12 observations on “systemic” racism

There is obviously racism in Quebec.

But should the Legault government formalize the notion of “systemic” racism?

1. The definitions of “systemic” racism are endless. The concept is more or less elastic depending on who defines it. What is the value of a notion so difficult to define?
2. Its defenders often say: no, no, Quebeckers are not racist on the whole, but “systemic” racism is generalized in Quebec. Does society therefore produce racism independently of the individuals who operate it? Curious “system” …
3. A nurse is racist and management has tolerated it for too long. Unacceptable. But this is instrumentalized to decree that the entire health care system, all the institutions and the entire social structure, in their practices and policies, produce so much racism that it takes the form of a “system”. Let’s go…
4. We are told: of course, Quebec is not the United States, where this notion was born, but it still deserves to be associated with it. A written conclusion in advance? We do not prove, we decree.
5. In the case of the Aboriginals, those who want to spit it out on François Legault are less zealous towards Ottawa, which has constitutional responsibility. If there is state racism, it is infinitely more Canadian than Quebecois.
6. Why are accusations of racism only made against the majority group? Are the others unblemished?
7. Are the most staunch propagandists of “systemic” racism also opposed to prolaïcité measures and to the slightest questioning of our immigration policies? A coincidence, really?
8. They want us to abandon the expression “visible minorities” for that of “racialized minorities”. Why, do you think? To get into our heads that any different treatment can have only one explanation: race, therefore racism.
9. When Radio-Canada, Press and the most exalted feathers of the new Duty tell Quebec which direction it should take, I’m suspicious. I wonder why.
10. The trap set for François Legault is crude. If he then wants to say no to claims, whether they are well-founded or foolish, we will say to him: “But you yourself have recognized that racism is ‘systemic’ among us. ”
11. In a system, by definition, everything fits together. For theorists of systemic racism, who should read those who take up the notion so lightly, all problems are racism and only Western societies, as a whole, are guilty. The White will condemn racism as much as he wants, but he will always have, deep inside, a part of unconscious racism. He is inevitably guilty.
12. Does this notion help to better understand reality by introducing nuances, or does it, on the contrary, mix everything up, amalgamate everything, and, therefore, confuse instead of enlightening? The notion of “system” makes racism an absolute and all-encompassing reality. However, to correct, we must target.