Photo by Whitehorse Star

Premier Sandy Silver

Call out racism, premier urges

Premier Sandy Silver has urged Yukoners to educate themselves and actively fight against racism as protests erupt across the world.

By Gabrielle Plonka on June 3, 2020

Premier Sandy Silver has urged Yukoners to educate themselves and actively fight against racism as protests erupt across the world.

“I must take a moment to recognize the rallies and the individual actions happening across the country,” Silver said Tuesday afternoon, at the close of his COVID-19 update.

“As these events unfold, we need to listen, learn and work to fix the discrimination that exists in our communities and in our country.”

Peaceful protests are taking place across Canada. They have been triggered by the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, an Afro-Indigenous woman who fell to her death after a confrontation with police in Toronto last week.

Korchinski-Paquet’s death has kindled a larger conversation about racism, police brutality and the systemic inequalities that exist in Canada.

Last Friday, as reported in Monday’s Star, about 30 people attended a vigil for Korchinski-Paquet at the downtown Whitehorse Healing Totem.

Silver said he welcomes Yukoners to fight against racism and to consider where it exists in the community.

“I ask all Yukoners to join me in condemning racism and to stand up against it,” Silver said.

“As a white cisgender male, I have not been targeted because of my race or gender. I will continue to use my privilege to stand up as an ally and to push back against racism and any form of discrimination.”

Part of this work, Silver said, is listening to the stories of those who have experienced discrimination, then actively work against it.

“It’s not enough for white people to simply not be racist, we must be anti-racist,” Silver said.

“The difference seems to be subtle, but the difference lies in action.

“Call out racism when you see it, do not let racists slide in the comments; racist jokes are not funny. We all must actively oppose racism.”

Silver encouraged Yukoners to research the rallies and the long history of inequalities that triggered them.

“Take some time, if you’re not already doing so, to educate yourself on the issues in Canada, and then use your knowledge to push forward for positive change.”

Comments (66)

Up 12 Down 0

Yukon Cornelius on Jun 11, 2020 at 9:30 am

Pretty rich of Sandy Silver to attempt to exploit what's happening in the U.S. by pandering and virtue signalling when the record shows how his government dealt with whistleblowers who blew the whistle on YG workplace systemic discrimination. They were all fired and nothing was done about it. Shame.

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Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 10, 2020 at 7:42 pm

Hello EPK - It is because of angry, emotional, and threatening people like yourself who use hostility as their weapon of choice that people cannot come together to rationally discuss ideas. Because people tend to act differently and become mobbish ultimately losing control of their faculties. Hence the comments about knuckle dragging.

Because you have no valid argument you have anger and resentment. Because you are incapable of reason and insight you have anger and resentment. It seems a little curious to me that the Star would allow your racially motivated hate speech to air in a public forum. But hey, that’s the privilege you are given.

Then we have M-C F-B who really wants to be... It is interesting to observe your vitriolic response here. No one called you a “stoner”. While the stigma regarding stoners has been lessened in today’s social reality it still has a negative connotation and as such I not intend to negate you as a person with such a label. That “you” there is unfortunate. That is on you.

I wish you and EPK well, I truly do, but if you do not learn to disentangle the emotion from your thoughts you will continue to have conflict in your lives.

Crazy. When you extend yourself beyond the evidence it becomes difficult to understand the other and even yourself as you can get lost in the labyrinth of self justificatory beliefs. This may explain why you mistook another posters comments for mine... But then, the evidence does suggest that you tend to think in terms of stereotypes as does EPK. And, EPK, is another reason that no person should use their name in discussing political ideas. Because people tend to become emotionally dysregulated as they succumb to moral diffusion within the mob and they commit to actions they ordinarily would not do. It is because of these people that anonymity is imperative - Because “you” in groups cannot and should be trusted. I don’t want my bike vandalized or my condo spray painted or egged or my employer to have to suffer others ignorance.

That’s why!

Up 2 Down 0

Groucho d'North on Jun 9, 2020 at 10:01 pm

The downward decay of civility in the comments posted on this board illustrate very accurately why discussions on topics of this significance never amount to any measureable advancement towards understanding and/or resolving these matters.
Don't make it personal.

Up 3 Down 1

Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:26 pm

@ Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 8, 2020 at 5:42 pm

"You have confused things here so let me clarify please. I was not joking. Nor did I invoke some Mad Max satire. You attributed that to another poster’s comment not mine. "
You are right (really freeing statement, you should try it some time), I did confuse you with "Anon". When you arrive foaming at the mouth to comment on my response to another person, you'll have to excuse me for mistaking you for them.

But, if the shoe fits....
"It is interesting how often people called out on their behaviour go to the I was only joking defence."
Yeah, that's the irony. Since it's a common narrative that women hear this from men all the time.

ps: Also, re: your comment "It appears you were up late and suffering from a case of the late night giggles. Try a nice indica blend next time.". Did you really, you know, without humourous intent, imply that the only explanation for someone disagreeing with you and staying up past your bedtime is that they're high? If so, maybe you should try it some time.

