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Racial Slur Allegedly Used Towards CFRB Reporter
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DENTROBATE54
Banned
What a crying shame, in 2008 blacks can still be called the N-word without reprocussion, in this case just for doing her job and presenting an unbiased representation of the truth. The truth here is that I think this is a sad testament to how society marginalizes and underappreciates the contributions of people of colour.
How can people just trying to earn a living be expected to do so effectively while enduring mental and verbal abuse and traumatic stress associated with these social injustices? Like I always lark, ignorance breeds hostility which in turn results in civil disorder.
How can people just trying to earn a living be expected to do so effectively while enduring mental and verbal abuse and traumatic stress associated with these social injustices? Like I always lark, ignorance breeds hostility which in turn results in civil disorder.
H
Hydrogen
Guest
When someone utters an epithet, they should obviously be be held responsible for their actions.
However, going on to condemn all of society on the basis of the actions of some individuals is excessive. Suggesting that individual stupidity is potentially a just cause for "civic disorder" does nothing to advance a cause of justice.
theowne
Active Member
How do you know the man won't be punished for it? The article only says that they are looking into the matter and want to hear the full story before making a decision.
I-Z1
Banned
...but you can't actually type the whole word.
DENTROBATE54
Banned
Not a condemnation of all society, but a critical assessment of public apathy/turning a blind eye on wrongdoers perpetrating wrongs. These incidents do seem to go on more than we'd like to believe, with little in the way of punishment or accountability. It's understandable how some groups of people could retaliate against real or perceived discrimination and harassment if their outcries are going unheard and devalued, not that I'm endorsing disorder but aware that it could happen.
I hope he is. People shouldn't be victimized, especially by ad hominen circumstance, for seeking the truth- truth that may benefit all facets of society.
I think people are just too reactive to things when they should be more proactive and nip these mindsets in the bud before they hurt innocent people such as this journalist.
TKTKTK
Senior Member
Certainly. But that's not the case here, is it?
An independent investigator will be looking into an incident between a CFRB reporter and an employee of a Toronto arena, where a racial slur was allegedly used.
After an emergency meeting Tuesday evening, the Management board of the North Toronto Memorial Arena has decided to hire an independent investigator with a Human Rights background to look into the issue.
This is in response to an accusation that one of their employees used a derogatory term when speaking with a CFRB reporter.
Are you just speaking about racism in Canadian society in general and just using this story as your segue? Because from the sounds of things, much action is already afoot, which doesn't seem to reflect your charge of public apathy, or turning a blind eye.
And yet you're basing all of this on only half of the story.
DENTROBATE54
Banned
I'm appreciative of the swift call to action the NTMA has made in this manner. I commented on this because of public apathy in general. If someone doesn't think a problem exists, their periless to stop or prevent it from happening. A CFRB reporter has more clout and media connections than your average everyday minority citizen who might keep their mouths shut or be coerced into doing so by the belief that no one cares nor will defend them.
Stories like this do one of three things: offer hope/encouragement for slander victims; discourage racist proclivities and most importantly spread public awareness that these incidents still exist and need to be addressed.
adma
Superstar
More interesting is, given this is radio (and CFRB especially), one wouldn't have known (or cared?) that she was black had the story not come out...
EnviroTO
Senior Member
Regarding the person whose pet was stolen:
What a crying shame, in 2008 pet owners can still have their pet stolen without reprocussion, in this case just because a pet walker was picking up a snack at a bakery. The truth here is that I think this is a sad testament to how society marginalizes and underappreciates the contributions of pets to people's lives. ????
Every day in this city there is shoplifting, littering, tax evasion, bullying, assault, spousal abuse, etc and the action of one person calling a person a bad word is a big event which tells us society in general is racist? Give me a break. Who on earth hasn't been insulted before? Charge the offender and move on. Using every single instance of a crime to boost a point of view is over doing it. Racism and all the other crimes have existed for years and one incident proves nothing other than a racist person exists in Toronto. Who didn't know that at least one racist person exists?
What a crying shame, in 2008 pet owners can still have their pet stolen without reprocussion, in this case just because a pet walker was picking up a snack at a bakery. The truth here is that I think this is a sad testament to how society marginalizes and underappreciates the contributions of pets to people's lives. ????
Every day in this city there is shoplifting, littering, tax evasion, bullying, assault, spousal abuse, etc and the action of one person calling a person a bad word is a big event which tells us society in general is racist? Give me a break. Who on earth hasn't been insulted before? Charge the offender and move on. Using every single instance of a crime to boost a point of view is over doing it. Racism and all the other crimes have existed for years and one incident proves nothing other than a racist person exists in Toronto. Who didn't know that at least one racist person exists?
