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PARIS PLAYS THE RACE CARD |
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Written by Alex J. Walling
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Thursday, 18 January 2007 |
By Alex J. Walling
 “I’m not playing the race card,” is a line I heard Tuesday night on one of the three TV newscast that I was flipping in order to get as much of the ‘Percy Paris’ racism charge.
Paris, the NDP MLA for Waverly-Fall River-Beaverbank screamed ‘racism’ and got the front page headlines he is seeking.
Of course Paris is playing the race card and he’s been playing it ever since he got elected last year.
Is there racism in Nova Scotia and elsewhere? I’m sure there is and that is not acceptable. But there’s also bigotry, ignorance and mean spirited people and I wonder if those in the later category are being lumped into the former.
I also wonder out loud if people use the race card to simply get attention.
Here’s my point. Why is it, every time something seems to go wrong, to a black man, a race card is used?
First, and foremost, was the Doug Sparks caper. This guy, who probably was one of the major factors in the recent problems of the Halifax school board, yelled racism for just about everything.
Here is the perception that many of us have of Sparks.
He didn’t want to move seats at the board so he yells “racism”.
He didn’t like the board discussing Mrs. Bernadette Reid, even though she had been found guilty of certain procedures and he yells ‘racism’.
Some board members go out and have pizza but don’t invite him (although it seems anyone was welcome) and he whines ‘racism’.
He wasn’t at the place where they ate pizza and still screamed ‘racism’.
Yes, in the Doug Sparks world, it’s always seems to be racism. Or at least that is the perception.
Now we have Percy Paris.
Paris got elected as an MLA in the last election and one of, if not his first public statement dealt with, you guessed it? Did he bring up a topic to better his constituents who elected him? Did he want more money for his riding? No, his first declaration or pronouncement of newly minted MLA Percy Paris was he wanted an apology from the province for all the bad things that were done to the blacks in the history of Nova Scotia.
I was just starting my role of summer time CJCH hotline show replacement for Rick Howe and I saw the story in the paper.
What a great topic I thought and so I invited Paris to the show. He showed up and I remember my first question to him which was something to the effect: “Why should the province apologize? I read your story Mr. Paris but I see no particular examples. Everything is general. You speak in generalities can you provide specifics?
He couldn’t but stated something like “well, you know what they are. Everybody does.”
Not good enough I thought so I asked again for specifics. “Give us, 3-4-or 5 examples sir, of what you refer to?”
He hummed and came out with “education’. “Blacks have been denied a good education in this province” is what he told me.
To which I pointed out that the few black people I know such as Cecil Wright, Mark Daye and Dwayne Provost are very educated and come across as such.
“Those are the exceptions,” is what I recall him saying. I didn’t agree, commenting most white and blacks kids get the same education and if Paris has a problem with blacks not getting through school maybe its due to poor parenting, or god forbid, the kids themselves who may be more interested in their playbook (football-b-ball) then their classroom books.
And I recall saying, it applies for white, oriental or other kids. In other words it’s not racism.
I follow a lot of high school kids in my line of work and see both, black and white and can give you a list of each on the good side and if need be on the other side of the ledger.
At some point we have to realize that there are bad black people the same as there are bad white folks.
We have to understand that while some whites (Don Trump comes to mind) are master showman so are some blacks (Don King). There are also many white jerks out there but there are black jerks. But it appears in today ‘politically correct’ society we can’t say that there are black jerks. Believe me they are.
Both Paris and Sparks say that racism is ‘so subtle’ that we don’t get it. If that is the case then please Mr. Paris educate me, educate us because if we don’t ‘get it’ we can’t stop it. And I for one am not afraid of listening.
Paris says some MLA didn’t shake his hand or introduce themselves as he was a rookie MLA. He claims that some MLA’s don’t talk to him and that some MLA’s or other province house staff call him ‘boss’ and that he was or seems to be ‘more heckled’ when he speaks in the legislature.
Mr. Paris come on and get real.
Let’s deal with some of these frivolous allegations.
You say, some MLA’s didn’t shake your hand. Big deal. Maybe they don’t like you (don’t they have that right, or is that also racist). Maybe you turn people of the wrong way. Maybe your ego is bigger than the Nova Scotia Legislature. In other words there may be 100 reasons and not one of them is racism.
So you got elected, big deal.
