"Brown Guy" Leads the Way

Darn it. It's almost too late for this. Too bad I didn't know about it while I was away. Liberal MP Keith Martin wants Human Rights Commission hearing to be open to public scrutiny.

This posting by Deb Gyapong is interesting in more ways than one. Several weeks ago when Martin first became the subject of media interest for his stand on Canada's Human Rights Commissions, some accused him of being a bigot or a poster boy for right wing extremism. He responded by referring to himself as a "brown guy". Some bloggers, including myself, did not know what ancestry Martin might have that would allow him to stake the "brown guy" claim, but I surmised that perhaps he was part Indian or Pakistani. Sure enough, according to Gyapong, he indeed is of "mixed East Indian" ancestry.

Although a Liberal Party member now, Martin began his political career as a member of the Reform Party. I find it interesting that so many on the left continue to label Conservative Party sympathizers as bigots. One only has to look at the Reform Party movement and the eventually merged Alliance/Conservative Party membership to see numerous "brown guys" and "brown girls". Even at the provincial level, the Conservative Party has been "brown guy" friendly for a long time.

Just from memory, here is a list of "brown guys" and "brown girls" whose affilation with the Reform/Conservative Party goes from way back to the present. I generally don't like doing the hyphenated Canadian thing, but with this I'll make an exception because it helps to make the point:

Mike Cardinal, Cree. MLA and Cabinet Minister in Ralph Klein's administration.

George Rogers, Jamaican-born African-Canadian, MLA in Ralph Klein's and Ed Stelmach's administrations (still sitting).

Gary Mar, Chinese-Canadian. Former Minister in Ralph Klein's administration.

Rahim Jaffer, Edmonton based Muslim of Indo-Ugandan origin, who, under the Reform Party banner, became one of the youngest members of Canada's Parliament and the first Muslim to be elected to Parliament (not to mention, a really cool guy)

Inky Mark, Chinese-Canadian MP, from Swan River, Manitoba.

Deepak Obhrai, Indo-Canadian MP. (I like this guy's stand on Afghanistan)

Germant and Nina Grewal (scroll down for pics of both), MPs, Indo-Canadians, also the first husband and wife team to serve in Ottawa at the same time. And yes, I know he was the centre of a big scandal, but the point is, the Reform Party was painted by the left as a bunch of racial bigots. Get it?

Bev Oda, Chinese-Canadian, MP and Cabinet Minster.

You will likely note that half of the above named brown guys and girls are from the most rednecked and racist province, too. Funny, that.

I'm sure there are many more, just not in any provincial or federal caucus, and besides, I'm only going by my increasingly faulty memory. But, hopefully, you get my point. None of these people needed the Human Rights Commission to protect them from bigotry and discrimination on the basis of either race or religion, although there may well have been instances of such which they have had to deal with in both their private and public careers. And it's interesting that one of them, Mr. Martin, has led the movement against the Commissions' odious positions, most especially, the secrecy and exclusion of public observation in their hearings. Well done, Mr. Martin!! And well done to all these great Canadians!!!