DENTROBATE54
Banned
[Yes, I knew my quotable smarts were worthy of paraphrasing
]The question isn't who didn't know that at least one racist person exists but rather who did know
? Shoplifting, littering, tax evasion, bullying, assault and spousal abuse are very visible, identifible and recordable (CCTV) offences that the public can readily recognize and try to assist. Unless all black people start walking around with tape recorders set to the on-button, catching verbal abusers in the act isn't as simple. In these incidents people are quick to judge the victim NOT perpetraitor of racial hate crimes, saying they brought it on themselves and should get over it. However if someone just going about their business and is singled on basis of race, as this reporter was, then is it not the perpetraitor at fault?I never said this is a lightning bolt occurence, but for whomever has experienced similar hardships, they can look at this story as a source of inspiration. For individuals unaware that racial intolerance is a facet of our society still in this day and age, now they know and can be more sympathetic towards minorities' plight.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
I'm pretty certain that business owners and contractors dealing with cash which evade taxes, litterbugs, and spousal abusers are not being caught in any numbers proportionate to the problem.
Who? Show me a quote of someone whose point of view holds any value which has said something to that effect. Who with any intelligence would say that someone brought a racial slur on themselves unless the person was badgering and prodding the person to the breaking point? If someone did reach their breaking point I can see them reaching for whatever insult enters their head and it could be something as lame as "poo-poo-face" or as inappropriate as the N-word which unfortunately hasn't been retired from the vocabulary and is most commonly used in public discourse by black people.
Once again, who says it isn't the perpetrators fault? Nobody from a newspaper. Nobody who isn't anonymous. Nobody on this forum.
Stories of being insulted, abused, or assaulted are inspirational?
Maybe not because any person that doesn't know racism exists has their head in the sand and isn't going to be enlightened by this minor occurrence. Many police cases of racism were much more significant and received much more press than simple name calling will or ever should.
DENTROBATE54
Banned
Which goes to show that if crimes that leave behind paper trails, occur in public spaces crawling with surveilence cameras and have physical scars/bruisings with which to prove fault; aren't being solved at satisfactory rates then pray tell, isn't it much more difficult to prove a racial slur was uttered? Will witnesses come forward? Will employers of bigots ensure their job safety by tieing up investigations in bureaucracy indefinitely?
Greater cultural sensitivity and tolerance of polyethnics is required that's all. I'm ashamed that the segment of blacks who maintain that word in everyday vernacular seem to overshadow the vast majority who doesn't.
Well, thankfully not anymore
. Do you need a bigger indicator of how these perpetraitors are dealt with than Hollywood though? Slaps on the wrist.Not the incident, the outcome. Those who lack the confidence to step forward with their grievances, might read this article and be like: "Wow, maybe they'll take me seriously now and do something to prevent other minorities from witnessing/enduring the same racist verbal assaults and discrimination I have."
If there's a collective body of literature, citations, anecdotes and news articles readily available to the public that pretain to the daily struggle of people of colour in Canada and how their hardships were dealt with/resolved then it's all the more likely an apathetic individual will learn something. One incident apart of a collective.
EnviroTO
Senior Member
There is no paper trail for cash transactions, most public spaces where littering occurs don't have cameras, and most spousal abuse scars are covered up. The bulk of crimes occur out of sight from people, racist name calling included.
Obviously the man involved wasn't called an A-hole to be nice... it was meant to be insulting. His verbal response was meant to insulting as well. Once name calling has started it seems a bit much to expect people to hold back their punches. People trying to hit back verbally are going to use the insult they feel will hit back with the most strength... for a woman the insult might include words for promiscuity or unattractiveness, for a male it might be lack of strength, or lack of potency, for many it might be lack of intelligence, some will attack the character of someones mother, for a handicapped person it might focus on the disability, for a member of a sexual minority the insult might attack sexuality, or for a person of a visible minority it may focus on race.
No insults should be thrown at anyone period. If the whole exchange had been politically correct she would have said something like "learn to run a parking lot" and he would have replied something like "learn to listen, this is private property". Instead she chose to attack his character and he chose to attack her race. It is always more politically correct to focus criticisms on what people are doing wrong by your point of view rather than to attack their character and who they are.
Disparishun
Active Member
Incidentally ... racist name calling is certainly a terrible thing -- which is why it even makes the news -- but it is not a crime. Inciting hatred is, however.
Yep. Playing hockey growing up, kids on the other teams would hurl ethnic and racial slurs at me and at my teammates, well, all the time.
They didn't necessarily do that because they they were racists (although they certainly weren't politically correct, etc., enough to feel enough distaste not to do it). They did it because they thought it would make some of the opposing pllayers -- i.e. us -- react. Occasionally it worked, and they got a power play. Any guy on our team who got sent to the penalty box for retaliating physically wasn't lionized as a hero for standing up, etc. He was benched as an idiot. And he had just justified the other team's players' racist name-calling.
Point being, often that kind of thing is evidence of not much more than wanting to get a rise out of the other person, and being cold or cynical enough to stoop to whatever words will do it.
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