IninewCrow

Singh just stepped down and hopefully the change will mean more potential for the NDP in the next election.

I’m Indigenous Canadian and I fully wish that we could have a country and a political environment where we could support and stand by a visible minority to represent a major political party. But I have to temper that with the knowledge that our country is not fully ready for that kind of person. As much as we would like to believe that we could become a more progressive, open and accepting culture, we are still not there and it will be a few more decades or lifetimes before that can become a reality.

It would be more possible if we actually had an election system that was more representative of our people’s wishes … Proportional Representation would make it more possible to have major political leaders and politicians who represented visible minorities.

I’m Indigenous Canadian and I’m a big brown long haired native guy … you can’t get any more obviously racialized a person as me.

I’m also a lifelong NDP supporter … I’ve been part of the party since I started actively voting just over 30 years ago and I even joined in election campaigns for the party in my region over the years.

And from those experiences … we can’t fool ourselves of what the dynamics of the country still are. You are right we should think the way you describe … that is what we should aspire to … but the reality is that that kind of mentality will only occur in decades or centuries, it won’t change any time soon or within our lifetime. I would love for it change sooner rather than later but that isn’t realistic.

One of the troubling things I noticed in the NDP was in union and worker supporters … as a group most workers and unions will support a party like the NDP … but as individuals they are more than likely to vote for conservative. They support socialist ideals as workers and conservative beliefs at home.

Which is why I honestly believe that at this point in history, we need a plain old older white male to lead the party … if Jack Layton had survived, we would have probably had him as Prime Minister at this point … it’s so sad that he left us before he had a chance to do anything.

They need to replace Singh from the leadership … I have a lot of respect for him and I do appreciate him but you have to be realistic, the majority of the country is still very conservative Eurocentric minded population. The majority of the country do not identify with a politician with a turban. I have no problem with it but there are still many, many people out there that will never support someone like this. Singh also brings in the controversy and troubles of the Sikh / Indian controversies.

I hate to say it and hate to admit it but the only way that the NDP can grow is for the leadership to be replaced by someone who is white but at the very least someone who does not identify with a specific ethnic / religious group by wearing a piece of clothing to identify themselves.

I am a lifelong NDP supporter … I voted for them in my riding here in northern Ontario. But I do know from personal experience and from talking to people in my area that the greatest stumbling block for them voting NDP is that they just can’t identify with a leader who represents a very small ethnic minority in the country.