“You people … you love our way of life, you love our milk and honey, at least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that,” Cherry said. “These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada, these guys paid the biggest price.”-- Don Cherry
What Don Cherry said is not true. Factually, not true. Most people understand the importance of Nov. 11th and care regardless of their ethnicity.
Some people - of all ethnicities - don’t care or are too busy surviving to pay attention in the very specific way that Don Cherry was demanding.
Remember also, if we’re going to "our way of life," the OUR is the White population of Canada. And if we're going to speak about skin colour, we should remember that both World Wars were entirely European (yes, White) in origin and nothing to be proud of because they led to the death of millions of people. Six million of these were also said to be not like us but Other.
The fact that previously colonized nations (African, Asian of the Commonwealth); previously enslaved people (Black Americans) fought and sacrificed their kids for the Wars should be enough.
The fact that people who were targets of genocidal intent (American Natives) and then joined the war effort and became instrumental in the Pacific as code talkers (Navajo, Cree...) should be enough.
The fact that 2 million Indian soldiers were a part of the war effort in Asia and 89,000 Indian soldiers died, should be enough. But it’s not; and it isn’t enough for a Canadian icon.
I’m sad for the loss of Cherry’s place as one of those people that we could point to and say, yep, he’s Canadian and he makes Canada and me more recognizably Canadian. Sad, because he was so damn unique and quick witted and funny and a straight shooter. And annoying. Mostly good annoying.
But at the end of the day, enough is enough.
