Anti-Asian Racism

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

There has been much press recently regarding Anti-Asian racism in Dufferin County, and Shelburne specifically. My family and I have lived in Shelburne and been a part of the local community now for 10 years. My wife is Asian; my children half Caucasian and half Asian. Not once, never, have we experienced any Anti-Asian racism: no slurs, bias, or hate towards my wife or my two kids. We have many Asian friends living in Shelburne, Orangeville, and Dufferin County, and none of them have experienced Anti-Asian racism. We have been involved in local sports teams, church functions, and Shelburne public elementary schools, since moving to Shelburne. Not once have we experienced or witnessed Anti-Asian racism. How can this be? Our local politicians are telling us it exists and we must stomp it out at every turn. It's as though they are living in one community and my wife, children, and our circle of Asian friends are living in another community. 

Let's be clear: all forms of racism are hideous, vile, and disgusting, and should be stomped out. Whether that racism is directed at Asians, Blacks, or Whites. However, our local leaders have decided to jump on the racist bandwagon south of the border and spread their watered-down Canadian version throughout our communities. The most recent example being the horrific murder of 8 Atlanta massage parlor females by a lunatic madman. Six were Asian and two were white. This truly is an evil act, but is it racially motivated? Well, according to the Atlanta Sherriff, no; “this wasn't a race-based crime”. Turns out the killer was a sex-addict and he took his inability to deal with his addiction out on the women he used to satisfy his addiction. 

The Orangeville Banner article (online), ‘No Place for Hate': Shelburne Speaks out Against Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, dated March 25, 2021, mentions the Atlanta murder specifically but leaves out the Sherriff's explicit comment on it not being racially motivated. That's no small omission when talking about racist crimes, especially murder. Why would they not mention that in their article? The statement, by town Mayor and the CAO, does mention however, a “rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes.” It gives no examples of this rise, no statistics, nor any data to support the allegation. You'd think my Asian wife, and her circle of social media Asian friends would have heard of at least one Anti-Asian racist incident. Nope, not one. The Shelburne article goes on to say, “As we, . . .  grieve this tragic loss of life, we stand in solidarity with communities who experience violence, including those within our community (Shelburne)”. This comment is intimating that somehow Shelburne is experiencing the same level of violence that Atlanta experienced. Frankly, this is reprehensible and disgusting. The people of Shelburne, and surrounding Dufferin County, are, for the most part, accepting, loving, and welcoming people, towards all races. It's deceitful to suggest otherwise without supporting evidence. The article is careful to throw out the usual woke buzzwords, like “systemic racism”. Whatever that is? Then it goes on to mention that
the town would “publicly name (assuming
this to be perpetrators) those involved in racist incidents.” Well, lets have some names so we can all take part in the public tribunal and see the rise in Anti-Asian
racism in our community. 

My Asian wife, and two half-Asian children, have experienced nothing but acceptance, friendship, love, and kindness, from Shelburne and the surrounding community. So why then are our leaders proclaiming a pandemic of racism? I'll let you figure out their motives. The best quote for the fight against racism comes from the famous Black actor, Morgan Freeman, when asked by a prominent Black newscaster whether systemic racism exists: “No, absolutely not, look at us two. If you want to defeat racism, stop talking about it.”  

Brian Hayden

Shelburne