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Monday May 9, 2005 |
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Please, leave the
race card out of politics
by Angelo Persichilli
THE HILL TIMES
I know Immigration Minister Joe Volpe
very well, and, I completely understand his frustrations with the regular
stereotyping of minorities.
He is one of the few
politicians who has had to prove he is honest, and only because of his last
name.
Ever since mobster Paul
Volpe was killed in Toronto in the early 1980s, Mr. Volpe’s name has always
subtly been associated with organized Italian Mafia. The RCMP once
interrogated Volpe only, and I stress, only, because he was buying some
pastries in a bakery, close to his house, where an alleged member of
organized crime used to shop.
Why was he interrogated?
Because his last name is Volpe. Imagine the frustration of an honest person,
who is raising a family of four. He has no record with law except, I think,
for some speeding tickets; nonetheless, he is always subject to a smear
campaign, in most of case in bad faith, brought on by political opponents,
and, yes, some media.
At the same time, I
understand the frustration of Conservative leaders, who have been painted
(by the Liberals) as racists even if they go to church or buy milk.
With this in mind, I want
to make some considerations about last week’s events in Ottawa when, both
political organizations, the Liberals and the Conservatives, were trying to
exploit the so-called “race card” for their own political gains.
First it was the satirical
poster published on the cover of
The Western Standard
trying to connect Liberal corruption to
the TV series of The Sopranos,
an American Italian family leading a Mafia organization.
Personally, I do not like
the series only because there’s too much violence. As a Canadian of Italian
origin, I do not feel at all offended or associated to that dysfunctional
family. If someone believes that my life has anything to do with that
lifestyle only because I’m of Italian origin, it is their problem and their
ignorance, not mine.
However, some do feel
offended and I understand them. One of them is Mr. Volpe, and we know why.
But while I understand Mr.
Volpe’s frustration, I don’t agree with his exaggerated reaction. I
understand he doesn’t agree either and he has regretted the use of his
words.
“The Klan looks like it’s
still very much alive. I think these are a couple of fine, upstanding
members of the new Conservative Klan,” Mr. Volpe said last week in response
to the poster. But he finally did unequivocally apologize for using these
words in a letter to Stephen Harper and Conservative MPs. Posters like the “Librano$”
are the product of ethno-cultural ignorance. The KKK ideology is to
repudiate with the strongest terms available. Associating the two things is
a disservice to the fight against racism.
However, there is more, and
this goes beyond Mr. Volpe’s personal reaction and involves the attitude of
the Liberal Party of Canada.
The “Librano$” poster was
published a few weeks ago and I know that the Liberals were aware of it
since it initially came out. Why they did react only when Conservative MPs
propped it up? Sure, they gave the poster political weight, but a stupid
cartoon is a stupid cartoon. Period. If you’re offended, you react to the
cartoon, and, not only when political opponents use it. Why did Liberals in
Alberta not react before? This late reaction might be interpreted more as a
gimmick to score political points, than to defend minorities, in this case
the Italian Canadian community.
The “M” word has been used
many times by the media. The MPs of Italian origin have been targeted by
media in the past as the “Pasta caucus,” the “Tortellini caucus” and also
the “Mafia caucus.”
There is more. I remember during a CBC
Radio program on Nov. 12, 1999, the host, Dick Gordon, talking about some
events on the Hill and the fight to elect the new caucus chair, he said,
quoting Carolyn Parrish and referring to the MPs of Italian origin on the
Hill: “The Italian Mafia and David Collenette.” Ms. Parrish sent a note to
CBC and obtained a retraction. This note was read on air: “On our broadcast
of Nov. 12, in a discussion with reporter Jane Taber about leadership
contenders, I referred to some members of the Liberal caucus as the ‘Italian
Mafia.’ I attributed this comment to Liberal MP Carolyn Parish. I should not
have done that. Ms Parish has not used that term. I regret the error.” I
brought this matter to the attention of the MPs of Italian origin: If Ms.
Parrish did not make the comment, and I believed it, who made the comment?
The CBC? Ms. Parrish got the apology: but why did the Liberals did not ask
for an apology from the CBC? Which comment is more offensive, the Librano$
or the “Italian Mafia” on the Hill? That was then.
And just a few days ago,
the characterization of Mafia-like behavior on the sponsorship program was
all over the Quebec media.
But why didn’t any Liberals
from Quebec react? Two weeks ago, a cartoon in The
Toronto Sun
depicted Tony Valeri dressed up like a
Mafioso close to Paul Martin. Again, there was no reaction from the
Liberals.
As for the Conservatives, I
understand their frustration about being painted by the Liberals as racists:
that’s wrong and I understand their vehement reaction to Mr. Volpe’s
comments. But, for God sake’s: don’t go over board.
First of all they have to
realize that there is some real sensitivity when they resort to those jokes.
I believe that deputy leader Peter MacKay, with his comments about “la
famiglia liberale” was wrong, but he immediately understood it, apologized
and the case was over.
It’s too bad that Ezra
Levant, publisher of The
Western Standard, hasn’t
shown the same sensitivity shown by Mr. MacKay, and that’s his problem.
Over-reacting to an over-reaction
doesn’t make it right either. Parading scores of MPs on the stage to condemn
the “racist” Reg Alcock, doesn’t make good politics either.
So, why don’t both parties
don’t stop using the “race card” for political gain and start talking about
real politics, and leave the defense of “cultural sensitivity” to the
grown-ups? |
