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thrift find

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I’ve found it difficult the past day or so. I was disturbed by the news that one of the famous milestones in younger day, was being taken away, because for some it was offensive. I’m talking about packaging for pancake mix and a pancake syrup

We have learned so much from the past, from the mistakes others have made, in making them huge lessons were learned, and we grew as human beings. Not everyone agrees about history, even in the country I was born in (Canada) there are huge divisions that need to be crossed.

As a person who grew up in an Anglo Saxon, French Canadian culture, I know what it is like to be seen as different. I know first hand what it feels like as a child sitting on a bus, and having it fill up, but on one wanted to sit beside me because of my “colour”

Even when asked where did I come from, and I would say, where in Canada I lived and grew up.. I would be asked again, “no, but where do you come from” “I am Canadian I would say, born here” My Father taught me the importance of being Canadian, instead of learning Chinese, he encouraged and sent me to French kindergarten. Both parents were adamant that being a Canadian, I needed to know the two languages of the country..

Yes I am proud of being Chinese, but I am a Canadian first. I was born here, this is my home.

There was a beautiful statue of a native Indian kneeling looking out over the river behind parliament buildings, I was told of how the Indians had been the proud warriors who fought and lived on the land .. how their history intertwined with ours. It was a beautiful work of art, to me it stood for how wonderful Canada was, that we embraced and respected the culture of the many people who live here.

The marketing for the pancakes and the syrup depicted a beautiful woman of colour, again, it was a symbol of how we loved and embraced all races. (as a child, it was part of life, and it made me feel special, that not all people saw being of a different colour as an oddity)

It broke my heart when I mentioned to a friend that I had heard that the beautiful lady was to be removed because of her colour. How could I tell my friend, who I know loves me, that she was stabbing me in the heart, by saying “its about time” What is about time.. that we take away colour from our lives. live in a plastic bubble where everything has to be white or off white, maybe freckles are allowed.

The journey is not over for me, I will probably live many more years, but I am so sad these days, that the discriminations of the past are resurfacing, I was also told that because someone said, ALL lives matter, the person was dismissed from their work.

It has been eating away at me, did I dare share with you how deeply cut I am about the divison that is happening.

We admire and love the coloured vegetaion in Nature. Are we, human beings not part of nature and the Universe, Why are we being catalogued once more by colour. Why do we point fingers and put blame everywhere else but on our SELVES.

I will never turn my back on someone because of their colour or put down their heritage, Interesting the people shouting and make alot of the noise, are people who are not of colour.. How can they say things with such authority when they themselves have never lived it

Walk in someone else’s shoes to know, what it is like …

I mean no disrespect to anyone, but I felt that I needed to share my thoughts and feelings on a matter that stabs at my heart.

How can we achieve world peace, if all we can do is “take sides”…. I spent years associated with law enforcement, many of us spent hours and dedicated our careers to improving the interactions of “law enforcers” and “citizens” – my heart is screaming from the pain of seeing the division starting all over again.

PL Precept # 20 Live maintaining equilibrium between mind and matter.

PL Precept # 14 WORLD PEACE IS EVERYTHING.

Oyashikiri

Comments on: "thrift find" (13)

  1. I hear you. I was using an old comic book biography of Ben Franklin to teach an English class about Ben. He was involved in wars with the Native Americans and the language is certainly not PC. I’d run into the same problems with a lot of different classics. Do we do away with these? I think not. I think it’s better to use them to contrast how things were viewed now vs then. Just my random thoughts.

  2. This is a very complicated problem. I also liked the breakfast syrup with its beautiful woman of colour on the bottle and box. I trust (maybe too much) that the reason it was removed was at the demand of the African American community that saw this woman as a prejudice and offensive to their race. For those reasons I didn’t question the removal of her symbol. Unfortunately, politically correctness does wash out the colour out of our images, symbols, culture and language. It is a necessary disadvantage in many cases, to ensure that nobody is disrespected. Having been discriminated against also for looking different when I was a child, I know how great it feels when people who look like me are becoming mainstream. In this case it adds diversity rather than take it away. So each case merits examining. I really thank you for raising this important reflection. Keep up the good work
    C

  3. Such a sound post from one who knows. I’m pleased you dared.

  4. We have become too fearful of the opinions of evil people who would shame us with their lies, deceiving us for a time with their hypocrisy concealing filthy souls motivated by criminal and bloody intent. How to tell the well-intentioned dupe from the ravening wolf?

    We see them defaming, raping, stealing, burning and killing. We see those who bow to them and praise them. We hear their lies and hypocrisy. Their ultimate motives are clear. The inevitable result is likewise clear to anyone who understands any history at all and realizes that what happened before will happen again.Their fruits are self-evident.

    Be brave. Be honest. Pray always.

    Matthew 7:16-20 KJV

    16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

    17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

    18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

    19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

    20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

  5. I shared your post on my facebook page. I am not good at sharing or writing my feelings down like you are. But I feel the same way, that it is sad the way the world is treating each other right now. I also know that in America if you are certain party its ok to be, but if you are conservative/ or republican than suddenly they call you racist. It’s strange world with one group stirring up the people and causing a lot of contention and uprising here. I could go on but I think I will stop here.

    • thank you so much for sharing.. it IS difficult for so many who want peace, and strive to achieve it in our lifetime. Prayers and staying positive.. is one thing we can keep doing Stay well, stay safe… Oyashikiri

  6. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I do expect that Black Americans wanted the logo removed. Bit you’re right that it contributes to blandness, rather than a celebration of diversity and color.

  7. Nicholas Vrtis said:

    Products and logo’s and packaging get changed all the time. Things we liked in our childhood are gone (remember candy cigarettes, flying saucers, bubble gum cigars?). TV shows get canceled. Most of the time, there is even less reason than this. It is sad to see an icon go, but the discussion concerning why and the history is important and interesting.

  8. hey you.. big virtual hug.. share the hug will you..

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