Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:
RE: CERB Payments
The Covid 19 pandemic is having a very negative affect on African Canadians.
As a group they are particularly vulnerable due to racism, poverty (also as a result of racism), marginalization, colonialism, lack of available resources, lack of infrastructure in our communities, the enslavement of African people in Canada, two-tiered justice system or injustice system, food insecurity, unemployment and under-employment, police brutality, the insensitive healthcare system, the failure of the education system as it pertains to Black learners, the unearned privilege of persons of European descent, hate crimes against African Canadians, the lack of human rights and the lack of political will toward positive change, etc.
The Canadian Employment Relief Benefit (CERB) was put in place to help Canadians, and African Canadians are among the hardest hit by the pandemic.
Your office and the Federal Liberal Party are on record as trying to pass legislation to penalize those individuals who out of desperation might have accessed CERB funds. This act would only serve to re-victimize African Canadians who have indeed suffered long and hard in this country and continue to do so.
I would strongly success that you and caucus reconsider this outrageous and dumb proposed legislation. After all, Canada has benefited from the enslavement of the African to the tune of trillions. Equally, no federal government of Canada has, to the best of my knowledge as an Indigenous African Nova Scotia elder, ever apologized with substance to Indigenous African Canadians. Equally, African Canadian descendants of slavery in Canada have never been given reparations of any kind.
Mr. Prime Minister just because you wore blackface a few times in your life, does not give you an understanding of our pain and suffering.
Truly, Black lives matter!
Sincerely,
Raymond Sheppard
See also: Kendall Worth: CERB, systemic harassment and bureaucratic nonsense
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Hi
Canada is not a law-abiding country compare to French. Why? even the most high level of power minimize or do not focus on how to address issues such as human rights, and legal resources, tools to tackle and end them? I really pity Canada, because I am bi-national and I know it works in France. You break the law, your pocket and your reputation will suffer. It is the only way to reduce those offenders in the society.