STOP HATE SPEECH
The First Nations, Métis and Inuit people in Canada are some of the most amazing and wonderful people in the world. The vast majority of Canadian Settlers and people all over the world deeply admire and respect their intelligence, highly advanced cultures and leadership in many areas. It is for these reasons and in deference to the Canadian Criminal Code (Sections 318-320) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the Settlers info project takes any form of racism towards First Nations people very seriously. We believe that every Canadian Settler has a responsibility to shine the light on racist statements and actions directed towards First Nations people. Every Canadian Settler has the responsibility to encourage communities to guide and peacefully correct the thinking of misguided individuals who make statements or take actions that are outside of accepted social norms. In Canada, it is agreed that we embrace freedom of speech whilst also having a zero tolerance approach towards any form of racism towards First Nations people.
CANADIAN LAW : The Criminal Code
On June 26, 2013, the Canadian Criminal Code (Sections 318-320) became the main means of legal protection against hate speech in Canada. It’s important to understand what the Canadian Criminal Code says about hate propaganda. Please read it for yourself. Prior to June 26 2013, hate speech was also addressed by Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act and was implemented through Provincial Tribunals. Section 13 was repealed by Bill C-304, passed by Brian Storseth, Member of Parliament for Westlock – St.Paul. You can study the timeline of Bill C-304 here.
HOW TO STOP HATE SPEECH DIRECTED AT FIRST NATIONS PEOPLE
When you experience or witness racist comments or actions, it is not unusual to feel sad, angry, disappointed, vulnerable and confused. This is what the person making these comments wants you to feel and it is for this reason that we must rise above these emotions and stay calm. Instead of getting angry we recommend taking decisive and peaceful action which will make a much more significant difference towards the greater issue. The starting point toward this is to clearly separate the individual person from their comments or actions. This approach is not to let the person escape responsibility, but to do quite the opposite, to directly and correctly address the issue with a healthy and intelligent response. The two videos here, share some excellent advice and inspiration for this interaction strategy. Below is a recent case study and specific tactical actions that can be taken.
A RECENT CANADIAN CASE STUDY : COMMENTS MADE BY DAVE IRELAND
Let’s look at a recent example, that of comments made by Dave Ireland, a man based in Toronto, who made a number of comments on a First Nations Facebook Page that was organizing an event called ‘Shut Down Canada’ in protest over the status of over 1,181 Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, 71.7% of murdered indigenous women and girls are murdered by STRANGERS (see page 30). Let’s look at these comments together through the perspective of concerned citizenship, with the understanding that it is the role of the Canadian Courts to decide upon any ruling relating to Sections 318-320 of the Criminal Code, not the Settlers info project. All of the comments were posted on Facebook on January 18 & 19, 2015. These are actual screenshots of the statements that were made. You may have seen similar comments before either on Facebook, Twitter, a Newspaper comment thread etc. You may have felt powerless to do anything.
Please note: Although only one intervention is displayed, there were numerous interventions communicated, by good people, to the individual making the comments. The comments made by other people are not shown here in order to defend them from further exposure to the misguided beliefs and thinking which informs these comments.
HOW TO MANAGE THE SITUATION
Previous to the case study, shown above, we looked at the importance of separating the person from the comments, please watch the two videos again if you would like a reminder. Your ability to effectively deal with comments of this nature is based on this understanding and approach. The First thing to accept, and you already have in part by viewing this page, is that every Canadian Settler has a responsibility to shine the light on comments such as these and address them directly. If the thinking that underlines them is not addressed, through community intervention, then misguided beliefs, thoughts and comments can lead to racist hate actions, as the hate crime alert at the bottom of this page indicates.
STEP ONE : TAKE SCREENSHOTS
Yes, it is easy for some people to post hate comments on the Internet but it is even easier to take a screenshot of these comments. Every personal computer, tablet and mobile device has this functionality built into their core operating system. You do not need to buy a special app or waste your time going through a whole process, after all you want to enjoy your day! Here’s how to take a screenshot easily on any device, give it a try, so that you can be ready the next time you see anyone making any kind of racist comment towards First Nations people. Taking screenshots is also kind of useful for a whole bunch of other uses too.
STEP TWO : REQUEST A RETRACTION AND APOLOGY
You now have your screenshots of the comments made. This is an important step which will help you stay calm and assertive. Now it’s time to politely and peacefully let the person know that you have taken screenshots of their comments and request that the individual, who made the comments, retract, apologize and remove them immediately. If we reference back to the first video above, this is in effect like asking the individual to give back your wallet. It is also letting them know that their comments are being checked against the social norm by someone who has made the effort to take a screenshot of them and let them know. It is also giving them a good faith opportunity to instantly make appropriate amends, start to change their thinking and move on. Taking a screenshot instantly changes the power dynamic and encourages the individual to examine their comments and start thinking about what they are saying. As discussed earlier not addressing the hate comments is not only demonstrating an implied approval of the comment, it is also a neglect of the responsibilities inherent in being the best Canadian Settler you can be. At this point, most individuals making hate comments will either retract and apologize, begin to withdraw or escalate. If the person retracts and apologizes simply thank them for doing so, leave the conversation, as there is no need for further discussion. If the person withdraws or escalates without a retraction or apology proceed to step 3, see below.
STEP THREE : SHARE THE COMMENTS TO A WIDER AUDIENCE
Following the Canadian legal principle of shining the light upon the hate, it is imperative to share the comments with a wider audience. The worse thing that can happen is if the individual goes underground filled with an expanding sense of hate, this is not safe for anyone, it can lead to hate crime. It is critical to share the comments to a wider audience with a clear focus on the comments and NOT the individual. This is how we transform an issue versus allowing it to perpetuate. Remember that every time a person makes hate comments there are people watching the comments at both ends of the dialogue. Friends and family watching someone they love make hate comments are heavily influenced when they do not see or read any other perspective. The options on how to share the comments and your views of them are numerous and plentiful. This is where we remind ourselves of the true beauty and power of free speech. You have the right to share these comments with the free world, your thoughts about them can make a difference. In fact, if a person does not retract or apologize for them, we have the moral obligation to share them to a wider audience. Hate comments against First Nations people in Canada will NOT stand.
STEP FOUR : GET CREATIVE
Exposing hate comments into the light should also be a joyful experience, that’s right plain good old fun! The Internet offers all kinds of amazing news ways to communicate and share these comments. Create a Web page if you want. Let your friends know, use social media, tell a newspaper, inform an MP, send these comments to the friends, family and employers of people who make hate comments against First Nations people. Get the comments out into the open, stay focussed on the comments and as soon as the misguided individual decides to reconnect with social norms, retract and apologize for these comments, then thank them with the genuine warm embrace of love and friendship. That person could become an advocate for the eradication of hate speech.
What’s missing in the Maclean’s article on racism?
The Norway House Northstars met the Thompson, Man., Miners in a hockey game last weekend that turned into an ugly racial incident.