Bottom line sir, if they don’t introduce themselves to you, here’s a novel idea. Gee, why don’t you introduce yourself to them? Or do you think you’re special? And that is the impression you give in the few times that I have met you.
In regards to your being upset to being called ‘boss’ I’ll give you partial credit for that. While I don’t call people boss I would never associate racism with that word. But did Paris every ask people not to call him that and perhaps explain or educate them as to his feelings. I doubt it.
I mean what would he do in Newfoundland where just about everybody calls you ‘boy’ or bye?
If find it interesting that Paris said he heard someone in the House utter the phrase ‘the dark cloud’ when follow NDP Leonard Preyra rose to vote on a bill. Paris however couldn’t tell who made the comment. But yet Preyra didn’t hear it. And Preyra, who is also a visible minority and a rookie in the legislature like Paris, feels comfortable in the leg while Paris doesn’t. Why is that? Maybe one is more likeable than the other. Preyra, a visible minority has been in the legislature as long as Paris, why aren’t we hearing anything from him on racism?
I also find it interesting that other than Maureen McDonald not another member on the NDP seems to be supporting Paris. Why not? Or, are all of them racist. Where is the show of support? Is Darrell Dexter racist or maybe the racism is in Paris’s mind? Again, where are the facts? It’s so easy to accuse, to insinuate, and to fire hot verbal invective. It’s another to back it up, not with a ‘feeling’ but with real, solid facts. I’m from Missouri, show me!
Now comes the dandy. Paris feels he gets heckled more than other members when he speaks. Pleaseeeeee. I mean do we need a meter to now record the decibel amount of every speaker? I think if Ernie Fage were allowed to speak he may get heckled a lot more.
So where do we draw the line?
If Percy Paris has specifics please let him address them. But so far in his brief term in office it seems like he went into the legislature not to improve the lot of his constituents but to try and right all the ills of the past.
In the brief times that I have seen, read about him or heard him I get the impression of a guy who has a chip on his shoulder and now that he has a major platform in being an MLA.
Why didn’t Paris go to the speaker of the house to report his concerns? I will give Paris one positive note and that is about the conduct of the house. MLA’s jeer, heckle and at times shout down people. Why? What happened to proper decorum? We are taught to listen but it seems that is not the case.
In closing I remember a caller to the CJCH Hotline show when Paris was my guest and she said: “I find it interesting Mr. Paris that you came to our house to get our vote, that you went door to door with your platform and you partook in candidates meetings, but at no time did you ever bring up this topic and now this is your first salvo as an MLA?
Paris basically didn’t answer her.
As a final comment if Paris is the victim of racism I hope that changes as it should not be condone. Again and for the record I don’t condone racism but there is an onus on anyone who uses the race card to back it up and even have a back up to the back up.
But, to those like Paris who wish to bring up this very sensitive subject and they have the right then give us proof. Give us the particulars not the generalities. Don’t say someone said something in the house and not be able to back it up. Don’t demand apologies for everything when you can’t come up with one solid example.
It’s too easy to yell racism and that is what we are hearing these days. Where’s the evidence. If you are going to play the race card then do it right?
Stop with the innuendoes, the generalities, and the ‘paint us all with the same stroke’ sort of thing.
Paris used the race card like a person with a gun but he had no ammunition. This is twice that he has brought this up and we are still waiting for one concrete piece of evidence.
Yes, it’s an emotional issue and people can and do get stirred up but it has to be discussed with facts not just a feeling or raw emotion.
If Percy Paris says he is being discriminated against then name the names. Who is acting in a racist way? What is being said or done to makes Paris think in this way? And I’m sorry, but not introducing one’s self is not a racist act.
Clara Peller, in the great Wendy’s ad of the 1980’s once said “Where’s the Beef?” We are still looking for it in the Paris accusations.
As the TV detective Colombo once said, ‘ah, one last thing.’ I covered the launch of Black Ice, a book on the history of Black hockey history a few months ago and I ran into Percy Paris. He didn’t even acknowledge me. Didn’t say hi, simply ignored me. Gee, does that make him a racist or is that a reverse racist?
And he couldn’t have missed me as I asked tons of questions at that press conference. In fact Paris asked a few himself.
Maybe he ignored me because I grilled him too hard on that open line show last summer. I think more grilling or at least questioning is in order on this matter. It’s too important simply to allow one to play the race card. Let him or her who uses it, defend, very strongly their position. Or is that not permitted these days.
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