The title says it all really. A letter to the editor published last week in Weyburn This Week revealed racist jeers directed by one fan at the Weyburn rink directed to members of the Flin Flon Bombers bench on the night of January, 26. Ken Chartrand, the writer of the letter, was taking his mom and dad to see his son and their grandson play in the SJHL for the first time, a special family moment regardless of the level or sport, when they encountered an unruly Red Wings fan who fit the bill.
We all know the type, angry, likely inebriated, enjoys getting on "his team" and definitely enjoys getting on the other team with whatever insults he can throw. However, this fan crossed the line from unruly and passionate, to complete unacceptable. The Flin Flon Bombers have a trainer of Indian descent. This is where it gets ugly. According to Chartrand the fan in question directed several verbal attacks on the trainer saying, ""Hey Abdul, where is your turban." When he walked by another time, he called him a "baboon" and a "f#!%ing baboon. Classic anti-muslim hate, something everyone has probably heard from similar people behind closed doors. Unacceptable, but it gets worse.
Flin Flon has a goalie named Devin Buffalo, a rather solid goaltender who has never so much as done anything controversial in his road games to Yorkton's rink and has never been the subject to taunts of any kind at the FAA. But of course, being First Nations, he was of no exception to the gongshow that was unfolding at Weyburn's rink that night.
"Hey Buffalo, why don't you go back to your reserve and go back to your teepee. Did you bring your teepee, go home you native bastard" were the quotes that Chartrand included in his letter. Common refrains in our society where racial tensions are sadly a divisive issue, but just as unacceptable as the racist garbage directed at the trainer.
The letter goes on to mention that several fans were apathetic to his behavior, saying the common excuses of "He has always been like that" for "Forty years" and the man even sold raffle tickets during the intermission. Weyburn Red Wings vice president Dave Ferris issued a statement saying the fan has been banned from Red Wings games for the remainder of the season and apologies have been issued. The Red Wings have also stated that they will be working with Weyburn City Police to train security staffers (who were very disinterested in doing anything that night according to Chartrand) in how to deal with situations like this one. But is that really enough? Did the trainer and Buffalo need to hear hurtful comments that made them feel unwelcome in the country they live in? A country that many falsely think is welcoming to all cultures.
I see racist comments every day, in comment threads, on twitter, on any variety of facebook status involving Idle No More last month, everyone turns a blind eye to the fact that we still live in an age where the color of your skin or outward appearance of culture is still a target for negativity. From monkey noises directed towards black soccer players in Europe, to comments like these made at rinks not far from home, it has been a problem well before me, and it will sadly be a problem after me it seems. Sure everyone will tell you that racism is bad, but telling you it is bad, and stepping into the face of a man making racist comments and telling him it is not okay is another thing entirely.
As a society, we need to step up and let people like this know that this type of behavior is no longer welcome, it is a difficult task to change an entire culture and I will admit I am as part of the problem as the next person, but our apathy towards comments like the ones made in Weyburn needs to stop.
This isn't trying to get rid of passionate fans and those who want to be vocal during the game, SJHL tickets cost money, and fans should be allowed to enjoy the experience how they want. I am even okay with the foul language, I am a grown man and can easily tolerate such things, but once you start making people feel hurt for the color of their skin, the religion they choose, you are violating the Charter of Rights and Freedoms our country so proudly constituted, and that is where the line needs to be drawn finally.
This old man hopefully learned that it is not okay to say what he said finally, and will miss his beloved Red Wings games for the rest of the season, silenced and excluded for his appalling behavior. A punishment that fits the crime, but one that will be wasted if nothing changes. The status quo of turning a blind eye when someone makes racist, or even homophobic comments needs to be changed. We pride ourselves of being a melting pot of a nation, a nation of immigrants in case you haven't forgotten, it is time we start acting like it.