Up 3 Down 1

Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:15 pm

@Anon on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:46 am

"You have no idea who I am, what I do for a living, or what makes me, me. You've made assumptions on my colour, gender, sexual orientation, thought-processes, and morality. You've just proven that you are just as capable of bias, racism, and every other form of bigotry as the rest of humanity."

I mean, yeah, I pretty much straight up said this earlier when I said "It made me realize that there's gotta be a lot of people freaking out about the change they're seeing. Which is actually something I can deeply relate to".

That is the whole point, we are all capable of bias/racism/bigotry, just some of us are try to work on ourselves for the sake our communities. And that is what I hope some folks on here consider doing, after reading through all this exchange.
Might be a pipe dream, but according to Unfeckingbelievable! I'm a stoner because I stay up past their bedtime and disagree with them, so that's all I've got.

ps: As for making assumptions about you, I did assume you were speaking from a position of privilege because you wrote earlier that "the downtrodden (or 'minorities' if you prefer) don't want equality, they want revenge", perhaps you didn't mean to use the pronoun "they", but it seemed to imply that you did not yourself identify yourself as a minority in any way. It's your right to stay anonymous, in name and in the way you tell us nothing about yourself, but inevitably, there will be some miscommunications that arise from that decision.

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EPK on Jun 9, 2020 at 1:11 pm

Just as I figured, your thoughts are racist, bigoted and ignorant and you will not attache your name to them. They mean nothing to nobody except you and a few other knuckle draggers.

Up 7 Down 7

Katie on Jun 9, 2020 at 12:51 pm

Hello, Anon on Jun 6, 2020 at 7:59 am,

I don't know if I agree with you that the marginalized people are looking for revenge and equality later. Of course every person who has been wronged would be liberated by some amount of justice. Justice is not revenge as you put it, if someone hits and kills someone, they must go through discipline for what they did. It will never be revenge because revenge would qualify that person to also be killed. That's not what people are looking for, they need every person to be treated with dignity, for discipline to be applied across the board with the same sentiment. The general pain here is that though racism might not be a one way street, majority of authority is held by the privileged group, and they call the shots on discriminating and marginalizing other groups.

For example, two people could commit a similar crime, one would get treated with favouritism while the other gets their punishment in a dehumanizing manner. In the workplaces, favour mostly follows those of the privileged groups. There might be instances where the opposite is true but most of the time, even research shows positions of authority are held by the mainstream and here in the Yukon such privileges include employing unqualified and incompetent people. This in turn hurts not only the marginalized but the service user as well. We have seen it right here, the system would rather run around with one individual who seemingly does not fit in any post, while others of the marginalized groups, well educated, experienced and qualified are regarded as "great floor-cleaners" and "printer-fixers" in a field where none of these are specialities. We have seen instances where those of marginalized groups are sabotaged in the quest to end their employment, when there is no real reason to do so, and yet members of the superior group do not account for their unacceptable behaviours and are condoned in doing so.
This is a very complex topic and if one hasn't been in those discrimination shoes might not entirely know what It feels like until they meet their own personal misfortune because at a personal level, no skin colour not place of origin will save anyone from meeting life's gnashing teeth.

The request is for people to regard each other with dignity regardless. Even animals are treated more humanly than marginalized people. No one is inferior, and rationally, no human is superior than another regardless of their skin, intellect or qualification. People keep regarding others as inferior but I would say people are marginalized by the same mentality that others are superior. People of colour are capable of excellence in education and their fields of profession as much as the whites, the difference is the opportunity, retainment and dignity provided. There are people with abnormal psychology in both privileged and marginalized, we all suffer at a personal level, hence the need to take off the crowns of superiority and allow equality to prevail. Greed and abuse of power fuel this reality.

It is also noteworthy that since this divide has been and still is, it would take a long time for things to turn around because it has been hardwired in people's minds. If someone's survival has always been pinned on their delusion of superiority, it will take a lot of guts for them to change and view selves as human as their fellow coloured humans. It begins with you and me, right here, right now, then we will all suffer less.

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Anon on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:46 am

Ahh, Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook. You have no idea who I am, what I do for a living, or what makes me, me. You've made assumptions on my colour, gender, sexual orientation, thought-processes, and morality. You've just proven that you are just as capable of bias, racism, and every other form of bigotry as the rest of humanity. And also, you've jumped to some pretty fantastical conclusions yourself, based on my 3 little paragraphs.

Up 11 Down 26

BnR on Jun 9, 2020 at 7:04 am

Angry old white men angrily commenting that there is no such thing as racism.

Up 26 Down 13

Nicky on Jun 9, 2020 at 1:16 am

All lives matter equally. No one is special because of the color of their skin; that would be racist.

