Reasonable Assumptions

So much for reasonable assumptions. One being that if people feel aggrieved and hold opinions that run counter to decent social relations, the best way to clear the air is to air their opinions, get things out into the clear air of reasonable debate.

Except for that little fly in the ointment of opinions taking the place of rational judgement, and discriminatory attitudes settling deep into the holder's consciousness, determined to stay there, and not being amenable to reasonable debate.

So, it might appear, was the end result of the well-intentioned, but perhaps fundamentally flawed "Reasonable Accommodation" of the Bouchard-Taylor Commission in the Province of Quebec and its series of open public hearings enabling the public to come before the commission members in well publicized and televised town-hall-type events.

Some presenters were moderate in view and put forward reasonable suggestions and recommendations. While others vented somewhat differently, as though with great relief that at long last here was an opportunity presented to them to flout politically correct convention, and tell it the way they really felt it.

That the presence of immigrant groups or minorities was seriously troubling to the pure laine French.

In a sense, a community of long-established French-heritaged Canadians felt their social mores, their way of life compromised by groups unable or unwilling to accommodate themselves to the prevailing way of life, to embrace Canadian citizenship with that distinct French-Canadian flavour.

It was as though the generosity of Canada in accepting immigrants was reciprocated by communities unmindful of due gratitude, ingrates who demanded their special due as "others" with exotic cultural underpinnings, and unacceptable religious demands. Despite that these "others" may sometimes represent second- and even third-generation citizenship.

It rankled that immigrant groups might go out to a traditional maple syrup festival, and ask of the proprietor that loud French-Canadian music be toned down, that their maple-sugar flavoured beans be prepared without pork. Many maple syrup producers, happy to convenience these requests, acceded comfortably, some felt umbrage.

That Conservative Jewish communities had kosher products for consumption rankled some, though it would never impinge on them. That some religious Jews would have the temerity to ask that a gymnastics and dance studio adjacent a synagogue cover its windows so that pious Jews entering their place of worship would not have their modest eyes assailed by the spectacle of half-naked women, did not endear them to some Quebecers.

The inevitable clash of cultures, of values, of public seemliness. The secular coming heads-up against the religious of orthodox bent. It's understandable there would be resentment of the querulous demands of interlopers in an otherwise homogeneous society, not accustomed to, nor willing to accustom themselves necessarily to a more heterodox, sensitivity-demanding society.

But then, in the wake of those hearings, judged a successful social experiment by some, a failed attempt at the encouragement of social acceptance by others, it has been revealed that an upsurge in anti-Semitic activity had occurred - initiated and coinciding with the very month
that the hearings took place, last fall. Regrettable, to say the least.

B'nai Brith, Canada's Jewish community's advocacy organization, has released data indicating a steep rise in reported anti-Semitic incidents in the past year. 2007 stands out as having the highest recorded figure for anti-Semitic incidents in the last 26 years.

But what holds true as bigotry advanced toward the Jewish community in Canada, reflects also as a prejudice yardstick against other minority groups in the country. Good will within certain communities appears to be doing a slow evaporation act. That two-thirds of these instances of anti-Semitic acts took place in the province of Quebec isn't all that surprising, given its long tradition of anti-Semitism.

Surprising, still, in that Canada is more and more becoming a country of visible immigrants from hundreds of different ethnic groups, cultures and traditions.

Ontario and its sister provinces don't appear to be experiencing too great a problem absorbing the presence of all these superficial "differences". Still, harassment represented by verbal abuse, hate propaganda and school or workplace discrimination continues to occur. Alongside vandalism and isolated events of violence. Synagogues, community centres and cemeteries have come under attack.

The fact is there will always be prejudice and hatred expressed by some groups against others. It's a signal failure of the human spirit, the human community.

It's to our credit as a society that these hateful incidents, as numerous and painful as they are, still are reasonably accommodated in a society such as Canada represents, for they represent the failures of a very finite minority whose bigotry is dear to them, and not at all representative of the country at large.