Conservative Attack Ad Racist

The latest Conservative attack ad insinuates that because Michael Ignatieff worked in the United States, he is not loyal to Canada and would leave the country if he fails to win in the next federal election. This is unfair to Ignatieff and, by implication, casts aspersions on all immigrants to Canada and those who have worked outside Canada.

How do the Conservatives know where Ignatieff's loyalties lie? The attack ad says that Ignatieff has no long term commitment to Canada because he worked outside the country. This parrots the racist line that those not born in Canada, and those "foreigners" who have worked outside Canada, are not committed the country.

The Conservative attack ad is very dangerous. It is a slippery slope to accusing all those not born in Canada, or who have worked outside Canada, of not being loyal to the country. The ad comes perilously close to casting aspersions on all minorities.

Like the usual racist line, the Conservatives accuse Ignatieff - read Asians, Blacks, and other minorities - off not being loyal to Canada because they are supposedly "foreign", not really Canadian, and ready to leave the country for greener pastures at the drop of a hat - or election.

If the Conservative attack ad is not racist it, at a minimum, fuels racism and gives weight to the bias that "foreigners" can't be trusted. The ad also may dissuade minorities to avoid public service for fear that their loyalties might be questioned.

We call on the Conservative Party to apologize for the attack ad and to apologize to all those Canadians who have worked abroad and to all those Canadians not born in the country. They are "real" Canadians too.

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