Up 4 Down 3

James on Jun 8, 2020 at 10:19 pm

Mike@ You are right of course Mike - the difference is we just suck it up.

Up 20 Down 5

drum on Jun 8, 2020 at 7:29 pm

The media has to stop printing rumors - wait until there is real information of what actually happened. Stop inciting riots.

Up 22 Down 8

Dave on Jun 8, 2020 at 5:57 pm

Or what Mike? Do you want this all to escalate beyond words? Because that’s where it’s heading, then we can all have the same kind of sh*t hole country that exists in other places in the world. A bunch of pampered SJW Yukoners who’ve never experienced a true race problem in their entire lives are demonstrating like they live in south Chicago, get real and get over yourselves.

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Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 8, 2020 at 5:42 pm

@ Just a chick on the internet. You have confused things here so let me clarify please. I was not joking. Nor did I invoke some Mad Max satire. You attributed that to another poster’s comment not mine. It is interesting how often people called out on their behaviour go to the I was only joking defence.

@ EPK - What we do know from history and current events is that people are regularly persecuted by the self-professed righteous for their “beliefs” (sic) because when the righteous mob goes into a feeding frenzy they are incapable of reason. This is the reason that people such as yourself use the inflammatory tactics that you use. Because you are more interested in personal attacks than you are to have a rational discussion of the ideas. So, we can have a discussion without exchanging IDs so that the discussion can occur more rationally without the need for personalization - After all, it is the soundness of argument that is important and not personalities.

@ Mike - No sane person would stand in front of a protest and provide objective evidence contrary to the frenzied emotionalism of a mob. You would have to have zero insight into the irrationality of human behaviour in groups. Mobs take on a collective consciousness that is detached from the individuals in the mob feeding into it. Mobs have a very real and limited capacity for deliberation. So, it would not be safe to step outside the conformity of a mob rule. That would be stupid.

I would suggest that these problems are trickier still because it is apparent that not only do you three operate from an emotional perspective but it is clear that your reading comprehension is limited, that you have little understanding of human behaviour and group dynamics, and you care nothing about anything other than your desire to tear “it” down - Because, anger, rage, fear and a limited capacity for understanding... Wow... Just wow!

Up 9 Down 7

Patti Eyre on Jun 8, 2020 at 5:30 pm

I am a white lady with kids, and I agree, let's call out racism!

Up 10 Down 35

Mike on Jun 8, 2020 at 4:22 pm

To those who are claiming as whites they're subject to so much racism too, please call it out as well. No, really. Call it out as you see it and be that white guy calling everyone else a racist cause I would love to see the education received. You'll comfortably hide behind a handle on a website but I bet you wouldn't stand at that rally on Saturday and say that same BS.

Up 14 Down 29

Edward Paul Kormendy on Jun 7, 2020 at 7:31 pm

@ Unfeckingbelieveable, if you truly believe the drivel that you espouse, why not attache your real name to it? Come on, let have a discussion.

Up 12 Down 23

Marie-Claire Findlay Brook on Jun 7, 2020 at 7:06 pm

In response to: "Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 7, 2020 at 3:33 pm"

Dude, I don't know what you think you read, but it definitely wasn't angry, violent or threatening. Nothing anyone writes here makes me mad, if anything just disappointed, but most of it's too bizarre to feel real.
Not sure where you're getting these vibes:

"anger, and intimidation"
"you are bitter, angry"
"can hear your hate as thinly veiled threats"
"Stop your violence"
"because threats are a losers game"
"I was raised not to threaten people"
"However You and Iseeall apparently use threats"

When I responded to your comments, I was just working off of your whole Mad Max revenge theory. It made me realize that there's gotta be a lot of people freaking out about the change they're seeing. Which is actually something I can deeply relate to. Which is why I was trying to pass on some tips, ways in which I have also learned to be more adaptable within our changing society. I was teasing you a bit, but mostly I was trying to show that I empathize, that I've been there.

I'm not sure why you would think what I wrote was a threat. Like dude, I'm just some chick on the internet engaging in thought experiments and making a few half-assed attempts at humour.

Like, I'm clearly joking when I say:
"Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we should want revenge. Ok, change of plans."

Same with:
"I mean, I'm not promising anything, we could still rise up and come for you, so that's probably why it would be best to get on our good side before we do."

I mean, come on, I was just playing off of the revenge fantasy you introduced. I thought you had a sense of humour.
So.....
This feels a little ironic, but can't you take joke?

Up 29 Down 13

Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 7, 2020 at 3:33 pm

In response to - Marie-Claire Findlay Brook on Jun 7, 2020 at 12:31 am: It appears you were up late and suffering from a case of the late night giggles. Try a nice indica blend next time.

You are absolutely clueless on the matter of a new world order and what it means to all people. Liberally myopic and intellectually ectopic always firing off topic take my photo for my biopic.

