Where next Columbus?


I came across a rather disturbing little article in the paper the other day, tucked in a little corner around page six or so that stated that there is a new provincial party forming in British Columbia that hopes to run in the next election. The main platform of this group is to push Chinese values in the B.C. provincial political scene.

Anyone who has ever been to B.C. is well aware of its large Asian population. That makes sense as it is the first port of call for people immigrating from the Far East. A poll I read recently also stated that English is no longer the mother tongue of the majority of Vancouver residents. I do not have a problem with any of this. Canada, much to the chagrin of the First Nations peoples, is a land of immigrants. What I do have a problem with is an ethnic political agenda. A “Chinese values” party is much different than parties with agendas such as the Greens (the environment), Marxist-Leninists or Parti Quebecois (an independent Quebec). These latter groups are based on common interests, not ethnicity. Our nation’s values stem from the democratic process that we have developed, though far from perfect. Further to this, we have a Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms that allows us to live by our individual cultural creeds insofar as they do not have a detrimental affect on others. I suppose an ironic aspect of our democracy is the fact that, at the end of the day, people are entitled to their freedom of speech and to assemble such groups. Sadly that is how many of the racist and religious fundamentalists are permitted to exist within our democratic and free society.

Canadian society is bound to change with alterations to its demographics and epoch. My only fear is that one day this demographic may decide that democracy is too liberal a system based on another’s ethnicity and, as a result, make this nation into one of those from whom many have fled and sought refuge from. Where next Columbus?