See no evil

Page 6

Back a few years ago, some Canadian military personnel serving under the maple leaf in Somalia beat an African kid so badly that he died. While he was dying in Canadian hands, the teenager had to endure a steady stream of racist insults and unspeakable indignities.

After a media storm of hurricane proportions, the Canadian military punished the lowest ranking man, and ignored the involvement of the higher ups. The resulting inquiry was a disgrace to a country that had been held internationally in high regard.

The incident resulted in a zero-tolerance policy on racism. "Officially," that is.But just last fall, there they were again, white sheets and hoods hidden under military camouflage.

Operation "Ex Lunatic Fringe" was a militia exercise at Camp Dundurn in which the forces took on a Native stand-off. The Native people in the scenario were pathetic caricatures, and the exercise succeeded in dehumanizing Native people and undercutting initiatives to build cultural understanding in the forces.

Paying lip service to tolerance is not enough any more. Internal inquiries will not make the problems go away. If the Canadian Forces cannot regulate themselves, then Canadian citizens must to it for them.

The Canadian Forces are there to protect all of us. It's time the leadership was forced to make more than cosmetic changes. And was forced to face up to the fact that Canadians don't want a bunch of racists "defending" us.