April 17, 2009
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“Can you recognize racism?”
Only numbers 3 and 4 have something in common —
they both have to ride on a Thunder Bay bus!
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I have had my suspicions during the last 55 years that, while I lived in integrated communities claiming they functioned without racism, it “wasn't necessarily so!”
As it turns out, we are different tribes that have learned how to live within identical physical boundaries.
Because our tribes don't “bump” into each other – at least not often enough to cause open hostilities – peace reigns. We enjoy that peace because the various tribes have mastered the “each to his own” principle. So far, nothing has occurred that would blatantly deprive one tribe of housing, jobs, education or social expressions. Peace reigns.
We do not experience turmoil because, for the most part, we avoid “bumping into” the “other guys”. This has worked. It has required some ingenuity, cost, and inconvenience to avoid confrontation but the question is “How do we tell when the pot is about to get stirred?”
I hasten to point out that we haven't learned to live together. We have learned to live in spite of each other. This state exists throughout our world when no one is “stirring up” the pot. When the pots get stirred all hell breaks lose when one tribe becomes a target.
The “non-targeted” tribes sit on the fence and do not enter the fray – on either side. Ten percent of the population can manhandle 5% of the population while the remaining 85% do little more than confirm that they aren't being threatened.
I am certain that when you examine history and current events, you will find plenty of examples. It is unlikely, however, that your examples will include occasions where your tribe has been the offender.
Try and get an honest answer from South African whites, California anti-gay Mormons, Southern US American Christian Fundamentalists, Winnipeg whites, Algerian French, Northern Ireland Protestants, Northern or Southern Italians, etc. and you will get a heavy dose of racism and/or prejudice. You certainly won't get an admission of guilt. In each case, prejudice resides with the powerful. They object when their power is threatened – often by the mere existence of the other guys .
Where there is adequate housing, jobs and wholesome social activities, the “bumping” does not occur. Each tribe functions without relying on the others. Unfortunately, times are changing. As the changes occur, I have some questions.
Will the religious claims of moral superiority help in a war on prejudice? If a moral injustice is taking place that does not involve its tribe, will the religious claim neutrality? Will the Atheists? Will the different ethnic tribes? Will the rich? Will the white, red, black or yellow? Don't forget, the different colours can be on either side of the issues depending on their location! If history provides examples, the answer will be “no”!
I have no sympathy for those who complain about the cost of their racism. In my hometown there are plenty of examples to go around. Can you recognize similar things in your home town? Or should I ask, will you?
Here are a few that I found.
After being away for fifty years, I came back to Thunder Bay a few years ago. The number of elderly whites that would not take a bus amuse me. They can not really afford to, but they take taxis. If they can, they share taxis to go shopping. They won't use the busses because there are “too many Indians on the busses” or “I wouldn't be caught dead riding in an Indian limousine.”
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I have lived in three apartment buildings since returning to Thunder Bay. Residents from my old buildings like to keep me up to date on what is happening. “The building is going to pot,” one couple proclaimed, “Two more of them have moved in!” Another time I heard that, “Things are getting better, one of them died and a white woman moved it!”
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One elderly native lady has regular visits from her grandchildren. While it pleases her, the white residents complain about all the “natives running around the place!” And then the first black person moved into the building.
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I do not get approached more than once by any of my former residents as they exercise their form of racism. I like to point out that many of my relatives are natives. I particularly like to mention that I have been inside many native dwellings and quite often they are kept a heck of a lot better than those inhabited by most whites complaining about natives. No, most of the complainers don't use the word “filthy” anymore. They have learned to use other words to disguise their prejudice but I know what they mean.
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I was disgusted to learn that one of my native aunts, who my mother claimed had died “ages ago”, had actually been living in the same seniors building as my mother for more than fifteen years. In all that time my mother had never said hello to her, let alone shared a coffee. Years before, my mother claimed that this aunt was her favourite of all my step-dad's brother's wives. Her change of attitude was, “I didn't have to be nice to her any more! John died!”
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Our world contains many factors that separate us into tribes. Nationality, profession, education and where we grew up, help separate us. Religions override them all and often introduce their own tribal memberships.
If we analyze prejudice, the most targeted tribe may be those individuals who, like me, live . . . without gods!
Anton Kozlik
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