In Canada, Affirmative Action Becomes a Matter of Life and Death

Last night, I realized something very disheartening about my country.

I realized that my life is worth less here, because of the colour of my skin. No, I am not a “minority,” whatever that term means anymore. Waves of immigration over the last forty years have so changed the fabric of Canada, that even the woke set has realized the term has lost meaning in communities that are majority non-white. So, now we use the term “racialized.”

Put simply, I’m white. I’m constantly reminded that I, grandson of a silver miner and a foundry worker, son of a teacher and a police officer, am “privileged.” The Charter of Rights and Freedoms contains a specific clause, 15(2), that allows for reverse discrimination against me and my descendants in order to allow “amelioration of conditions of disadvantaged individuals or groups.” I was on the receiving end of this well-intentioned discrimination as a young man applying for work in law enforcement. But, to a certain extent, I understood, even if I felt it was somewhat unfair. Police forces had decided they needed to look more like their communities.

The communities looked, as the years went on, less and less like me. But I did not become xenophobic, even if, as a Border Services Officer, I questioned our favouring family-class immigration from the Third World over skilled immigration from the First. No, I actually went out and married an immigrant from Brazil. I think the woke set would call her a “Latinx,” whatever that means, although actually she’s 100% European in origin.

To sum up, I’ve had an uneasy relationship with affirmative action and the whole concept of “amelioration.” I’m more of an “equality of opportunity” type of guy, meaning if you work harder than me and you’re a better fit, you win. It seems though, that since equality of opportunity doesn’t always work out as intended, the woke set now favours “equality of outcomes.”

And this brings me to my point. When “equality of outcomes” physically endangers me, how understanding can I be expected to be? What if affirmative action risks my life?

Yesterday, I found out that the Government of Canada had released its new guidelines for who should get the COVID-19 vaccine, and when they should get it. It’s available here if you think I’m just spewing conspiracy theories:

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/guidance-prioritization-key-populations-covid-19-vaccination.html

Basically, the government organizes priority vaccine availability into three groups:

Group One is not very surprising or controversial. It includes health care workers in care homes, senior citizens, etc. It also includes First Nations people on reservations, but, since history has shown how vulnerable such isolated populations can be, I won’t quibble over waiting in line behind them.

It’s Group Two and Three that gets my goat. In Group Two, “racialized and marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19,” get priority, along with first responders and other health care workers.

In Group Three, people over the age of 50 with pre-existing conditions (I’ve had pneumonia four times) can get their shot. There is no mention of age or pre-existing conditions for the “marginalized.”

This questionable at best, monstrous at worst, decision is based on statistics that show higher rates of COVID-19 infection among the “racialized.” But the question left unanswered is, what biological mechanism accounts for this, or is it a question of personal behaviours and living conditions? For instance, South Asians often live in multi-generational homes. Should a healthy 25-year-old whose skin is dark be given a spot in line ahead of a man twice his age with pre-existing conditions? Is there really a wave of death sweeping our “racialized” communities?

No, there isn’t. But there is a wave of woke nonsense sweeping our institutions. This is what has brought us to this point. Even scientists are not immune. After a whole year of being told “trust the science,” permit me to point out that science is much easier to trust when it is not polluted by politics. “Pre-existing condition” is a scientific term. “Racialized” and “Marginalized” are political buzzwords. The three do not belong in the same document.

My point is that, if you’re going to perform the highly controversial and divisive act of prioritizing one racial group for a life-saving vaccine over another, you’d damn well better have science on your side, not buzzwords and bullshit. In the case of First Nations people on isolated reserves, the case is easy to make. For my brown-skinned next-door-neighbour, it is not. Racial characteristics can make some people more vulnerable to some diseases than others. But nobody has made that case for COVID-19. So, what accounts for the difference? Different mask-wearing habits? Socialization patterns? Are we certain our sensitive society can stand a true investigation, or are we just going to hide behind 300-level Sociology bafflegab?

This is a divisive move by people who ought to know better. And, if you want to inflame discontent and latent racism, it’s made to order for the purpose. This affirmative action doesn’t seem very “affirmative” to me.

What’s more, it risks my life. Pardon me if I take that personally.