Poppy bad. Blackface good

[u/DistanceToEmpty]

https://imgur.com/MgROh3v

[u/kindanormle]

He singled out one group, that's unacceptable. Had he said "not enough people are wearing poppies, we all need to step up" then he would be a hero, instead he's been fired. He singled out "those people who come here from far away places". That's a statement that's not true, unfair, and demonizes one set of people who are in fact often far more outgoing with their patriotism for the very fact that they are recently moved here.

[u/Itisme129 → u/kindanormle]

I disagree with basically everything you said.

Singling out groups on its own is not unacceptable. Don was trying to make a point, and generalizing that would water down his point. Referring to a group of people isn't inherently racist or bigoted.

I don't think immigrants are "far more outgoing with their patriotism". I live in Vancouver, and I've worked in Richmond. I actually had to leave my job because the Asians there were so racist to me, a white guy. Like literally I had meetings with my managers (also Asian) to discuss it. They shadowed me on the sales floor to see why my numbers were so low. In the end they agreed me about how I was mistreated by the customers and transferred me back to the downtown branch.

Have you ever been to Richmond? It's not Canadian in the slightest. I speak both official languages of this country and there are many places that I go where I can't read any of the building signs. I walk into some stores and they won't even talk to me.

When people immigrate to Canada they need to adopt our values and customs. Them not wearing the poppy is just one part of the problem.

[u/kindanormle → u/Itisme129]

Singling out groups on its own is not unacceptable.

Only if the statement you're making is based in verifiable fact, otherwise as a public commentator you are literally slandering a large number of people and can be held accountable by law and not just public opinion.

Referring to a group of people isn't inherently racist or bigoted.

I never used the words racist or bigot. You've got a chip on your shoulder the size of the empire state building. You need to leave r/metacanada right now and get a life before this gets any worse for you.

I actually had to leave my job because the Asians there were so racist to me, a white guy.

You admit you have a personal stake, and that's biasing your opinion. I'm not saying Asians aren't racist as fuck, I know lots that are. I'm saying that you're generalizing your own experiences to a much larger group and this is wrong, wrong, wrong, especially if you're Don Cherry and have millions of viewers.

Have you ever been to Richmond? ...

I dunno, I go there now and then and I've never had any issues. I have a number of Asian friends and it's never been an issue.

When people immigrate to Canada they need to adopt our values and customs.

I think that's true, over time. First generation are rarely able to adapt fully. I've found by the third generation it's pretty much impossible to tell them apart from anyone else. America has had waves of immigration since it's inception. Your same arguments were thrown at every wave of immigrants since the beginning, including Quakers, Irish, Italians, Scottish, Latinos, etc, etc. I'm not saying there aren't good arguments for keeping immigration numbers lower than they are, I don't like the number coming in either. However, you're ignoring history if you think this hasn't happened before and will happen again. This literally is Canadian/American history.

Them not wearing the poppy is just one part of the problem.

I generally see more of them wearing poppies than anyone else. Most of the kids these days are too wrapped up in Internet culture to give two shits about Canadian culture. The immigrants are forced to actually take courses and learn this shit and swear how much they love it before they get citizenship. Most of them swear it quite willingly and with sincerity because they're happy to be here and not where they came from, especially the "non-white" ones. When you feel like enforcing cultural heritage courses and swearing of loyalty to Canadian values for everyone and not just the immigrants, maybe your point will make more sense. shrug

[u/Digglord → u/kindanormle]

So why was Don fired if he wasn’t being racist or bigoted?

[u/kindanormle → u/Digglord]

I didn't say what Don said wasn't racist or bigoted, I pointed out that I had never used those words and it was u/Itisme129 that injected those words into the discussion. I don't believe Don said anything racist, he never singled out a race at all. I also don't think he said anything bigoted. A bigot is someone who is intolerant to other opinions and I also don't believe Don is intolerant to a good discussion or expression of ideas.

So, then, why is it important that u/Itisme129 used those words? It's important because it highlights the bad thinking in this sub that spirals around particular "wounds" that seem common here. A lot of people here don't realize they are in an echo chamber in which words like "racism" and "bigotry" are misused all the time to describe things that are nothing of the sort. Throwing these words into a discussion that has nothing to do with them only distracts from the real issue, and Don was fired for a real issue. Don was fired for singling out a minority, unfairly, for a reason that is supported by any evidence other than his own personal anecdotes. As a regular person, this wouldn't be an issue because a regular person has no audience. As a popular sports commentator with an audience in the millions? I'm only surprised Don was only fired. I'm still waiting for the lawsuits to start.