Criticizing Toronto Tamils is racist

It was bound to happen – a newspaper column saying that anyone who dared to criticize those Tamils in Toronto who blocked major parts of the city including an expressway is a racist. What is surprising is that the column not only appeared in the right of center Toronto Sun but was written by Lorrie Goldstein who holds conservative if not Conservative views.

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But Lorrie Goldstein is not just a conservative; he’s a Canadian conservative and through his well written column he’s on the way to becoming a poster boy for Canadian conservatism; it is fine to espouse conservative views such as law and order as long as it doesn’t offend any particular group. Goldstein wrote in part:

But falsely implying most Tamil Canadians are crazed radicals, ignoring the fact most have protested peacefully for months and implying they have no right to influence Canada’s foreign policy is unjust. Further, blaming only the Tigers for atrocities, when credible human rights agencies also condemn the government and military of Sri Lanka for decades of persecution of that country’s Tamil minority, is immoral.

Therefore those of us who criticized “the Tamils” were criticizing all Toronto Tamils; not just those who participated in the illegal albeit permissible ill blocking of public roadways including a major street that is home to three major hospitals and the main east-west expressway in the city. And it’s hard to understand how criticizing those in Toronto who showed gross indifference to their fellow Torontonians equated with blaming the Tigers for all of the “atrocities” in Sri Lanka. Somehow if Tamils are the victims in Sri Lanka we dare not criticize those Tamils who shut down various parts of the city. We’re all racists and should just keep our mouths shut when a major part of the city is shut down while the politicians wring their hands and the police stand around watching. In Goldstein’s world, Tamil Canadians are immune from criticism and those who dared to make such criticism are simply racists. Had Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, (OCAP) for example; a mainly white anti-poverty group employed the same tactics that would have been different. Goldstein employs the liberal tactic of dividing people into groups and then accusing anyone who dares to take exception to the city being held hostage as a racist towards an entire non white group. He’s attempting to stifle any opposition to the act of some Toronto Tamils by painting critics of their actions as racists. Some of Lorrie Goldstein’s buds at the Sun tried to defend him by writing that Goldstein’s views were as a result of racist emails that he had received. That would be a fair excuse if it was only his second day as a columnist but he’s been around for years. Goldstein made it quite clear; only true racists would complain about the Tamils who blocked roads and expressways. Most of us, including Goldstein who won’t acknowledge it, realize that those people who were inconvenienced by the blocking of Toronto’s streets were not just white people. Many of them are visible minorities who come from such countries as Sudan, Somalia and Pakistan and they too have relatives in the countries of their birth who are in danger. But they don’t go around deliberately inconveniencing their fellow city residents. Perhaps in Goldstein’s world if these dark skinned people dared to criticize the Tamils they would be racists too. But not very likely. It’s only white people who complain that are given that distinction. At least that’s the implication in his column. There may be a difference between what Lorrie Goldstein wrote and Janeane Garafalo’s screed about every American who took part in a tea party being a racist who was upset because a black man was in the White House but if there is a difference it is awfully hard to discern. So if anyone out there becomes upset if a non-white group interferes with their lawful right to use the streets of Toronto or the rights of their fellow citizens just SHUT THE HELL UP! You’re nothing but racist scum! At least in these bad economic times where the newspaper industry is suffering more than most, Goldstein at least will always have a job. If he ever had to leave the Sun he would no doubt always be welcome at the Toronto Star where he could make racist allegations to his heart’s content.

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