Racism IS Colour Blind

Licia illustrates this and says he was "flabbergasted" and I don't understand why. Is this Somolia women any less worthy of becoming a Canadian citizen because she expressed an opinion. If the woman has made that remark about the family in the next apartment it might be a different story. Freedom of expression is a two way street......

Racist attitudes can be imported
By LICIA CORBELLA

Many years ago now, while living in Toronto, the very multi-cultural church I attended sponsored a Somalian woman and her children to come to Canada.

They got her an apartment, members of the congregation pitched in to furnish it and eventually the woman and her children were flown to Toronto.

I recall being almost breathless with anticipation at meeting and interviewing her -- this war-ravaged woman we had plucked from potential death and unbearable suffering -- to a cocoon of love and comfort arranged with so much care and attention by members of my church.

On the night I was to meet the woman, a few weeks after her arrival, I told a friend what my church had done and what I was doing that evening and she responded by saying: "Yet another reason to hate churches," before she stomped off.

I was wounded by my Caucasian friend's comment and remember thinking, boy, if that's the kind of racist attitude this poor woman is going to face, then she will have a rough time in Canada.

When I did meet her my first impression of her was she was gorgeous. She was wrapped up in yards of colourful fabric and looked exotic and alluring.

We were speaking about the political tensions in Somalia when she declared all members of a tribe she did not belong to -- that she blamed for all of her nation's strife -- should have been slaughtered years earlier "when we had the chance. We should have killed them all."

I was flabbergasted.

I felt as though I was in the presence of a female version of Himmler.

Lighten up Licia