am.
16. The Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, composed of Canadian volunteers, were among the first to fight the fascists to preserve democracy.
18. Upon their return, they were prosecuted and persecuted, their sacrifices ignored even after they were proven correct about the danger the fascists reprsented.
19. Today there are a few memorials such as those in Victoria, Cumberland, Winnipeg, and Toronto.
20. The most significant however is probably the one in Ottawa, a memorial I had the honour of visiting in 2005.
21. Now since I made a conscious decision to wear that shirt and Derek noticed it, I can only assume others did as well so I did exactly what I was aiming to do.
Thanks for the confirmation Derek. :)
22. But I am more than willing to take fashion criticism from anyone so in light of Derek Harrison's fashion snobbery, I promise that I will wear a different shirt during my next interview.
I think it will be this one.
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