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B.C. mayor won’t apologize for cutting up Confederate flags at local dollar store
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2020-07-24 at 1:54 AM UTC
The mayor of Summerland, B.C., is declining to apologize for going into a dollar store in the community and cutting up bandanas featuring the image of the Confederate flag that had been part of its inventory.
Toni Boot, who is Black, said that as a person of colour, the symbol of the Confederate states of the U.S. Civil War era on the bandanas represents white supremacy and that it was incumbent on her as a civic leader to take action.
“I absolutely think that it is illustrating what leaders are supposed to be doing,” Ms. Boot said of her conduct. “Making that statement in the way that I did sends a clear message that we are not going to tolerate racism in our town.”
Last Saturday, Ms. Boot went into Your Dollar Store in Summerland with two friends and a newspaper reporter after learning it had sold bandanas featuring the Confederate symbol. Owner Allan Carter eventually provided them to her, and she and her friends cut them up with scissors outside the store.
The mayor offered to buy the Confederate bandanas, but Mr. Carter gave them to her without charge because he said he did not want trouble.
In the aftermath of her visit to the store, Ms. Boot, who has been mayor since 2018, said she has received five e-mails that are threatening in tone and racially charged in their language.
The controversy comes after Ms. Boot was cited by B.C. Premier John Horgan for her leadership as Summerland dealt with the aftermath of a recent racist attack on the home of a South Asian family. That incident involved spray-painted vulgar drawings and a swastika, as well as broken windows.
“She rallied people behind the family and stood up against racist symbols. Racism is a virus. I admire Mayor Boot’s leadership in helping stomp it out and build a more inclusive BC,” the Premier said in a tweet.
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Sergeant Dave Preston of the Summerland RCMP detachment said Wednesday the department has reviewed a complaint filed by staff at the store and concluded there is no basis for charging the mayor for harassment.
As for the correspondence to the mayor, he said it does not meet the threshold of a hate crime nor have serious threats been brought to his attention.
Ms. Boot said she did not bully the staff. “I was firm. There’s no doubt about that,” she said, adding that she was committing a “blatant and overt” act of anti-racism.
Mr. Carter alleges the mayor was oppressive in her tone and approach. “The mayor was extremely aggressive and bullying to my staff,” he said Wednesday.
He said his store sold more than 2,500 bandanas of various patterns and that the order included some with the Confederate symbol, which were pulled from sale.
“It was a poor decision on my part to put them on the floor. I did not do anything illegal, but in hindsight, I wish I had not done that, put them on the floor,” he said.
Council members expressed disappointment at the turn of events.
Richard Barkwill said in an e-mail that a more conciliatory and educational approach would have benefited all parties. “The headline I would like to have seen is ‘Mayor joins store owner to fight racism.‘”
Marty Van Alphen said the mayor’s conduct has been a regrettable distraction. “Unfortunately this incident has overshadowed the positive response from the community in support of the Lekhi family,” he said in an e-mail, referring to the family targeted in the racist incident.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-mayor-wont-apologize-for-cutting-up-confederate-flags-at-local/ -
2020-07-24 at 2:17 AM UTCObbe is an expert at copy pasting other peoples opinions.
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2020-07-24 at 2:36 AM UTCits funny because there are 0 blacks who emmigrated to BC. The underground railroad was east of thereThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2020-07-24 at 3:33 AM UTCfake and gay publicity stunt
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2020-07-24 at 3:40 AM UTCi was actually there when this happened and lowkey i think it was a total false flag power play. what happened was Misses Boot came in the store and did some jive ass handshake with Mister Carter and then she put some Misses Dash in her Cart and i checked her out while she was checking out. Mister Carter was ringing her spice up and they chopped it up for a few minutes just having not a care in the world and laughing really loud then they leaned in close and whispered some shit and Mister Carter grinned and produced some contraband bandanas from his back pocket she shrieked and said you fool ass cracker gimme that shit already! and then and thenThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2020-07-24 at 3:44 AM UTCCould you imagine a white person immigrating to japan, being elected a mayor, chopping up little miniature imperial war flags at some poor persons store, and then Japanese society cheering him on for taking a stand against racism?
Yeah, me neither.The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire! -
2020-07-24 at 4:04 AM UTC
Originally posted by rabbitweed Could you imagine a white person immigrating to japan, being elected a mayor, chopping up little miniature imperial war flags at some poor persons store, and then Japanese society cheering him on for taking a stand against racism?
Yeah, me neither.
naw those perverts would turn round-eye into sushi and eat it while sniffing their favorite pair of shitty panties, the ones reserved only for special ocassoins -
2020-07-24 at 6:32 AM UTCLol funny thing is it's a little hick town too not really worth mentioning.
Next they'll be cutting up anything with the British flag. -
2020-07-24 at 9:16 PM UTCLol there are like 10 blacks in all of BC.
One was my ex girlfriend.
Another two of them were my friends.
The other 7 I never met. -
2020-07-24 at 9:23 PM UTCLol at "Mayor Boot" though.
Sounds like some kind of super hero name. -
2020-07-24 at 9:26 PM UTCI had to google where Summerland is.
It's kinda rural.
We've got a lot of racists in rural towns around here.
What I'll never understand is how you can hate blacks when you've never even met one. -
2020-07-24 at 9:30 PM UTC
Originally posted by rabbitweed Could you imagine a white person immigrating to japan, being elected a mayor, chopping up little miniature imperial war flags at some poor persons store, and then Japanese society cheering him on for taking a stand against racism?
Yeah, me neither.
I can kinda get behind that argument.
But...
You gotta admit that Canada is nowhere near the Confederate southern states.
Tbh, when I see Confederate flags waving on pickup trucks around here, I pretty much just assume they're a bigot and not a historical preservationist.
And yes, they are always pick up trucks. -
2020-07-24 at 9:39 PM UTCOh, and I'm assuming the mayor compensated the store for the merchandise she destroyed.
If she didn't, she's kind of a cunt, righteous or not. -
2020-07-24 at 9:40 PM UTCI just posted five times in a row in the same thread.
I'm posting a sixth time just because.
Kinda pushing it to the limit in here.The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire! -
2020-07-24 at 9:41 PM UTCI just like seeing my home land being mentioned on the Internet.
It's kinda fun. -
2020-07-24 at 9:42 PM UTC8th consecutive post, tbh.
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2020-07-24 at 9:42 PM UTCAlso I'm drunk (ninth post).
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2020-07-24 at 9:42 PM UTCthere will be no 10th your done bud. mods will deal with this shortlyThe following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2020-07-24 at 9:45 PM UTC
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2020-07-24 at 9:50 PM UTC