The very problem for individuals who espouse the fodder that you do is that when you are challenged with the internecine polemics of your collapsing narratives you turn to impulse, anger, and intimidation because you are incapable of rationalism.

People like you seek to segregate, colonize, dissect and atomize other people to disempower them and make them appear less than - We see your true colours now! You are bitter, angry and in denial such that you cannot open your eyes to the reality - It is your approach that is off-putting and fearful. Unshackle yourself before it’s too late - I can hear your hate as thinly veiled threats... Thrust and parry... Retreat.

Stop your violence and allow others to be at ease around you, with what you have to say, because threats are a losers game.
I was raised not to threaten people. However, you and Iseeall apparently use threats as a means of targeted communications. How can anyone take you seriously?

Up 13 Down 30

Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 7, 2020 at 3:04 pm

JC on Jun 4, 2020 at 6:11 pm - “You forgot what race did most of the contributing. And what race didn't.”

Lol. Just saw this. The only people white people contributed to, was white people.
Like, we barely even care about poor white people, so painting us as some kind of majestic benefactor of humanity is a pretty over the top.

Also, as if white people produced the bulk of humanity’s innovations, inventions, and resources. I mean, we were pretty good at pretending we did, but that’s not a great look.
If we don’t get our shit together soon, our only legacy is that we are fairly good at getting other people to do all the work (re-slavery, “essential workers”, etc).

Yay us?

Up 9 Down 9

IP Standing on Jun 7, 2020 at 9:40 am

Oh! Itookalook
You sound like “The Donald”, when someone tells him the truth.

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Marie-Claire Findlay Brook on Jun 7, 2020 at 12:31 am

@Anon + Co
On second thought, I've spent enough time here to pick up on something. You are scared, aren't you? At first I thought the frantic energy of a lot of the comments was odd, but now I kind of get it. You feel a new world order coming over the hills and you're starting to freak out because you're not sure you can adapt fast enough to survive the change.

Like, you barely understand how to be you in this world, let alone this vibrant confusing new world that people are building right in front of you. I get it man, sometimes I do feel like, well wtf is the point of white people in this new world, like will everyone even want us at the party?
I can't say for certain, but I have a feeling that it's not too late. It's not too late to get on board. In fact, it's the best time to get on board. People around the world are basically straight up telling us, this is your last chance, pack your bags quick cause this train is heading out early.

Maybe you've almost gotten to the bag packing stage, but you're getting all tangled up in details, when, where and what do I bring? What if I show up with my bags and it turns out I got it all wrong. For this, I suggest finding a mentor, either a friend who you think you can spit ball these kinds of things with, or follow someone like Matt McGorry. Matt started out just a regular relatively unhappy dude (well, an actor), then he found himself surrounded by people that inspired the sh#t out of him, now he has a huge community of friends, seems f#cking happy, and he's very unlikely to be canabilized during the revolution.

At this point, change is your only hope for happiness. While I think it's unlikely you'll actually be canabalized in the near future, resisting change can only bring a world of hurt and frustration. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life swimming upstream?
So, instead of netflix, go binge the sh#t out of all those documentaries, articles, instagrams, facebook pages, podcasts that normally intimidate the hell out of you. There is literally an article on everything, so you can hide all your most embarrassing questions on the internet. Finally, when in doubt, just listen to people. People like it when you listen to them. And sometimes, if you listen long enough, you might learn something. Which just might feel pretty good.

Up 10 Down 27

Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 6, 2020 at 10:41 pm

Hi "Anon" (why hide your name?),

While you're comment would make a pretty decent retelling of the latest Mad Max film (actually, it might be too similar and you might have copyright issues), I just can't find the fact in all that (abet rather exciting) fiction.
Dude, we are too tired for revenge. It's taken so long to just get even close to equity, so one has time to enact this whole revenge fantasy you've imaged.
I'm not even joking, well a little, but seriously, we just want to be left alone.

Every time we, these minorities you speak of, think we might just have a moment of peace, someone has to come in and ruin in (re: pretty much every black person who was killed by police for just "being super norm core and boring somewhere but perceived as threatening", or every woman who wants to just have a drink after work but is date raped and humiliated in court to see no charges laid).

Actually, now that I think about it, maybe we should want revenge. Ok, change of plans.
But you know what, we still don't want it, we got other things to do, like jog in the park, eat M+Ms, sleep in our beds, without the worry of being another far too common statistic.

I mean, I'm not promising anything, we could still rise up and come for you, so that's probably why it would be best to get on our good side before we do.

Sincerely,
Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook

Up 17 Down 11

U.C. Little on Jun 6, 2020 at 9:36 pm

At Iseeall - I really wish people would stop writing about things they have no understanding of such as the so-called ‘White Privilege’. The idea that boards, tribunals and courts have given this laundry list of unsubstantiated hooey any credence at all is anathema to me.

