The Editor
The Globe & Mail
444 Front Street West
Toronto, ON

Re "A slap in the face of every Canadian" (Globe Feb. 3, 2007)

Dear Editor:

On behalf of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF), I am prompted to write in response moreso to the comments the above article elicited.

First, thanks for the article. There have been, no doubt, countless studies done to demonstrate the living conditions faced by First Nations, including the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP). And, like RCAP, they have not left the shelves. What was noticeably missing from the article was a tie-in of the persistent poverty of First Nation communities to racism.

This is what the majority of the comments alluded to - some actually mentioned it. The minority of the comments were useful in that they reflect the smug attitudes of Canadians who continue to shroud themselves in the belief that racism in Canada does not exist.

Regrettably, as we at the CRRF continue to find, most of us will read the story then pass on to the next without missing a sip of whatever luxurious drink we may be having. Any relationship between this story of racism in our country and the marks we make at the ballot boxes are not considered. Do we elect representatives to make a difference or to maintain the status quo?

Yours truly,

Ayman Al-Yassini, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Canadian Race Relations Foundation