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Actually, Canada did have a black head of state. (The name of the office is "Governor General". Second only to the Queen in official duties.) Her name was Michaelle Jean, whose family was from Haiti. Here's more info.
I made a recent visit to Canada and it basically lived up to all my expectations. The environment is clean and quiet and it has a more laid back feel than America. The people are very social and friendly and you just don't sense the tension in the air that is characteristic of life in America.
I visited a cousin of mine in what would be considered a low income area of Toronto (which is still pretty decent by the way) and I saw something that had me rethinking everything I knew about race relations from a socioeconomic standpoint. We all the know the situation in America regarding the prevalence of "white-flight" from major urban centers to the suburbs, the corresponding decay and poverty that exist within inner cities neighborhoods occupied predominantly by minorities, and the generally segregated ethnic enclaves that exist within the big cities.
Anyways, what I saw in this Toronto neighborhood was a diversity and mixing among the different ethnic groups that you'll never see anywhere in America. This particular area is known to have a large black population and it is a magnate for immigrants from the Caribbean as well as other places (I spotted quite a few Muslim women driving around the neighborhood wearing the hijab... something that I almost never see in America). Even so there is a sizable white population interspersed throughout the area. In fact my cousin's neighbors are white and I was surprised to see their kids playing with my cousin's kids and the other black kids from the area. We were having pizza outdoors and my cousin's white neighbor came over and join us and ate and chat with us.
I found it intriguing but refreshing at the same time. I watched them carefully (without making it obvious) and I saw absolutely no tension or indication that they were uncomfortable in the other's presence or with the fact that their kids were playing together in the yard. In fact I notice this several times in Canada - how comfortably whites and blacks interacted with each other. I've never seen such relaxed attitudes between whites and blacks in America.
The idea of white-flight is virtually non-existent in Canada. You'll find whites in the inner city and low income areas as much as the suburbs and high income areas. Racism is probably present there but you'll have to search hard to find it or it's very subdued UNLIKE America where it's virtually in your face everywhere you go (browse the threads here on CD and you'll see what I'm talking about). Maybe America should take a page out of Canada's book. Like Healthcare and their stable banking system, they seem to get it right time and time again. Go Canada!
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Anyways, what I saw in this Toronto neighborhood was a diversity and mixing among the different ethnic groups that you'll never see anywhere in America.
Not necessarily true. I live in Lansing Michigan and people are much more likely to be separated by income in this city than they are by race. And yes, it's refreshing to see a neighborhood with White, Black and Latino kids all getting off the school bus and playing with each other. That to me is the future of America.
Originally posted by JazzyTallGuy
Not necessarily true. I live in Lansing Michigan and people are much more likely to be separated by income in this city than they are by race. And yes, it's refreshing to see a neighborhood with White, Black and Latino kids all getting off the school bus and playing with each other. That to me is the future of America
Tell me about it. Living in a diverse area is incredibly enriching. I love it.
Trust me. I have traveled to EVERY state except Alaska, and most of them many times over.
I don't see the racial tension that you see. Maybe you need to hang with a different crowd.
And I've been to Canada many times too. There is huge racial tension between the French Canadians and the non French Canadians.
I wouldn't classify that as racial tension. It's more a cultural conflict between people in Quebec, the descendents of French settlers and those in other parts of Canada where a significant majority of people are the descendents of English settlers.
Actually, Canada did have a black head of state. (The name of the office is "Governor General". Second only to the Queen in official duties.) Her name was Michaelle Jean, whose family was from Haiti. Here's more info.
Canada had a black governor general -- an appointed ceremonial position, which is not a particularly compelling counterexample to a popularly elected black president.
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Originally Posted by lucknow
Our head of state in Canada is the Queen's representitive. The Governor General.
Canadiens spend all their time in hospital waiting rooms because of their failed healthcare system, they don't have time to be racists. Just ask a conservative from the U.S, they'll tell ya.
Michaelle Jean was the second Governor General of colour to have been appointed. The first was Lincoln Alexander.
Our constutution was repatriated in the 80's by then Prime Minister, Peirre Elliot Trudeau, "the love him or hate him" P/M who performed a pirrouette behind the Queen's back while being shown/led into another room. He had no love for the Royal's, but then he had no love for conventions of any kind.
Pictures of him riding around on a motorcycle wearing a German helmet during WWII didn't endear him to many veteran's when he first ran for the P/M's job.
This repatriation of the constitution effectively concreted the Royal Family already being a "figurehead" leadership much the same, only more so, as she is in Great Britain today. Having the "fail-safe" of the Governor General's office is actually another level of "democratic safety" as that office can also unilaterally dissolve parliament.
I'm just saying, we elected a black guy. Perhaps we're not quite the troglodytes some Canadians seem to think we are. Mind you, there's always room for improvement, and I do think Obama's election brought out the latent racist in some people.
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