Peggy McIntosh was a feminist scholar who wrote about feelings. Her work was more poetic than scholarly and lacked any methodological rigour. And as has been stated:

“It seems pretty obvious that Peggy McIntosh has confused class privilege with racial privilege. That is, she has led such a pampered existence and had so little contact with people outside her Harvard-Radcliffe bubble that she assumes all whites enjoy the same advantages as her — and not just in the United States, but across the Western world. Which is pretty offensive if you’re a victim of America’s opioid epidemic known as the “white death” because it disproportionately affects white people in the American South.“

Yes, indeed, Peggy was part of the well-to-do class and was speaking from a classist perspective. But hey, let us ignore reality because it is better for you that way.

So, Jc - As you can see Iseeall sees nada but the solipsistic fancies of an imagined oppression birthed by someone who was at war with knowledge itself. So, until people like Iseeall and Itookalook can start engaging with reality we are going to be stuck in this loop of the imagined - White bogeyman. This is the intent of classists such as Trudeau - To keep you fighting with your own minds.

Internal Violence
Lateral Violence
White Privilege
White Guilt... Swirl, swirl, swirl...

FFS! Read! Critically! With an intent to understand the evidence not your feelings about it - That is laziness.

Reference
https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/december-2019/no-need-to-plead-guilty/

Regards,
U.C. Little

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Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 6, 2020 at 8:15 pm

To: Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 5, 2020 at 9:18 pm - Whether you intended your comment to be taken literally or figuratively is irrelevant to the question of evidence. Please cite your source.

I am not sure we started off on the wrong foot. I would never intentionally insert my feelings into a discussion and where I do so I am wrong to do so. Yes, we should talk about racism but we have to stop claiming that it is a one way street. Prejudice, hatred and contempt come in all colours of the rainbow and you have politicians showboating the issue of racism through fear or narcissistic self-preservation. However you want to frame it we cannot have an honest conversation on the subject matter because it has been politically weaponized. This is the last place we can expect rationalism.

I agree with you that any particular party is not suited to “independent” governance as any politician is enamoured by the siren song... I will vote for you, you have my word... Government is supposed to work for the people and not for a people. This problem is particularly acute for the Liberal spawn as they are good at manipulation, deceit, and creating antagonism. There is no common good.

It becomes about Liberals and Liberalism because they are especially divisive and inherently hypocritical and... They do not care. But here we are. Fighting amongst ourselves because they cannot govern.

Up 5 Down 9

Jc on Jun 6, 2020 at 6:01 pm

Iseeal. Really don't know why you chose the moniker Iseeal. Perhaps eye wash would help the sight.

Up 8 Down 20

Iseeall on Jun 6, 2020 at 1:20 pm

Martin, come on, you can do better then that. Ask yourself why you are in a position to pay taxes, ask yourself why you have pride. Man if you are going to contibute to this discussion, you are going to have to take those blinders off for a bit.
I am not on here for revenge, I am on here because I see injustice everyday, it will not be me or other people of color that will make the world a better place, it will be people like you.

Up 11 Down 49

Iseeall on Jun 6, 2020 at 11:37 am

Dear Mr. JC, let me be clear, I am not under any illusion that I will change your mind or enlighten you at all. Crotchity old conservatives are that for a reason. Now your latest gem on who made a bigger contribution. Did it ever cross your mind as to why the whites were in a postion to make a bigger contribution. Have you ever heard of "white privilege"? Look it up, none of us are too old to learn new things.

Up 9 Down 30

BnR on Jun 6, 2020 at 8:45 am

You look at the thumbs up and thumbs down responses to the various comments, and you just have to keep in mind that in the 208 election, Wilf received 163 votes. Seems most of his voters live on the comments section.
'Nuff said.

Up 35 Down 13

Anon on Jun 6, 2020 at 7:59 am

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The downtrodden (or 'minorities' if you prefer) don't want equality, they want revenge (call it 'justice' if that is more palatable to you, but it still amounts to revenge)... and then equality... maybe... after they have got their pound of flesh and think their oppressors have suffered an equal amount as they have.

This goes for 'black' people, women, LGBTQ(etc), Asians, First Nations, Jews, everyone who has ever been sh*t on throughout history. If some deity suddenly snapped their fingers and there was true equality, people still wouldn't be satisfied, because then nobody would have answered for 'what has happened'.

I'm not saying that's bad; I actually agree with it. But I wish people would stop pretending that what they are doing, by protesting, or rioting, or petitions, etc., etc., etc., is only a quest for equality. It isn't. You want to 'get back at' whoever did this to you, and then someday we can talk about equality... whenever *you* feel like we can.

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Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 5, 2020 at 9:18 pm

Since you dub your self "Unfeckingbelievable!", I guess I'll just roll with that for my response. Not a lot of what you wrote begs an answer, but on two points I'll offer some clarity:

1. You: "Minorities have experienced violence and aggression at a rate of 100 to 1? Feck-off. Where is your non-subjective evidence?"

