Canadians are front-row spectators to the swelling social chaos in the United States, so close that we can feel the heat, sweat and blood. So close, in fact, that we need to worry about collateral damage.
Just as the reckless language chosen by that country’s elected leader is - through accident or design - giving succour to racist and bigoted forces, so too are those words stirring voices in our country.
In the name of rebelling against “political correctness,” latent racists are taking events in the U.S. as a cue that it’s now okay to openly use language that, in earlier times, would have stayed in the dark recesses of their tainted minds.
The use of terms like “left” and “political correctness,” however, betray two false assumptions. Probing those can help us understand the pretzel logic of the radical alt-society crowd. (And, yes, I deliberately do not use the term “alt-right.”)
Firstly, these bigots postulate that anyone who doesn’t speak out against immigrants, non-whites and Muslims is merely holding back for fear of social censure from the liberal elite. There may be some truth in that; these leaders are certainly reviled by many, including those on the left, for their beliefs.
What’s wrong with the assumption, though, is why others choose not to parrot those leaders’ thoughts. In truth, the vast majority of regular Canadians simply don’t agree with them and their ilk. It’s not political correctness holding them back but rather a completely different set of values, including a deeply-held belief in inclusiveness.
The second assumption is equally erroneous and perhaps even more insidious. It seeks to reinforce the notion that you’d have to be “a leftie” to oppose racism and religious intolerance. The alt-society leaders want you to believe that if you don’t agree with their views, you’re just not a good conservative.
This is a profound insult to conservatism. Just like their liberal counterparts, many of the conservatives I count as friends are appalled by the evil mischief of the intolerant set. Would these folks have us believe that the chief executive officers of the U.S.’s biggest corporations - the ones who told President Donald Trump to go stuff his advisory councils - are a bunch of liberals? Even vice-president Mike Pence observed that, “We cannot do democracy without a heavy dose of civility.”
These theatrical rallies will no doubt fizzle; I retain a deep confidence in the decency of Canadians.