The Guru Nanak temple in Surrey, BC held an open community vigil on Tuesday to honour the victims of this hate crime.
In diversity education work, my colleagues and I often encounter this idea that racism and discrimination do not exist, or that the incidents of such have decreased over time. A phrase I hear often is "sure there is racism and discrimination, but it's getting better right?"
Let's stop kidding ourselves. Let's stop pretending. Racism and discrimination and hate crime are rampant; everywhere.
But this can change. We can educate ourselves about the history of discrimination. We build relationships with those that are different than ourselves and breakdown stereotypes. We can acknowledge our power and privilege and use it to empower others rather than oppress them. It is time to take our blinders off and realize that we need to work for inclusion. Discrimination and hate crime will not end on their own or as society becomes more multicultural. We need to create the change. Let us mourn with one another for the victims and families of the temple shooting and let it move us to meaningful change.
In diversity education work, my colleagues and I often encounter this idea that racism and discrimination do not exist, or that the incidents of such have decreased over time. A phrase I hear often is "sure there is racism and discrimination, but it's getting better right?"
Let's stop kidding ourselves. Let's stop pretending. Racism and discrimination and hate crime are rampant; everywhere.
But this can change. We can educate ourselves about the history of discrimination. We build relationships with those that are different than ourselves and breakdown stereotypes. We can acknowledge our power and privilege and use it to empower others rather than oppress them. It is time to take our blinders off and realize that we need to work for inclusion. Discrimination and hate crime will not end on their own or as society becomes more multicultural. We need to create the change. Let us mourn with one another for the victims and families of the temple shooting and let it move us to meaningful change.
I too am really saddened by what happened. It was Right on the heels of the Batman shooting too. I agree more needs to be done. The times I think people break down differences happen when there is a situation at hand that is critical enough to work together. In those times differences are put aside because if they are not disasters strikes all. A mundane example would be well... work. People of different races and religions have to work together because if they don't well they will get fired. Work is a very inter race and interfaith interaction.
ReplyDeleteI also think when a cause is something everyone can agree on people would lay aside their differences and work together. The Best example I can give to that is Gianna Jessen's defense of prolife was sponsored by a an interfaith movement. Apparently abortion brings different races and cultures together (on a side note I recommend watching her speech she gave to the government VERY THOUGHT provoking on both sides of the issue You can Youtube it)
I think something we can do to encourage unity and stop things like racism and discrimination is help people work in the best possible working relationship with people they don't like and also pick issues that people can agree upon to fight for that are bigger than their race of religion- so things like cancer, or providing drinking water for the downtown east side fighting for prolife if different faiths argee on something like that.