I’ve been trying to figure out how to write this post for some time. I’m not naive, I’m 52, been to quite a few places, but I thought I knew my country. But I feel like a stranger here now. A recent headline in our local paper spoke of three white “men” circling and stalking a lone black man, Jay Phillips, who stumbles and then is swarmed and beaten. The three attackers shouted racial insults, naturally; given their relative bravery, their intelligence needn’t be questioned. They proclaimed this to be a “white town” and they would lynch Mr. Philips and his family.

This is Canada. Courtenay BC. Vancouver Island. Small town Canada. I grew up in small town Canada. This shocks me. Stuns me. This, surely, to whatever you hold holy, is NOT Canada!

The most shocking thing about this is, there is video. You can see and hear all of it. It’s not staged. This is the real deal. Mr. Philips more than held his own against these three “hyenas stalking a lion” as Mr. Philips so eloquently put it. That he survived is a tribute to his bravery.

And it’s not an isolated incident. There are more places than just Courtenay where black people can’t feel safe here in BC. This is embarrassing; not to mention dangerous!

I’d like to be able to say that I apologize to Mr. Philips on behalf of Canadians, but I can’t. I have to apologize to him on MY BEHALF, because I can’t speak for the rest of Canada anymore. It’s shocking to me. This is a terrible, terrible, terrible stain on our country.

Mr. Philips, sir. I am truly sorry you must endure this kind of criminal behaviour. I can not express the level of outrage I feel, but it can not even come close to having to deal with what you must suffer through on a daily basis. I do hope that this video will spark change, but talking to friends and co-workers, I’m not optimistic.

Know this Mr. Philips: when I extend my hand to you, it will not be to strike you, but to shake your hand for your bravery, and for your enormous dignity and humanity that you have displayed in the aftermath of this prodigiously cowardly act.

Good grief Canada. Wake up.

Youtube for some crazy reason has flagged this and is making people sign in to see it. How utterly classless and gutless of youtube. Here is a link to the movie, but you will be redirected.

(Added Saturday – I have put the video directly accessible here. No need to sign into youtube to see something that is important for people to see.)