Me: When I wrote "where there are 100 instances of aggression for every 1 that white folks see", I was implying that Black and Indigenous folks experience more instances of aggression than the ones we are WITNESS TO (as in, 1 instance makes it into the news, while the other 100 are experienced as we turn our backs).

I can see how you got that mixed up, you thought I meant "see" figuratively, I was being literal.

2. I guess starting off on the wrong foot wasn't ideal, but I'm not entirely sure why you then launch into a big thing about the Liberals. Like, just cause I'm not writing something negative in the comment section, doesn't mean I'm claiming support for any level of government.
I'm noticing this a lot lately. When folks try to post something about growing and learning and taking better care of each other as a society, it's some how gets a wild amount of responses that try to make it into some kind of political argument.

I think folks are seeing responses like mine, which is pro-"let's talk about racism" as being pro-Liberal. This is often not the case for people who are interested in civil rights, or social justice, or community building- we are usually pretty unimpressed with any government.
So yeah, I feel like all of our comments would be a lot shorter, if we didn't so drastically misunderstand each other.

Anyways, drink some water, it's a stressful time

Up 10 Down 48

Itookalook on Jun 5, 2020 at 6:11 pm

Unfeckingbelievable you truly are a prize, you have provided every ignorant descripition that is out there of the first people of this land. Your mother must be proud.
I would highly doubt you would actually servive a night on an actual reserve! You are one of the reasons that many First Nation people grow up to detest your type. Yes you will get thumbs up from the knuckle draggers but it means nothing in the real world.
Notwithstanding the above, It truly is my desire to meet you someday, someday soon, I hope.
There is one thing I agree with what you write, your handle is a good descripition of you, unfeckingbelievable.

Up 44 Down 10

martin on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:54 pm

@Itookalook : I looked it up and as a white person, I have the "privilege" of paying taxes to help those that can't fend for themselves, often blaming the "system". I say "privilege" because I could also opt-out and apply to "benefits"; however as most good people I have pride. Thank you for pointing to us to do a search.

Up 35 Down 10

Nicky on Jun 5, 2020 at 5:30 pm

The pandemic hoax is no longer frightening people, and they don't want people asking questions about why the restrictions continue.
Oh look, there's a racist squirrel. That distraction works every time.

Up 30 Down 7

HarvardYaleAndPrincetonMan on Jun 5, 2020 at 10:07 am

One nice thing about all this is that I haven't seen any of local
SONS OF ODIN strutting around in their halloween costumes lately.

Up 44 Down 8

DA on Jun 5, 2020 at 9:00 am

Racism is alive and well, but we shouldn't take this fact and assume that Korchinski-Paquet’s death was a result of racism. Should this event be investigated? Of course. Do I think the police in this specific case are responsible for her death due to racism? I highly doubt it.

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Unfeckingbelievable! on Jun 4, 2020 at 11:29 pm

Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 4, 2020 at 12:40 am - Minorities have experienced violence and aggression at a rate of 100 to 1? Feck-off. Where is your non-subjective evidence? I grew up on and off reserves and I am well aware that Aboriginal peoples can be and many are in fact racist with a loathing contempt for all things white.

I am also keenly aware that racism, prejudice and biases come in all cultures and colours. Silver’s behaviour and comments on this issue are appalling and indicative of a lack of leadership and intelligence. You have a society of people so afraid to say or do anything because they are afraid of the probable, race-based, career-ending backlash. You have both executive and judicial branches of government exerting a downward pressure on the silly servants to ignore rules, regulations and laws for the benefit of those who complain loudly and who are given the current political power - An almost virtual monopoly of it.

While the Liberals suggest that they are deconstructing a racially stratified society they are in fact recreating one with their political disequilibrium.
You cannot lift others up while tearing others down and expect to maintain some semblance of civility - Stupid, stupid, stupid... Liberals... It is embarrassing to watch the hypocrisy spew from their mouths and flow from their actions.

Why are people not held accountable for the “choices THEY make” in life? You made me an alcoholic because... I hit because... I beat my wife because... I graffiti because... I do drugs because... Because you chose to! Why the feck do you keep making excuses for these people?

Did you know that African people’s hunt and kill albino Africans for their organs? Did you know that a million Irish people were enslaved by the English - read White Cargo. Did you know that the Arab nations enslaved millions of Africans too? Did you know that the myth of the noble savage was a counter-narrative spun by liberals to mitigate the image of warring Indigenous nations - for example, blood feuds.

It is absolutely amazing how stupid people will allow themselves to be for the sake of an image - That is politics - Form over content and image without form - The chameleon nation... It is depressingly unfeckingbelievable!

