The Editor,
By announcing that she no longer approves of Chinese-only signage, soon-to-be-ex-Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt has provided a clear example of why politicians can never be trusted to take a stand on matters of principle when there is a risk of alienating voters and imperilling one’s chances for re-election.
Perhaps, Halsey-Brandt will now find enough courage to call the proliferation of Chinese-only signage what it is: a blatant declaration that those realtors and developers who pander to the wants of wealthy off-shore investors, and those merchants who are not interested in assimilating themselves or their businesses into the Canadian culture.
They feel no need to even pretend that they might be concerned about offending Canadian citizens by making it abundantly clear that they are not welcome to enter these stores, make offers on these houses, or develop these properties.
Would it be unreasonable to wonder if Halsey-Brandt voiced approval of Chinese-only signage while in office simply because she was afraid of alienating a voting block, or only recently changed her mind about the issue because while in a position of responsibility and influence she failed to do her job and fully assess the social and cultural implications and effects of having such signage in a community?
If one or both are true, then she should be ashamed of how she attended to her responsibilities while in office.
It would serve all the voters in Richmond’s next election to consider if this situation has managed to do more to divide the community than pull it together into a greater, stronger whole.
When our elected officials are either afraid or disinclined to step forward and demonstrate both the will to fully examine and understand challenging issues and a capacity for finding ways to ameliorate them, we citizens are being cheated out of what the democratic process is supposed to provide us: enlightened, concerned, courageous, and principled leadership.
Now, we could easily segue into the case of our beloved MP Alice Wong’s photo-op consumption of shark fin soup for the benefit of a Chinese press-only audience, but for now let’s just put Wong’s attitude and behaviour into the same contextual box as the Chinese-only signage controversy.
Do either of these circumstances make us feel as if we are moving closer to creating a more inclusive, respectful, integrated society?
Don’t think so?
Well, speak up then.
Ray Arnold
Richmond
