Anti-Asian racism on full display at the GECDSB

Caught on film: white progressive trustees bully board's only Asian trustee

By

James Pew

I am going to do three things with this post I almost never do:

1. I am going to issue a trigger warning.

2. I am going to call out a bunch of white progressives for what in my view is anti-Asian racism.

3. I am going to call for people to be fired (that’s right…CANCELED).

On Tuesday April 4th, the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) held another highly contentious meeting. Everything was caught on film and I feel I must warn my readers about what they will see if they choose to press play on any of the videos embedded in this post. If you have heart or blood pressure medication, please take it first before viewing. 

WARNING: The videos here will enrage you. They won’t just make you angry, they might make you seethe in lividity.

My own reaction to the way Trustee Linda Qin was bullied and demoralized in the meeting was a physical reflex of total disgust. I cannot believe that supposedly professional people who hold such important positions as trustees of public schools could treat another human being with such open hostility and disrespect.

In an interview on CKLW AM800, concerning Tuesday’s meeting, where Trustee Qin discussed her view that the GECDSB is trying to take away her right to speak for parents, she said:

"I warned them, I sent emails asking them to give me more tolerance because my English is not good and from different culture but I don't think they gave me any understanding and consideration. I think I'm bullied." 

It is clear to me from the belligerent behaviour of GECDSB operations and finance committee Chair Ron LeClair, that accommodation and request for “more tolerance” was ungenerously denied Trustee Qin. As reported by AM800, Trustee Qin was brought to tears as a result of the abusive treatment she received at the board meeting.

In the first video (below), LeClair can be seen interrupting and refusing to listen to Trustee Qin speak on two different issues. He leaves the viewer wondering how he knows what he is objecting to when he doesn't let Trustee Qin speak.  First, Trustee Qin tried to bring forward parents' concerns around a book in the school library called “Push,” which, among the least of its depravities, contains the “n” word. She was rudely interrupted and told several times to “shut off your mic and go.”  At one point, LeClair raises his voice and yells “shut your microphone off and leave.”

It should be noted that the book “Push” by Sapphire has been removed from all but one library in the GECDSB. This was a direct result of past parent complaints. However, the one library that still carries the book, makes it available for students 14 years old and up. There are many reasons parents do not want their children to see this book. Even for children 14 and older this book is wildly inappropriate. It contains a chapter, depicted in graphically disturbing detail, of a father who rapes his daughter. This book is literally an abomination that does not belong anywhere near young adolescents. But shockingly, the GECDSB thinks it's just fine for 14 and up. Trustee Qin had attempted to have the single GECDSB library reverse its decision to include the book by appealing to the rule that prohibits the use of the “n” word. As you can see in the video this approach was considered out of order.

The second issue Trustee Qin tried to raise had to do with another GECDSB story published in these pages on March 14th by concerned parent Elton Robinson. From that article:

“Trustee Qin placed a notice of motion on the floor for the March 21^st GECDSB meeting. It was for flying a Christian Flag over Easter starting this year and every year after. Linda stated in her motion that the Christian community contacted her with this request. As a Christian father, I know why they chose to ask Linda, she is a beacon of light that will speak to all people, not just a select few.”

Trustee Qin, unlike so many trustees, actually does listen to parents in the community. Christian families, who make up an estimated 22% of the GECDSB community, requested that the board's diversity, equity and inclusion practices, which see things like the flying of the pride flag all year round (26% of GECDSB community are LGBTQ), extend also to those of Christian heritage.¹ 

Christian’s around the world are persecuted for their beliefs every day.  In Canada, there were over 70 churches destroyed or vandalized in recent acts of anti-Christian hate. According to Stats Canada, we have seen an increase of 260% of incidents of anti-Catholic hate.

Flying the Christian flag over the Easter holiday was a small request. But unfortunately the board shot it down, saying it goes against the policy regarding the displaying of religious or political symbols.

Parents wrote the trustees and the administration asking how the policy against the display of religious/political flags and images does not apply to the pride flag. The explanation they received was that the flying of the pride flag is to recognize LGBTQ students as part of “our community.”

The rationale here is that LGBTQ people are part of the historically marginalized groups who constantly need affirmation and attention, so much so, any recognition that isn’t directed at them, or any other “historically marginalized” group, will somehow be harmful to them and their marginalized brethren. What it amounts to is Christians, even though persecuted all over the world, and subject to a growing tide of hate, are not considered oppressed or marginalized. They are viewed by progressive factions as the opposite: oppressive and offensive. Christians, like the majority at the GECDSB who are of European descent, are of course neither of these things, but the progressives who hate them certainly are.

In a statement to AM800 news, LeClair said: 

"Trustee Qin had previously introduced a notice of motion regarding flying a religious flag. The original motion was deemed out of order as our bylaws specifically prohibit the flying of a Religious flag. The first time it was ruled out of order was by Board Chair Gale Hatfield. "

Here is the video of Trustee Qin rudely shut down twice by the by chair LeClair:

Trustee Qin had another opportunity to speak. She began by saying her concern was in regard to the Christian flag ruling. She is immediately interrupted in mid-sentence, unable to utter even one complete thought or question. Like in other moments of the meeting, it is not clear at all what Trustee Qin was intending to ask or point out, she is shown no courtesy, or respect. I can’t imagine how these people think their rude, bullying, authoritarian behaviour is somehow ok.

In the following video Trustee Qin is repeatedly interrupted. She is not once permitted the space to get a complete thought across. She tries to bring up an issue regarding school library books. She is able to articulate that the nature of her question is different from what has been covered previously, but not much else. They refuse to hear her out. At one point Trustee Qin is able to say that “there has been mis-information,” but then provided no further opportunity to articulate even one question. It is not clear from watching the video what her question was, she is completely silenced as a bunch of bully trustees, LeClair, Trustee Cathy Cooke, Trustee Connie Buckler, and Trustee Kim McKinley gang up on her. See the video below:

Also from Tuesday's meeting was a great question, with a 3 minute preamble providing important context, put forward by Trustee Nancy Armstrong (see video below). The gist of her position is that, according to the board's own requirements, all books in school libraries must support the curriculum. There is a reasonable vetting process in place to ensure books going into school libraries do just that. Since scenes of incestual rape do not support any Canadian education curriculum, it is fair to ask how in the case of books like “Push” has this vetting process failed? 

Trustee Armstrong did a great job. We will follow up and see what happens with the books in question. But the problem of the anti-social, unprofessional, and indecent treatment many board members direct at Trustee Qin, is at odds with Canadian values. The hostility and contempt for Trustee Qin shown by Chair LeClair, Trustee Cooke, Trustee Buckler, Trustee McKinley would definitely be seen as anti-black racism if Trustee Qin were black. Trustee Qin is Asian. So by the board's own standards of anti-racism, I think the treatment of Trustee Qin by the trustees listed above should be seen as anti-Asian racism, and all four of them should be fired.

___

Thanks for reading. For more from this author read, When the woke double down

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