While I, and many Canadians, support welcoming newcomers to our land, I, and I'm sure many other Canadians as well, feel little enthusiasm for people who decide to cross our borders illegally.
Although I welcome people who choose Canada as their new home, I do not welcome the hatred, prejudices, and intolerance, accompanying a small number from distant lands where such attitudes are well entrenched in the history and culture. We offer an environment of welcome and tolerance, where differences are celebrated, and people from diverse cultures can learn, borrow ideas from one another, and work in harmony to build a strong nation. We must not let our warm welcome be mis-interpreted as an invitation to import the cancer of ethnic hatreds.
Unfortunately, anyone expressing these types of concerns are dismissed as being closed minded, bigoted, racist, Nazi, red-necked, or simply a right-wing wacko. If this is the case, I'd rather wear any or all of these labels than the one label which would cause me the greatest disgrace and dishonour: Liberal.
Cheers, PW. |
