http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/10/27/the_silent_racism_of_post_racial_canada.html
A very well written article, the incident isn't important but the subject matter she later writes in the article is.
An excerpt from the article I fully agree with:
"...It is an indication of how close below the surface lies the resentment of the “mainstream” population towards the “others” — a reality which the “others” are perfectly aware of, though no-one talks about it (except the activists). Toronto likes to pretend to itself that this sort of encounter doesn’t happen — particularly among the genteel middle classes. Crass racism is assumed to be the territory of Alabama rednecks; here, we intellectual elites value multiculturalism and diversity. Blah, blah. I have no doubt that, had we met in a social situation, this woman would have been all gracious smiles and cordial conversation, the most liberal, open-minded person in the world.
But, anonymous she felt safe to vent. Her note wasn’t about a parking space; it was about the silent, secret resentment that “native-born” Canadians have been forced to suppress ever since political correctness took the place of truth. The same venom can be found in the pseudonymous online responses to newspaper reports that have anything to do with multiculturalism. And Quebec, of course, is the current flag-bearer for such sentiments.
In a way, vile comments aside, I sympathize with these “traditional Canadians.” For the last 30 years, all attention has been turned toward the newcomers: their needs, their fears, their success or failure. At the other end of the time spectrum, the indigenous people also demand attention. Who speaks for those caught in the middle, neither new enough nor “old” enough nor poor enough to merit sympathy and social programs?
In the old days, these people didn’t have to pretend to like the multicultural onslaught; today, they do. The threat of the Human Rights Commission, not to mention social ostracism, hangs heavy in the air. A word out of place can bring ominous consequences.
And so they seethe in silence, with periodic anonymous eruptions. It can’t possibly be healthy — for them, for the newcomers or for the society at large.
Perhaps, rather than all the politically correct lip-service, we should seek out truth. Let people speak, let people answer. Educate rather than punish. Let communication take the place of hypocrisy. I’m sure we would all feel better for it. And maybe we would even start liking each other a little bit more."
