To the Editor,
Re: Vandalism treated as hate crime, June 18.
Last month, I was one of 60 veterans from the Second World War who flew to Holland as part of the official government delegation representing Canada for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands. What a price so many Canadian military paid to rid the world from hatred and outright racism. I saw the railway line that led just one way, to the gas chambers for any homosexuals, gypsies or Jews whom the Nazis could round up. A very memorable trip – unbelievable, emotional and often sad for all of us.
My friends the Chinese of Nanaimo, many born here, must feel like I did this last spring, sad, when the present city council decided to obliterate anything connected to the British Empire. Many Chinese men also came lived and died alongside the British in the 1880s. The Scots, Italians, Slovakians, Greeks, Welsh, Irish and others all followed. We acknowledge at each and every event the First Nations of Nanaimo.
This was the start of what today is a truly multicultural city. A great place to live. It seems there is always one bad apple in the barrel to try and spoil it for the rest, but we get on with it and ignore those who have nothing better to do in life but buy and use spray paint.
Eileen LittleNanaimo