Silence Is Not Golden, Op-ed
NOTE TO EDITORS: The following is an op-ed piece by Mayann Francis, director and CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.
When was the last time you laughed at a racist or sexist joke? Have you ever told someone that you object to their intolerant behaviour and attitude toward Jews, women, blacks, Aboriginal Peoples, those with disabilities or other groups protected under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act?
Recent comments by David Ahenakew have rocked our nation. From east to west, shock waves from his racist comments have swept across this country with the force of a tidal wave. His rant used words cultivated by a hate which has lingered in a soul over a long period of time.
Why is it that some people who knew him were not surprised by what he said? Who wrote Mr. Ahenakew letters of support for receiving the highest civilian order this country has to offer, despite knowing about the hurtful beliefs he harboured against Jews and immigrants? Are we to believe that Mr. Ahenakew only recently acquired his racist views? I believe he has entertained these views for many years. Are we to believe that this is the first time he has uttered such hate? A rational person would doubt this. In fact, I heard someone mention in the last few days that Ahenakew's views were widely known.
I would like to know why those who knew of his hatred kept silent for all these years. Where were they when the Order of Canada was being awarded? Where were they when he was being appointed to various boards and public bodies? He apparently has been known to make comments about blacks, Asians and heaven knows who else. Why did no one have the courage and the moral fibre to stand up and challenge him publicly?
The Order of Canada must be taken away from Mr. Ahenakew. Not to do so would devalue its meaning and besmirch everyone who has been named to this national honour.
This brings me back to the issue of personal responsibility. When we laugh at demeaning jokes, or remain silent when someone we know practices racism and discrimination, we are in fact condoning this behaviour. Silence creates fertile ground in which these destructive beliefs can grow.
On Dec. 10 we marked International Human Rights Day, a time when the entire world comes together to repudiate all forms of discrimination. At the invitation of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission and Partners Against Racism, hundreds of people gathered at the Dartmouth Sportsplex on that day to contemplate the effects of violence and racism and form strategies to counteract its chilling effects. They demonstrated the power which a collective voice can have. They also knew that remaining silent would only perpetuate the problem.
Bravo to the media for reporting Mr. Ahenakew's sickening comments. If the media were not present during Mr. Ahenakew's act of rage, the country may never have known that the Order of Canada had been awarded to a racist. Clearly those who knew him best were not prepared to blow the lid off his little secret. They preferred to keep silent and, thus, become accomplices to his act of hatred. Some of them have been seen as leaders in the march for equality. I wonder if they are resting easily with their guilty consciences? Do they even feel guilty about remaining silent?
David Ahenakew has disgraced his people and this country. Every time we as individuals stay silent when we witness racist behaviour, we commit the same sin. Silence is not golden. It is dangerous.