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Snowman on Jun 4, 2020 at 9:58 pm

Wow. The insane right-wing comments here are a bit shocking. I expected to see a few but this section has turned into a Yukon Party conservative rally. Having a young new leader has really empowered you guys to come out of the woodwork huh.

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JC on Jun 4, 2020 at 6:11 pm

Iseeal. You forgot what race did most of the contributing. And what race didn't.

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Sarah Davison on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:58 pm

Nobody is under any obligation to prove anything to anybody, including that they are NOT racist. Proving a negative is impossible and stupid. We live in a free society and that means anybody can hold any opinion, and say anything they want, so long as they do not incite violence. You don't have to agree with anybody, and you do not have the right to use force to impose compliance with your political opinions. Mob rule is always bad, freedom is always good. Politicians who climb on board George Floyd's neck to win a few political points need to be called out as the cynics they truly are.

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Martin on Jun 4, 2020 at 4:25 pm

Mr. Silver for once did not come out as whishy-washy; too bad he selected the wrong topic. I'll remember this comes next election.

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Itookalook on Jun 4, 2020 at 2:51 pm

Hello all you wonderful people. I would suggest before you put fingers to key board, you google "white privilege" first.

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joe on Jun 4, 2020 at 1:36 pm

Not sure what I'm classified as other than being born in Canada and paying tons of taxes . Watching this country fall apart because every move everybody makes offends someone. My friends are Canadians, my family is Canadian, not sure where my 20,000 year ago ancestors come from but I don't really care.

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Iseeall on Jun 4, 2020 at 1:04 pm

Boy oh boy, this story has certainly bought out the who's who of knuckle draggers!!
Inobrain, yes there is one race that has a lot of the special privileges, they jail all other races, they use authority to criminalize the other races, they hire their own, even the COW has no preferential hire. One race has a longer life expectancy, one race has a much higher living standard, one race has locked up entry to the best education. So are you saying we need to change that?

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Wilf Carter on Jun 4, 2020 at 12:30 pm

Statement from Trudeau "Canadians have unconscious bias and anti- black racism and should be ashamed of themselves. Trudeau made fun of black/brown people at least three times that we know of!

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BnR on Jun 4, 2020 at 12:22 pm

Drum, your assertion re what happened to Regis is based solely on rumour.
Try harder.

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Ginger Johnson on Jun 4, 2020 at 11:27 am

My wife's was born in Canada, parents were locked in a concentration camp in Alberta in 1942.
As were everyone else that looked like them.

Today's pampered pro athletes need to study some Canadian history before they start whining in the national media.

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Groucho d'North on Jun 4, 2020 at 10:06 am

I look forward to the day when Mr. Silver admonishes a Yukoner for using the terms "settler or colonist", then perhaps the double standard can be addressed as well. In the same vein, I believe it's time to promote equality among all people rather than focusing on diversity and all the racial/sexual/ cultural/economic/ differences within our population that governments like to pander to for garnering and buying votes.

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Oya on Jun 4, 2020 at 9:26 am

Wouldn't opening the border up to BC residents, while refusing entry to the rest of Canadians, be considered discrimination on the basis of origin???

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iBrian on Jun 4, 2020 at 6:21 am

That’s a hard one Sandy Silver, seeing as we live in a place where race allows you special privilege.
Probably should stay out of this one Mr.Silver.

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Max Mack on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:45 am

There's nothing quite like being lectured by a holier-than-thou, virtue-signalling, smug, hypocritical politician.

Opportunism at its finest.

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Dave on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:05 am

Drum. Correct as you may be, to the people doing the protesting and rioting it doesn’t matter. The police were there so they are automatically presumed to be racist cops and at fault. Consider Dionte Jelks, the person of colour from Chicago who now lives on Vancouver Island and whose brother and cousin were shot and killed by other blacks when they were unfortunate enough to drive into a riot in Chicago a few days ago. At the memorial their banner read, ‘Y’all killed two of our own people because they killed one of our people?’ That speaks perfectly to the fact there is no rhyme or reason for who gets blamed for anything or who unfortunately gets killed.

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Marie-Claire Findlay-Brook on Jun 4, 2020 at 12:40 am

"Look at what actually happened to Regis". We are. We are really looking at her. And we are looking at ourselves. And we are examining how we got to this place, where armed forces are the go-to response to nearly any crisis (sometimes that "crisis" is just being Black or Indigenous, living), where positive social supports are inconsistent, unavailable, underfunded, where there are 100 instances of agression for every 1 that white folks see. I've never been a cop, but I have worn a uniform (EMS- territory, Coast Guard- federal), and even though I don't strike a very intimidating picture (no gun, rumpled uniform, messy hair, nervous jokes), this has really made me reflect on what it means to be white, and to be representing the state, in uniform. It seems like we are getting lost in the plot if we focus too much on trying to play Clue (balcony, falling, argument), rather than recognizing that what happened to Regis, shouldn't have happened at all, and that police, and our governments, and our neighbours and ourselves, all had a part in that.
The good thing, well, not exactly the good thing, is that we can all have a part in challenging and changing that reality. Every single one of us, even if we are rusty, out of practice, nervous, so dang uncomfortable, we are all capable of making the world a little safer, a little softer (not a bad thing) and a little more joyous for each other. So yeah, I guess I just recommend not getting too hung up on protecting folks who probably don't need your protection, and instead, listen to and love the ones who do. Small towns, big hearts, big change.

