, 09.24.2019 07:17 AM

My latest: the speech Justin Trudeau should have given, but won’t

My fellow Liberals, my fellow Canadians.

Last week, I spoke about the scandal that has hit my campaign. I didn’t do it right, so I’m now going to try again.

First things first: over and over, I used the wrong pronoun. I talked about how “we,” as a country, need to do better. How “we” need to be less racist.

I got that wrong. I shouldn’t have said “we.” I should have said “I.” Because I – not we – was the one who smeared stuff all over my face and my body and mocked black people.

It was I – not we – who was racist. Me. Repeatedly – as a high school student in Montreal, and then as a teacher of high school students in Vancouver.

When I was thirty years old. When I was a man, not a boy. When I was supposed to know better.

In the video that came out, everyone focussed on the blackface-style racism, and they should have. But they missed something, maybe because the video was grainy.

In it, I’m wearing a T-shirt with bananas on the front. I’ve stuffed something down the front of my jeans. And I jump around like an ape.

I did all of that to communicate something that I’m amazed so many of you missed. I did it to suggest that blacks are apes. Which was the worst kind of racism.

Oh, in case you are wondering if I did blackface more than those three times, the answer is yes: I did. I repeatedly, and gleefully, acted like a racist. I can’t remember every detail because I was wasted.

The people who work for me have all forgiven me, of course. What do you expect? When the boss asks people for forgiveness, they will always give it.

But I must say that Liberal MPs of colour – Navdeep Bains, Omar Alghabra, Greg Fergus – surprised even me with how speedily they pronounced me without sin. I think we all know that if Andrew Scheer had done blackface on Halloween at the age of five, Navdeep, Omar and Greg would be convening a Human Rights Tribunal right now to have Scheer thrown in a gulag in Nunavut for the rest his life.

Because black face is racist. What I did was racist. I wanted to communicate that black people are worthy of mockery. That they are apes. That they belong in cages. That’s as racist as it gets.

Now, last week, I tried to excuse away my racism by saying I was a child of privilege. That I had grown up with a “blind spot” about such things. But we all know that’s a lie.

Growing up rich, and going to the best schools – being a child of privilege – doesn’t excuse my racism. In fact, it’s the reverse: it makes my racism all the more wrong. I, growing up in the house of the man who gave Canada a Charter of Rights, should have known better.

Anyway, words are cheap. I apologize for stuff all the time, to the point where the apologies have no meaning anymore. All that matters is actions, not words.

So, I will now do what I should’ve done last week. I intend to resign the office of the Prime Minister soon after the election, win or lose. And, by the way, I’m amazed I could still win it. That says a lot more about Canadians that it does about me, frankly.

So, there you go. I need time to get away and learn to be a better Dad, a better husband, a better man. I can’t do that as Prime Minister of Canada.

Because words can’t excuse what I did.

Because what I did was racist.

Thank you.

24 Comments

  1. Steve says:

    What Trudope did in the photos and videos was a lot of things: stupid, immature, ill-informed, intolerant, blinkered, privileged, shallow, showboating, grand-standing, ego-driven…. the list goes on and on. But ultimately, it wasn’t racist.

    Here’s the thing: he’s demonstrated these behaviors, in whole or in part, throughout his entire term. Showy virtue-signaling in place of real action, empty promises made with no intention of keeping them, and a real lack of understanding of any of the files he mishandles.

    That a man who lacked for nothing growing up as the son of a Prime Minister and the grandson of a successful businessman could grow up to be such an empty vessel is astonishing. So many people who grow up from a place of privilege go on to live a life of service, to repay in part for the bounty of riches they got to take advantage of.

    Not our boy Justin. An empty vessel with no discernible skills but a tendency to be theatrical… a skill well-suited to pulling the wool over the collective eyes of a disengaged electorate to become PM.

    Now that we know the truth… that there’s no “there”, there, now that we know he’s an attention-seeking lightweight who doesn’t know the meaning of contrition, responsibility or even “I’m sorry”, let’s do us all a favor. Deny him a second term.

    • Vancouverois says:

      It WAS racist.

      An action doesn’t have to be conscious to count as racist. Whether he intended it maliciously or not, he did demonstrate that he thought it was funny to portray a racist stereotype. I mean, he shoved something down his pants! You can’t tell me that doesn’t count as racist.

      It’s not as bad as lynching or burning crosses on somebody’s lawn… but let’s not pretend it wasn’t racist at all.

      • Christoph Dollis says:

        But he was in blackface wearing a banana shirt at the time. Can you tell me, with certainty, that it wasn’t just a convenient place to store a few bananas for a snack later, and that the blackface wasn’t, it being an outdoor trip after all, impromptu sunscreen?

        I mean, can you, punk?

  2. Joe says:

    I wonder when Justin will learn that it’s wrong to lie.

