A Simple Life Lesson

It is often said that with age comes wisdom. While that may be true in some instances, perhaps it is more accurate to say that with age comes context. Within the frame of years lived is a wide canvas, one that often provokes, at least on my part, more bemusement than enlightenment. 

But I have come to one conclusion, not especially insightful or earth-shattering perhaps, but nonetheless practical and useful: People should leave other people alone or, put another way, just don't bother people.

I know in this age of echo-chamber social media that many feel emboldened to share their hateful, racist and extreme views, convinced that they have a wisdom to impart. Feeling especially chuffed, many are happy to act out their ignorant hatred, as evidenced most recently by anti-Asian attacks, both in the United States and Canada.

The attacks are widespread, and often close to home.

... anti-Asian racism has been growing across the country, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) Toronto chapter, which for the first time details the nature of attacks that seem to have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic.

From verbal insults to physical assaults, including being spat upon, 643 complaints were submitted to the council’s online platforms from March 10 to Dec. 31, 2020. Overwhelmingly, these incidents were fuelled by false and racist beliefs about the spread of COVID-19, according to the study’s authors.

“In addition to the ways we know COVID transmits, the spitting and coughing symbolizes a revenge, as if an act of ‘Go back where you came from, where the virus came from,’” said Kennes Lin, a social worker and co-chair of the CCNC Toronto chapter, who was one of the report’s authors.

Avvy Go, director of the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic in Toronto, was walking home when she was accosted and spit at by a group of young people who blocked her route. 

Horrified, Go yelled, “Excuse me!” but the group continued on, laughing among themselves.

“I was just taken aback. I was just stunned,” said Go, director of the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic. “For some of us, every time we step out, we have to worry if we will be targeted again.”

The trauma of experiencing racist attacks, whether verbal or physical, is substantial. The above-referenced report offers  some disturbing insights:

• About 73 per cent of those who reported incidents said they suffered emotional harm or mental distress from what occurred. About eight per cent reported physical injuries.

• Individuals who reported an incident in a Chinese language as opposed to English were 34 per cent more like to suffer emotional distress from the incident and 100 per cent more likely to have experienced a physical assault.

• Close to 50 per cent of incidents occurred in public spaces (park/street/sidewalk), while another 17 per cent took place in grocery stores or restaurants.

There is much, much more to the report, which I suggest you take a look at as time permits.  

So what is to be done? Other than raising public awareness about these hateful attacks and mobilizing support for the Asian community, I return to what I said at the beginning of this post. Miscreants need a reality check in order to understand that very few are thirsting for their 'wisdom,' and the best course  for such individuals is to keep their hatred to themselves, and just don't bother people.

A tall order, I know.