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Salt on Jun 3, 2020 at 10:02 pm

Clown show pandering. We live in a post-reality, post-truth, post-authenticity, post-shame time.

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Unfeckingbelievable on Jun 3, 2020 at 7:58 pm

White People are discriminated against and harassed on an ongoing basis because of what they represent at the group level - That is racism. Silver is not being honest. No privilege exists by way of this or any other diversity. White people have experienced racism, even white, cisgendered males.

The audacity of this Premier who engaged in sexist commentary during a briefing update on Covid-19 to the Idiocracy last week... To talk about gender issues - Unfeckingbelievable!

Silver has just taken the regional division for the Trudeau Integrity Talisman (TIT) award.

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Juniper Jackson on Jun 3, 2020 at 7:56 pm

A liar thinks everyone lies..a thief thinks everyone steals..and a racist thinks everyone is a raciest. There isn't as much racism in the country as people think there is. But it's the flavor of the day.

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Yukoner ‘71 on Jun 3, 2020 at 6:42 pm

As a white male you have a target on your back now and a lot of simmering, sometimes open hatred directed your way from many different directions. People not only of different races, but also of various religions, creeds, and political spectrums all want a piece of you. Nothing you can do or say will ever make a difference as you are always going to be wrong and the cause of their problems in their eyes. You are also somehow responsible for what your ancestors going back generations did or didn’t do and your ancestors are never recognized for all the good they brought into the world, instead they’re faulted for whatever their shortcomings were through the distorted lens of today’s social justice warriors.
Canadian left wing federal and territorial governments also try to lay a guilt trip on you because you don’t matter to them, votes matter and left wing politicians pander to the organized groups that shout the loudest and make the most noise, not the white guy quietly working his 9-5 job. Considering all this, is it any surprise when the occasional person finally snaps and goes on a rampage?

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Itookalook on Jun 3, 2020 at 6:23 pm

Thank you Liberals for reminding us that we have work to do here in Yukon.
Drum, sounds like you were there and witnessed everything that happened?

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JC on Jun 3, 2020 at 5:47 pm

And one more thing Premier Silver, most of the voters in the Yukon are white, who will remember your racist insinuation against them next fall. It'll be interesting to hear how you talk your way out of that one.

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Gringo on Jun 3, 2020 at 5:45 pm

This is a ridiculous example of so called racism in our country Sandy Sliver. Read the facts police were called, she took her own life there was NO confrontation. A wise person non white non male once said “ if everything is something then it’s nothing”!!

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JC on Jun 3, 2020 at 5:38 pm

And by the way, what in the double hockey sticks is "cisgender"? I don't have the time or the patience to google it up. I'm a straight male. Got a problem with that?

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JC on Jun 3, 2020 at 5:37 pm

So of course Silvers like all left wing libs believes that all racism stems from the white race. Well, if I had a loonie for every time I was called racist names from "people of color, I could pay a months rent. So, come on, people of all races practice racism Sir, not just whites. So, get this clear, I was born white, and I'm not going to be ashamed of that, despite the accusations of racism against my colour. So, Mr. Silver, sell your crap somewhere else.

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Darrell Drugstore's smartest neighbour on Jun 3, 2020 at 4:46 pm

"Call out racism when you see it"

PFFFT !
You mean the racism that every First Nations person has faced their entire lives ?
Stop jumping on the American bandwagon Premier.
Address the Canadian problem that is older than the country !

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Matthew on Jun 3, 2020 at 4:41 pm

“As a white cisgender male, I have not been targeted because of my race or gender." Well Mr.Silver, youve never lived in Africa, Asia, Middle East or South America then, where they openly call to kill whites..

Even in this country, I, being white, was bullied by Arabs and had to fight all throughout middle school.. sad thing is clearly only whites are racist right!? Meanwhile western nations are CLEARLY the most welcoming and multicultural..

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Bud McGee on Jun 3, 2020 at 4:21 pm

Life is returning back to normal after COVID! HOORAY! Liberals are going back to their usual virtue signalling I see.

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drum on Jun 3, 2020 at 3:44 pm

Look at what actually happened to Regis. Her mother called the police because her son and daughter were in a violent altercation and asked police to take her to a rehab centre. Regis locked the door to the balcony and tried to jump to a neighbours balcony. How are the police in fault. They were called!

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