Editorial No time for silence The racist slogans and Nazi swastikas spray-painted across the walls of the Beth Tikvah synagogue in Richmond last Sunday were a reminder that outbursts of racist violence are not something that Canadians left behind them with the end of World War Il. It may only have been coincidental that the act of racist vandalism came as people throughout the world were remembering the Holocaust when six million Jews were murdered in the death camps of Nazi Germany. But it could not make the slogan scrawled in red paint on the wall — “six million wasn't enough” — any less appalling. But the judicial response to the attack came only from the RCMP which said it had “no leads” in the incidents and no witnesses to point in the direction of the perpetrators. But is Sunday’s attack something that should be dealt with in a single police investiga- tion? This was the third such attack on the Beth Tikvah synagogue in 12 months. And other synagogues have been defaced as well. Gangs of Nazi “skinheads” continue to appear in Vancouver and elsewhere ped- dling anti-Semitic literature. Hate literature reminiscent of that spewed out by con- victed racist Ernst Zundel continues to be sent through the mails. Groups such as the Aryan Nations continue to conduct meetings, their activities the subject of magazine articles. But although New Democrat MLAs have called on Attorney-General Bud Smith to take action against racist groups under existing legislation, the Social Credit government has been silent. What is worse is that the attack Sunday comes amidst a growing climate of racism, fanned by various groups with semi-respectable names who promote opposition to non-European immigration and so give legitimacy to racial intolerance. They’re given coverage in the media, their message supposedly made more acceptable because it is often delivered by prominent citizens. But it is racism nonetheless and until there is decisive action against it, it will continue, and become more violent, perhaps even more violent than last Sunday. The racist attack on the synagogue was not just an isolated incident. Nor was it an attack only against Jews. It was an act against humanity and it should be condemned as such by organizations throughout the democratic community. But more than that, it should signal to the provincial government that the time is long overdue to take action against racism on two fronts — to begin working with local governments in developing race relations programs and to begin prosecuting racist groups and those promoting hate literature. A program is needed that will begin . tochange some of the prevailing attitudes of racial prejudice and to demonstrate clearly that avowedly racist groups will be met with criminal prosecution. For many people, the swastikas on the Richmond synagogue were a wrenching reminder of the Kristallnacht and the horrors of the Holocaust that followed. But they are offensive to all Canadians—and those in government have a special responsibility-to act. VAG §.84.MC + t hem we ee é ie I” Tes E Bi Sah Se - BS) et Poe LAST Spe) K¢ & = ——t IRIBONE EDITOR Sean Griffin ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dan Keeton BUSINESS & CIRCULATION MANAGER . Mike Proniuk GRAPHICS Angela Kenyon Published weekly at 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C.,“V5K 1Z5 Phone: (604) 251-1186 Fax: (604) 251-4232 Subscription rate: Canada: ® $20 one year ® $35 two years @ Foreign $32 one year Second class mail registration number 1560 in] he last noteworthy birthday he remembered enjoying was with his fel- low members of the Veterans of the Mackenzie- Papineau Battalion, several years back. That was when the Canadians who fought for the Spanish Republic in the late Thir- ties returned to Spain following the end of the Franco dictatorship, and-White Rock resident Len Norris was among them. Len related the story of his birthday ~ celebration in Spain at what he claimed was his first ever surprise birthday party in White Rock on Aug. 26, when he and fellow progressive Olive Padgham, a long time peace activist in the Fraser Valley, were honoured by some 20 friends. Len, who turned 85 recently, is national presi- dent of the Mackenzie-Papineau Veterans organization. Olive is 83. In between the cake cutting and the champagne toasts, Vancouver lawyer Els- peth Gardner used the occasion to offi- cially hand over the documents granting the Mac-Paps the rights to the writings of the late Ronald Liversedge, including his book, Recollections of the On to Ottawa Trek, and