Discrimination still alive in the Cowichan Valley
Re: “Wake up and smell the hot dogs”, (Citizen, Jan. 31)
Thank you, Terri Sirr for having the courage to say it like it is! When we moved to Lake Cowichan, we were welcomed by a barrage of racism, discrimination and hostility. So, we also “have developed a somewhat tainted view of the long-term residents” here.
I don’t want to paint everyone with the same brush for we have met some really genuine human beings who have welcomed us and shown respect, kindness and generosity. However, there is a core group of long-term residents who seem to think they are so superior, because they were born and raised here, that they are actually entitled to discriminate against anyone new or different. My wife is an immigrant but I am a fifth generation Vancouver Island boy who grew up in the Cowichan Valley, yet even after 10 years they still treat us like “outsiders.”
Variety is the spice of life. Our world would be a boring place if everyone was the same, so why do we feel threatened by those with different cultures, beliefs, skin colours, languages or lifestyles? And where is the compassion for those who are struggling with disabilities, drug addictions, poverty, homelessness? Before we pass judgement, we need to walk a mile in their boots and see how that feels.
Terri Shirr is right; “wake up — it is 2018!” I would much rather encounter the aroma of roasting hot dogs than the stench of discrimination.
David Work
Lake Cowichan