To the editor,
I would like to thank Nathan Hewitson for his contribution to this discussion. Being “shocked” and “appalled” is a very good thing, as that means that as a society we are paying attention to what is happening in our communities.
I’d also like to point out one important detail about petty theft that seems to have been glossed over in this entire discussion. There is one demographic in the world that commits more petty theft than any other. It’s not Indigenous people, it’s not white people, it’s not young people or immigrants either. It’s poor people.
Any policy that is specifically aimed at curbing theft will be a regressive policy that will inadvertently and disproportionately impact those members of our communities who have very little accumulated wealth.
In Canada, Indigenous people have very little accumulated wealth because European settlers removed from them the land and access to the natural resources from which they could generate and accumulate wealth. Even worse, the process of colonization also systematically eliminated the thousands of years of inter-generational wealth that is passed down through Indigenous teachings, traditions, language and culture.
As for the now cancelled LCBO anti-theft policy, I felt as though the policy to register my ID upon entry was taking an incremental step closer to authoritarian government control over its citizens and that step made me and others feel uneasy. Being tracked on which websites I voluntarily visit is not quite the same thing as having Big Brother keep track of how many times I visit the LCBO in a two week period.
While I’ve referenced a piece of western literary fiction to illustrate the realities of this regressive policy, for other members of our communities this ID registration policy could be very reminiscent of Canada’s Pass system where Indigenous people were required to provide government issued paperwork in order to gain access to amenities.
Regardless of your personal point of view on the subject, it is clear that the Conservative government very quickly cancelled the proposed program because the social cost was simply too high.
Across Thunder Bay there are billboards that are asking the community to speak up if they experience or witness racism. I believe that being vocal about the challenges we face as a community is a critical first step toward overcoming those challenges.
I am grateful that my original comments were able to generate such active engagement from the community as I feel that public engagement is the best way for us to grow as a society and the most powerful tool we have for community building.
Cory Bagdon