    So far his friends and the Liberal Party seem ok with Justin’s lying. They also seem ok with his stupid inconsistent explanations for his multiple blackface escapades, conducted over a period of at least ten years.

    Justin was almost thirty years old at the last one (that we know of). This spoiled boy child hasn’t grown up. He’s still dressing up (India trip).

    What world leader will take him seriously. Just imagine the next G20. Will any leader even talk to the blackface liar in chief?

    • Mark says:

      My guess if G7 leaders talk to Trump, there would be no reason not to talk to JT.

      • Vancouverois says:

        But Trump is leader of the most important country in the world; they can’t afford to ignore him.

        Canada, on the other hand… still important, but not to the same extent.

  3. Phil says:

    If Trudeau himself said what he did was racist why do we refuse to acknowledge he is racist? Agree with the lack of substance being an issue but the man is getting away with BEING racist by people who don’t even seem to believe his confession.

  4. Mike Drew says:

    Well said Steve.

  5. John says:

    Just listened to Trudeau’s climate minister announce the Liberal climate change platform. She talked briefly about working with the provinces on the issue, but spent most of her time trashing Ford, Scheer, Harper and other provincial premiers. Maybe I’m naive and not university educated, but how does she think she is going to get provincial cooperation, if she spends most of her time trashing the provinces. Just asking.

  6. mike jeffries says:

    What you don’t realize is that Justin personifies many Canadians! They voted for him then and will vote for him again.
    He’s their boy who has taught them to lie, be silly, and just enjoy life, keep borrowing money because, well, the budget will balance itself. If not, just declare bankruptcy and begin again!
    What we’ll get is a Justin minority propped up by the NDP to totally bankrupt this country. Maybe then Canadians will wakeup? Likely not!
    How cynical I have become. Am I the only one?

  7. Steve says:

    Just watched Trudeau refuse to answer a question asking what “costume” he was wearing in the river rafting video. He prattled on with his usual non answer bafflegab and when challenged again by the reporter to answer the question he again refused and repeated the same nonsense. I think the following may be the underlying problem :

    A pathological liar tells lies and stories that fall somewhere between conscious lying and delusion. They sometimes believe their own lies.
    It’s difficult to know how to deal with a pathological liar who may not always be conscious of their lying. Some do it so often that experts believe they may not know the difference between fact and fiction after some time.
    Pathological liars also tend to be natural performers. They’re eloquent and know how to engage with others when speaking. They’re creative and original, and quick thinkers who don’t usually show common signs of lying, such as long pauses or avoidance of eye contact.
    When asked questions, they may speak a lot without ever being specific or answering the question.
    Sure sounds like the Trudeau we have seen over the last 4 years in the HOC and the numerous scandals…
    For a more detailed description of Trudeau go to:
    https://www.healthline.com/health/pathological-liar#fascination

  8. Jim R says:

    I was also struck by how Trudeau had been talking about “we” and not “I”.
    I think I may have shouted out loud at the TV, “you’re the one that did this, moron, not us”.

  9. Christoph Dollis says:

    Justin Trudeau didn’t dress in blackface, wear a banana shirt, shove a massive fake dick down his pants, and act like an ape and/or savage because he didn’t know better: he knew it was offensive and did it to show he could get away with it. He has no shame and is a sociopath.

    Not all sociopaths are bad people. Some make excellent surgeons or generals, to name two, where ruthless decisions have to be made for the greater good. For Justin Trudeau, he and he alone is the greater good. To Hell with his Party or his country! He didn’t even tell his LPC handlers about all this. It was bound to come out and it did.

  10. Christoph Dollis says:

    No, it’s just sharing responsibility for bad behavior with others so he gets less blame and consequences: it’s that simple.

    By his telling, it was those who gave him a high-quality progressive liberal education were to blame for him not knowing better, and also those who treated him well growing up. His “privilege” made him do this bad thing over and over again.

    Guess what? A lot of people went to those schools: they didn’t do this. For example, the Arabian Nights event was a black tie party. It wasn’t a dress up party. He’s the only guest who arrived in costume, much less blackface.

    No, this is Justin’s behavior, not merely his “privilege.” Most rich people are not total pricks in this way. Why would they be?

    Yeah, I’m not saying they’re perfect, but they don’t prance around in racist costumes over and over again throughout their lifetimes.

  11. Alfred Thein says:

    I’m into little kids. Send me spam.

  12. Mezba Mahtab says:

    If this is all the Conservatives have on JT I am sorry for them. The fact is this Liberal government demonstrated its commitment to justice, to diversity, to unity, to anti-Islamophobia, etc. mean while Andrew Scheer still won’t attend gay pride parades, compares them to dog tails, has people running for MP like Ken Diotte that associate with Faith Goldy a day AFTER the NZ massacre.

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