Is bullying racism? Did Bilkszto get attacked because he was white or because of his views? I don't think someone should be subjected to bullying because of their views no matter what they are but he wasn't oppressed just because he was white. According to his opinion, there is less racism in Canada than in the US. Which is a bit odd to bring this opinion without the use of statistics and datas or the lived experience of being subjected to racism in those two countries. It feels a bit like mansplaining. But I think he shouldn't have been labeled "white supremacist" by the DEI trainer and it shouldn't have been used by his colleagues to bully him. The question is more about why people think that bullying someone is an acceptable behaviour? Do people feel better about themselves to pintpoint someone they think is the exemple to not follow (enhanced by the labelling)? Sadly more than 70% of Canadians have experienced harassment at work. It does seem to be a big issue and a common practice in Canada. I do hope it will be investigated.
On the question of racism in itself, the divisions around it are stronger in the US than Canada - but it doesn't prevent Canada to have his fair share of issues - notably the treatment of children from indigenous communities, forcibly separated from their parents and and this lasted until 1998.
en.wikipedia.org
@thegirlscout
I agree that many places around the world are not as advanced on questionning interracial relationships and the related racism or the traffic of humans. But I am not sure it's the best thing to minimise the topic by saying that the others don't care/don't want to look into it. I feel like we should be proud to have this reflective thinking on our attitudes, current and past. It doesn't undermine our own identity, it just brings more nuances and context. I think it's a healthier view on History to recognize the problems of the past and their repercussions than celebrating a fabricated narrative. I also agree that the West's reflection on its own past is used as a tool to deflect their own internal issues by some governments but it doesn't change that some events from the past have been wrong on many levels. I believe in the idea that not knowing our own history is the best way to repeat past mistakes and create more injustice. We can see in many places around the world how the belief that some people are superior to others because of their skin colour/ethnie/religion still create miserable situations.