Stephen Harper getting human rights award from Can Jewish Congress

Stephen Harper has been making loud noises about Chinese human rights only he now does it in the basement at 24 Sussex Drive

As a member of an enumerated group under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, my advice to Mr. Harper is fix your own problems before you tell a neighbor how to cut his grass.

Minorities in Canada have an uphill battle and those living with disabilities are among the those with the least human rights. Sorry if you are offended but if someone told you to go home and not enter a restaurant you’d be screaming bloody hell. If you were turned down for a job because of your skin color or hair color, you’d be outraged.

Those living with disabilities in Canada get a pat on the head and a kick in the arse from society.

A family told me this summer their son who uses a power wheelchair couldn’t attend Holland College. They complained the chair was too noisy. He can only go to a few bars in town. He can’t get employment and people treat him like he is an idiot, which he is not.

Adding to our record is the discriminatory treatment of Native Canadians, blacks and others. Why was Suaad Hagi Mohamud detained by Canadian immigration? She was black and didn’t “look” like her picture.

Let’s check some facts. Rates of incarceration are a good barometer of how a country treats the human rights of its citizens. While some people in jail are violent criminals, many are incarcerated based on racial bias and criminalization of social behaviors.

The US has criminalized the use of drugs to the point they have the highest rate of incarceration in the world and the majority of the inmates are not white. The US rate of putting citizens in jail is 760 per 100,000 population. Along with owing the Chinese $1.5 trillion dollars, that makes a poor talking point for President Obama.

The next four on the world’s worst countries for imprisoning people are:

2 Saint Kitts and Nevis 660
3 Russian Federation 626
4 Rwanda 593
5 Cuba 531

China has 119 per 100,000 and Canada has 116 prisoners per 100,000. We are in a statistical dead heat with the Chinese on putting citizens in prison.

China probably does things we don’t like or accept. We do things they don’t like either. It’s the kettle calling the pot black.

Mr. Harper, stop preaching and try to improve the human rights of your own citizens first. It’s a little harder than telling off a neighbor but more effective.

For a little perspective on Canada and China, compare Tienanmen Square with the Winnipeg General Strike when armed RCMP charged the crowd, wounded 30 and killed one person.