Thread by @Norlaine

Good grief! Cross-country check-up's topic this week is "Did Don Cherry deserve to be fired?" The Cherry apologists are out in full force. The way he talks might have not raised many eyebrows in 1979, but racism/xenophobia is unacceptable now in 2019. 1/20

I don't know how to explain to people that everyone should be treated equally, regardless of skin colour, gender, religion, ethnicity, or economic circumstance... 2/20

People say there is too much "political correctness", that people should not have to change the way they speak to protect the feelings of others. I'm sorry. No. Didn't your parents treat you any manners? 3/20

Have you ever watched Bambi? "If you can't say nothing nice, don't say nothing at all". There was a woman on saying everyone is too sensitive these days. No. Cruel remarks have always hurt, but people hurt by them had no recourse to object in the past. 4/20

Another woman was on saying that we are losing our authenticity. People are being prevented from saying what they think. Yes. If you want to say something offensive/hurtful, it is better that you just don't. 5/20

I mean, really, what sort of person says something they know will be hurtful to someone else? I guess the same sort of person who says things like, "You'd be pretty if you weren't so fat", or "Those glasses make you look even homelier." 6/20

People with no filters. People with no concern for the feelings of others. People with no compassion or respect for others. People so self-centred and entitled that they feel it's more important that they look tough, or something, than treat others with kindness and decency. 7/20

I have zero patience for people who feel it's ok to be cruel to others because they consider them lesser humans. I have zero patience for people who rank others based on skin colour, gender, religion, or economic circumstances. 8/20

I know, it scares people when their sense of superiority is challenged. When they feel someone is telling them that their racism or sexism is not acceptable. They feel they are losing something. 9/20

But human rights, including the right to not be subjected to hate speech, are not pie. There are plenty of rights to go around. Don Cherry should have retired a couple of decades ago when his ideas became hopelessly out-dated and inappropriate. 10/20
thecailleach.blogspot.com/2016/11/everyo…

I know, there is a big contingent of people out there on Twitter who are ready to argue that "political correctness" = Nazism. They equate being told that it is rude, hurtful and wrong to make racist, misogynist, xenophobic, transphobic, or homophobic statements with Nazis. 11/20

It's a bit hilarious. since the Nazis absolutely discriminated against and even killed people based on race, religion, and sexuality. They do not seem to make the distinction between a government edict and a shift in societal values. 12/20

To speak words that validate a particular party is not the same as a recognition that we are all equal, we are all in this together, and no one is above another based on physical appearance, background or gender/sexual orientation. 13/20

Being egalitarian, being inclusive, being respectful to everyone doesn't come from any one party or political stance. It comes from being a decent human being. So, don't @ me with your "political correctness = Nazism" rants. I will just block you. 14/20

To demean anyone based on skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, religion, etc, is just wrong. And many of us are becoming enlightened about this. We are evolving as a society. You can keep up, or become irrelevant. 15/20

Here is why it matters. When you "other" people you open the door to very real discrimination. Discrimination that impacts what jobs people can get, where they can live, how they are treated in public. It may even endanger their physical safety. 16/20
thecailleach.blogspot.com/2017/02/otheri…

Don Cherry's words "You people" othered immigrants. He accused immigrants of wanting to come to Canada to get benefits w/out contributing. This is simply wrong. Immigrant-owned companies create more jobs than companies run by Canadians born here. 17/20
ctvnews.ca/canada/immigra…

The idea of treating others with respect is not new. Many people who support Don Cherry because he is an icon they grew up with might also remember growing up with Hawkeye Pierce as a childhood icon... 18/20

Pragmatically speaking, we need immigration. We are not reproducing fast enough to maintain our numbers. There will be very few young workers in a few more decades if we do not have immigration. They are doing us a bigger favour than we are doing them. 19/20

Change is hard. Lifelong fear of people who don't look or act like you can be hard to overcome. Canada needs, as a society, to be more inclusive. No one is taking away your rights. And being kind and respectful doesn't cost you anything. 20/20