-- Download The Most Racist Thing I Have Ever Seen Published as PDF --
Educate First Nations to be modern citizens
Don Olsen, The Daily News
Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2013
This is the most racist thing I have ever seen published.
The Nanaimo Daily News published a document either as an editorial or a letter to the editor [likely the latter] that is so vile and hateful, I will not reprint it here. I can’t stand the thought of this filth being on our website.
The link is above. I encourage you all to read it to get a sense of what some people think of the First Nations, and what can get published by a community paper.
And I want to know who is this racist Don Olsen.
Watch for updates. I’ve sent an email to the editor. If you’d like to contact the editor and publisher, here is their information:
Hugh Nicholson, publisher
HNicholson@glaciermedia.ca
250-729-4257
Mark MacDonald, managing editor
mmacdonald@nanaimodailynews.com
250-729-4224
UPDATE:
The disgusting post has been removed, but it has not been replaced with an apology or explanation. But you can read most of it with some good analysis here, and a screenshot of it is here.
9:51am A non-apology has shown up on their website. It is a typically cynical “we’re sorry that you were offended” piece of junk. I don’t accept that. It’s garbage and a further insult.
There is also a Facebook group planning action/response against the paper and its ignorant ways.
Vancouver Island University Board of Governors wrote an amazing, constructive, and future-focused letter about why the Don Olsen letter was a mistake and how the newspaper MAY help heal its involvement in community.
The students of the UBC Graduate School of Journalism also wrote an amazing letter to the Nanaimo Daily News.
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March 25, 2013 Further “Yellow Peril” Reading
October 20, 2014 Transportation After Fossil Fuels: A Decade Away?
October 10, 2014 How @Dicks Sporting Goods Can Advance Feminism, So Easily
July 18, 2006 Republicans Undermining Capitalism? The Anti-Robin Hood Gang
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Stephen Elliott-Buckley
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Amazing. A fellow I’ve known for several years forwarded an e-mail to me last month that sarcastically contrasted First Nations people to dogs. When I responded quite angrily he basically shrugged and dismissed it as a joke.
wow. that’s gross. but can’t say i’m surprised.
The most racist thing you have ever seen, grow the hell up already and enter into the real world buddy.
The truth hurts, now lets deal with it rather then the BS your trying to pull which is not helping these people one bit, your bloody delusional.
I could really let you in on some of my real world experiences with the First Nations people but you would only say, oh he is just making it up…………………………..YOU DO NOT HAVE A CLUE what goes on in these reserves.
thanks. i am grown up. and i’ve seen lots of racist content online and in corporate media. this is the worst.
by truth, are you referring to the fact that people have these racists thoughts, or the content of Don Olsen’s racist letter?
and can you tell me what BS i’m trying to pull, which isn’t helping anyone?
i know lots of people with positive and negative real world experiences on reserves. i’m not in denial about that. but because you have had legitimate, negative experiences on reserves, surely you aren’t therefore agreeing with Don Olsen’s racist rant?
just a response on what Gary said up there…
I have no idea what kind of experience you had with the reserves, but if it is anything bad, then I think it goes for everyone that we all experienced something bad from each other and not just from the reserves.
I didn’t get the chance to read the article, but I can pretty much guess how insulting or racist it was. Assume the First Nations are not as modernize as most of us think we are, then I think history books are the first place to look at to find out why. I’m sure many of us who had studied history or social study in middle school and high school would know why.
Anyway, I do not think they are not modern citizen, many of them have phones like we all do, wear fashionable clothes like we all do, have jobs, buy grocery from super markets, goes out on weekends with family and friends. So what’s different from them than us?
I am 68 years old, I’ve spent much of my life in Northern Canada. I am not from a First Nations background.
I do have a clue as to what goes on a reserve, I have worked on them, I have lived on them and have plenty of genuine friends, some I’ve known 40 years or more who still live there. Never once was I badly treated on one.
Where there people I didnt get on well with? Yes of course..
For over a decade I was in a business ( flying) that had about 50% Native customers. In that time I got stuck with 273 bucks from Natives and just over $15000 from white guys..
Are there problems on some reserves……… again..of course there are……….on the other hand I have friends from native communities that are accountants, lawyers, pilots, equipment operators, politicians, commercial fishermen, artists, mechanics and so on and so on( just like in the rest of our world).
To lump 58 different cultural groups that have at least 11 different languages and are spread over millions of square kilometers into one simple statement suggesting they are all the same is somewhere well beyond stupid and the way it was done, is by every definition racist as well
thanks for your insight and perspective of how complicated this all is.
I understand it was in the form of a letter to the editor, which the publisher is now blaming its publication on “human error”. I have, however, read in a couple of places that Mr. Olsen is not just a Nanaimo resident, but he’s actually a staff writer for the paper. Hmm….
First and foremost ty for your comment Norm, I probably could talk with you intelligently about this issue, Stephen on the other hand I would have to say no which is why I take issue with how you respond to this mans opinion, which last time I checked we are still entitled to that whether or not you like his message.
To refer to this as you have is beyond the pale and when I say, pull your BS this is what I am talking about.
The First Nations people by and large are worse off then our own, “people who depend on the government for everything folks, the question is, why is that, does the government play some part in this, absolutely they do, but to the extent folks like you say Stephen, is just wrong.
Are some reserves doing great, once again, absolutely, some of that is simply because of their geographical location and the resources that are there but kudos to them for working out deals with the private sector.
I already know the numbers but why don’t you take a look at the per capita points about the First Nations people compared to our poor in our local neighborhoods as they relate to schooling, substance abuse and criminal activity, the numbers do not lie Stephen, something is terribly wrong and needs to be addressed.
Guess what though, we can’t address anything because liberal elites like yourself scream RACISM anytime people try and address some of these issues, once again Stephen, you do not have a clue and only seem to want to keep the status quo it would seem at times.
Are there many First Nations people that are a success, absolutely and why is that, they left the reserve in most cases and went and bettered themselves, exactly what the letter writer was saying.
To continually try and blame the reserve situations on us or our government is par for the course with your type Stephen, you never want anyone to look in the damn mirror and take stock of their own situation in life, you would much rather the government take care of them, well it has worked wonders has it not, /sarcasm.
In closing, the government has given more then enough money to the First Nation peoples, more then enough, the First Nations leaders want nothing to do with us telling them what to do with said money.
So I ask you, who does the blame fall on for the suffering on the reserves Stephen, the chiefs and leaders who who entrusted with taking care of their peoples or the government who did exactly as they asked and gave them money with no strings attached.
In closing Stephen, there was a time when the teaching profession was a well respected profession, what happened Stephen, its not the government ruining it, its the damn union mentality, sadly this skips right over your head but then again I would expect nothing less from an ideologue.