We cats are headed to Montreal soon, and we've noticed a lot of coverage lately about hate groups recruiting there. That's alarming — Canada prides itself on its diversity and welcoming spirit.
Happily, Montrealers aren't taking it lying down. Protests have popped up, including one yesterday in the Rosemont-La Petite Patrie neighborhood. "What we’re seeing is the far right taking up more and more space, spreading heinous ideologies that incite violence," one participant said. "We can’t tolerate it."
It's shocking enough to see Americans marching with Tiki torches and Nazi flags. (We cats know that a lot of battles, like for civil rights and reproductive rights, often have to be maintained with vigilance, but we never thought we'd have to re-fight World War II.) It's even more shocking when somebody flies the swastika in the True North. Part of the British Empire, Canada fought the Nazis for six long years. We Americans got off easy with four.
The emboldening of the far right, whether here at home or north of the 49th Parallel, is a direct result of the rise of Donald Trump. It should forever disqualify him for his deranged supporters' fondest wish — the Nobel Peace Prize. You cannot advance the cause of peace by fanning the flames of hate.
As dispiriting and disturbing as this all is, it's reassuring to see sane people pushing back. Let's hope they can hasten the end of Trumpism and drive the Nazis back to the shadows where they belong. In the meantime, we cats HISS.
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