{"id":6775,"date":"2020-09-23T11:43:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-23T14:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/?p=6775"},"modified":"2020-09-23T12:31:52","modified_gmt":"2020-09-23T15:31:52","slug":"imagine-that-burlington-usa-is-your-own-city-or-town-how-does-it-feel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bambisafkar.ca\/index.php\/2020\/09\/23\/imagine-that-burlington-usa-is-your-own-city-or-town-how-does-it-feel\/","title":{"rendered":"Imagine that Burlington (USA) is your own city or town, how does it feel?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Burlington is a city in the US state of Vermont. It is\njust 151 km south of Montreal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2019, 87.5% of the 42,819 citizens of Burlington\nwere \u201cWhite\u201d (https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Burlington,_Vermont<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping the above statistics in mind, the city considered that\n\u201cMinority-owned businesses in Burlington significantly impacted by the\npandemic may soon receive financial assistance from the city<\/em>\u201d\u2026 The City\nCouncil voted Monday to approve the distribution of $50,000 in grant money\nto local businesses owned by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)\nentrepreneurs\u201d<\/em>(https:\/\/www.burlingtonfreepress.com\/story\/money\/2020\/09\/22\/city-council-approves-grants-bipoc-owned-burlington-businesses\/5857778002\/<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To try to describe the situation, imagine that Sackville Town Council<\/em> decides to provide such grants to Goya\u2019s pizza <\/em>and Aida\u2019s Caf\u00e9 <\/em>BUT NOT TO Patterson\u2019 Family Restaurant<\/em> or Mel\u2019s<\/em>. Can you imagine the absurdity? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would that make any sense to you? Would that be fair? Wouldn\u2019t\nthat be racist because it is ONLY based on race, instead of merit (or financial\nneeds, if it was a charity donation)?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mind you, Bambi is asking the above whilst being a regular\ncustomer of all our fantastic restaurants in Sackville. She is saying so and\nshe may be sharing genes and a mother tongue with the owners of one of the\nrestaurants mentioned above. More significantly, she shares with them their\ncherished friendship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if she would be happy for her friends to get a grant simply because they happen to be so-called BIPOC (the funny acronym justifying the grant), she would surely tell them what she thinks about this dangerous clientelism. They would compare it to Lebanon most likely and she would tease them about their both funny and insulting grant. They would be laughing together because so-called BIPOC have a sense of humour (she bets it is more pronounced than \u201cwoke\u201d city councillors from Burlington ?).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, seriously now, this is a dangerous policy, that is sadly similar\nto what Mr. Trudeau did to us here in Canada with his loan program for \u201cBlack\nEntrepreneurs<\/em>\u201d (see earlier posts further below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Mr. Trudeau and the municipal politicians, are most\nlikely well-meaning\u2026 deep inside. They just do not take the time to think\nbefore addressing a problem as serious as racism. Their programs and policies defeat\ntheir noble purposes. They are dangerous to a society (and not the wisest for\nthe economy).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is Bambi\u2019s hope that Mr. Trudeau et al. as well municipal\ndecision-makers (abroad and at home) will realize that programs like that are a\nslippery slope\u2026 unless they secretly aspire to eventually become the Lebanon of\nNorth America. Highly NOT recommended! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

—–<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Mr. Maka Kotto: “Fighting racism with discrimation?” [\u201cCombattre le racisme par la discrimination?”]<\/a><\/blockquote>