The following is a letter I just sent to the editor of Canada’s new Conservative magazine, the Western Standard, in response to an article (so far as I can tell available only in the print edition) lamenting the high turnout of Indo-Canadians in the Conservative party elections — in my riding!
Dear Sir:
While I appreciate an independent conservative voice, Terry O’Neill’s article “Ethnic Stew” in your April 12 issue left a foul taste in my mouth.
Far be it from a complacent Anglo politician to, you know, actually get out and meet the people who live in his riding. Instead, the author implies that the ignorant Pakis should stay home where they belong, or that the rules should be changed to exclude them.
What’s next? “No dogs or Chinese” on the doors of the polling booths?
Democracy is about letting everyone have a say, regardless of their presumed level of education, literacy, political knowledge, or “family connections that go back to the Punjab.” It’s not about making sure only the right kind of people show up at the polls. If a politician is too lazy to court the majority of his constituents, he deserves to lose ignominiously.
Regards,
Gordon Tisher,
North Surrey, BC