a memoir of the Mac-Paps. * * * mong the many myths that have accompanied the upcoming goods and services tax of federal Finance Minis- ter Michael Wilson is that it will simply replace, at nine per cent, the higher manu- facturers sales tax. This is not the case, but the fact that Canadians will be hit for a variety of services now basically untaxed is something gets lost among the Tory rhe- toric carried in the daily media. Setting the record straight is an upcom- ing forum sponsored by the Centre for Socialist Education at 1726 East Hastings St. in Vancouver. It will feature economist and founder of the Trade Union Research Bureau Dr. Emil Bjarnason, and Van- couver Ald. Harry Rankin. The talk, followed by a question and discussion period, is at 7:30 p.m. on Wed- nesday, Sept. 13. * * * t wasn’t planned or billed as a money maker, so no one minds if the annual garden party for the Committee of Pro- gressive Electors last Sunday took a bit of a loss. For COPE is already on sound finan- cial footing, and the event which drew some 125 supporters to the site at the Chi- lean Co-op in south Vancouver is consi- dered important for its political impact. Of key significance was the address by Vancouver Point Grey MLA Dr. Tom Perry Jr., who called for action by all progressive civic forces against the demolition of affordable housing and for unity between COPE and the Civic New Democrats in the civic election of 1990. Also on hand was Gerry Scott, NDP candidate in the last federal election for the Quadra riding, and past provincial secretary of the New Democrats. Further news: COPE plans a series of community-based meetings this fall, beginning in September in Kerrisdale and continuing in Grandview-Woodlands and People and Issues a CRE FO SN SBS SCTE eee other areas of Vancouver. The aim is to receive community input in forming COPE policy for the upcoming election, organizers say. And they remind us that COPE has an office at Suite 203, 33 East 8th Ave., phone 879-1447. * * t’s hard to believe it’s been around that long. But the fact of the matter is, the. Vancouver and District Labour Council turned 100 this year. And to commemo- rate the occasion, the council plans a major Labour Day event in Vancouver. It’s at John Hendry (Trout Lake) Park, located on Victoria Street above 12th Avenue, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., on Labour Day, Sept. 4. Labour Council secretary Frank Kennedy promises there will be no speeches, other than a brief welcome at the beginning: “We're here to have fun,” The event features the Labour Day standards including hot dogs, tug-of-wars, races and various children’s games, And it offers what one organizer describes as a “dynamite” lineup of musical entertain- ment. Included on the bill, from 12 noon on, are Rebel Peaches, led by local singers Julie Blue and Bo Conlan, a children’s pro- gram featuring entertainer Lynne Stones, the Nicaraguan group B Cuadro — who arrived here for the Vancouver Folk Music Festival last month and who have founded as the Vancouver Trades and been playing around the city since then — and the Ginger Group. The Vancouver Labour Council was Labour Council in 1889 by local trades workers, notably the construction and printing trades. (Simultaneously, the Vic- toria council was formed.) While based in Vancouver, it functioned in many ways as a labour body for the entire province. K * * he Canada Palestine Association has announced a demonstration for Wed- nesday, Sept. 6, 5:30 p.m. outside Van- couver’s Four Seasons Hotel, to protest the visit of Israeli Defence and Justice Min- ister Dan Meridor. Meridor plans to attend a fund-raising dinner for the Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Meridor, considered one of the rising stars of the right-wing Likud coalition, is one of the architects of the Israeli govern- ment’s repressive policies in the Palesti- nian lands known as the - Occupied Territories. He was instrumental in proc- uring a high army post for Gen. Amos Yaron, who had been found responsible by a government commission for the 1982 massacres at the Sabra and Shatila Pales- tinian refugee camps in Lebanon. He also played a role in acquitting agents of Shabagq, the Israeli intelligence organiza- tion operating in the Occupied Territories, charged with murdering two Palestinian bus hijackers who had surrendered. Meridor is the son of Yaakov Meridor, one of the founder of the Irgun terrorist group led by the late Menachem Begin, former Likud prime minister of Israel. 4 e Pacific Tribune, September 4, 1989