In the Senate – March 10, 2010
Hon. Donald H. Oliver: olived@sen.parl.gc.ca
Honourable senators, three weeks ago, a Ku Klux Klan-style seven-foot wooden cross was erected and burned on the lawn of a Black family near Windsor, Nova Scotia. At the top of the cross was a hangman’s noose for lynching. As it burned, the family was further threatened with screams of race hatred: “Die nigger, die.”
This is Canada in 2010. What can this incident mean? It means that race hatred is still alive and thriving in Canada. We know that the Ku Klux Klan hates Catholics, Jews and Blacks. We all hope this incident is not the beginning of another wave of racism, hatred and discrimination against these groups.
This frightening incident took place in February, which is African Heritage Month: the month when we are reminded of the countless contributions that African-Canadians have made to this country; the month when their glorious history deserves recognition. . .
. . .The burning cross in Nova Scotia sets back the movement for diversity and racial equality to the days of segregation. It was an unfortunate way to end February. The fact that this type of hateful act took place in Canada in 2010 is frightening and disconcerting.
Honourable senators, please join me in protecting the human rights of Canadians, fostering the rule of law and promoting diversity in our country.
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