The Black Lives Matter (BLM) rally that took place in Innisfail (on June 13) shows plainly what happens if good people stay silent when an uncomfortable topic or event is forced on them.
The people of Innisfail and area are hard working, caring and community minded. They are busy making a living, caring for their family and trying to navigate through the pandemic while protecting the large population of seniors in the community.
Residents were let down by their community leaders that should have been standing up for the moral values of rural Alberta as well as the safety of Innisfail’s seniors.
Organizers of BLM say they want to open up a dialogue on racism yet they do not want to debate ideas, they want an audience to listen to them but not contradict them in any way.
When asked valid questions they either ignore you, fly into a rage and scream vulgarities, or call you racist.
A dialogue involves two points of view, not just one. To paint everyone as a racist because they are not fixated on this issue is ludicrous.
Unfortunately the BLM movement wants to force Canadians to say they believe that there is systemic racism in Canada even when the majority of people don’t believe this notion. BLM will accept nothing less.
Most rural people find it easier to avoid a scene hoping that it will go away. This issue is not going away.
It is morphing into defunding police departments and restricting speech that does not jive with what the mainstream media decides.
All Canadians have the right to their opinion without threat of reprisals and it is time for everyone to speak up and present the fact that ninety-nine point nine per cent of Canadians are decent, caring people who do not want to be painted with the same brush as the miniscule percentage that are not.
- Lynda Swanson, Red Deer County
