Multiculturalism and discrimination: comments from Torontonians

Today's Toronto Star has a provocative article headlined "Complaints overwhelm human rights watchdog". It reports a number of stories -- some horrific, some ridiculous -- of real or imagined discrimination or harrassment because of gender or, above all, race.

The mission of the Ontario and other human rights commissions is to put right these wrongs, in other words to throw money at the complainants. In so doing they're supposed to teach us lessons in tolerance and make the world a more politically correct place.

More interesting than the story are the comments appended to it, which you can read here. A majority of those writing in feel that multiculturalism is an experiment which has failed (I'm quoting), that immigrants should adjust themselves to Canadian norms rather than the other way around, and that the quest for political correctness has gone way too far.

Here's just one of the comments:
I have said many times... "Toronto will be come a city of tribes where racial, ethnic and religious violence will be the order of the day"...we are not far from that now!No longer is it just white against black and black against white. It is a multitude of different races that have come to this country bringing their past baggage with them . It is the fault of us Canadians not to insist that they confirm to our standards and our way of life. Under our so very tolerant attitude where everyone has rights to do as they so choose... even so called refugees... these people continue to live as they have in their home countries with their customs, bigotry and hate. Many refuse to intergrate into the Canadian way of life. We as Canadians need to get tough. I am an immigrant of color that has been here since the 60's I have seen a great deterioration in our standards and quality of life due to this exteremely tolerant attitude that we as Canadians have.

"C" said it. I didn't.

Here's another, with an interesting suggestion:
In reading this article it looks like many of these complaints are from new or recent immigrant groups against each other. In most part this is probably due to bringing interracial tension, ethnic and religious clashes and personal racist, discriminatory and prejudiced beliefs with them from their country of origin. Maybe the HRC should order mandatory sensitivity training for all new immigrants and refugees as a condition of entering Canada.

Well by golly...!!! I wish I'd thought of that! But would any Canadian politician dare to suggest such a thing? Especially in the Greater (sic) Toronto Area? When pigs fly...