A sociology professor at the University of British Columbia is urging people to consider another approach when reacting to the racist images of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau B次元官网网址� one of reconciliation and learning, instead of punishment and aggression.

B次元官网网址淲e are now treating racism as a crime that you cannot recover from,B次元官网网址� professor Rima Wilkes said in a phone interview Thursday, after two photos and a video surfaced this week showing a younger Trudeau in brownface and blackface.

B次元官网网址淥ther crimes, you can serve your time and you are allowed to come back into society. But what weB次元官网网址檙e doing with racism is that, if we find any indication that you have ever been overly racist, then you should lose your job.B次元官网网址�

The images, which Trudeau himself has dubbed as racist, are having an impact beyond the campaign trail, prompting many people to question how they react to people in power committing acts of racism, especially ones made decades earlier.

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Wilkes, who studies radicalization and , said labelling people as racist and shaming them leaves little room for mistakes to be resolved and learning to be had.

B次元官网网址淚f you stay racist and youB次元官网网址檙e promoting racism on purpose, that is one thing,B次元官网网址� she said, but society needs to accept someone when they act racist and apologize for it, and examine how they themselves can create a more accepting society.

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Trudeau was in front of the media issuing an apology within hours after Time magazineB次元官网网址檚 story broke on the internet, featuring a 2001 photo of him in brownface posing as Aladdin while a teacher at VancouverB次元官网网址檚 West Point Grey Academy.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did,B次元官网网址� Trudeau said. B次元官网网址淚 shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have done that. It was a dumb thing to do. IB次元官网网址檓 disappointed in myself. IB次元官网网址檓 pissed off at myself for having done it. I apologize for it.B次元官网网址�

But another instance of Trudeau in blackface was released by Global B次元官网网址 shortly after, in addition to a second incident Trudeau himself admitted to from when he was in high school.

Trudeau apologized for a second time Thursday, saying he didnB次元官网网址檛 recall some of those earlier images, he didnB次元官网网址檛 see at the time that it was wrong because of his privileged upbringing and he deeply regrets his behaviour.

Just as quickly to react were TrudeauB次元官网网址檚 foes, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, the first visible minority to lead a national party in Canada.

Rather than condemn Trudeau, Singh told the cameras that his opponentB次元官网网址檚 actions will hurt Canadians who endured racism 20 years ago, and more importantly, will hurt young people facing discrimination now.

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B次元官网网址淚 want to talk to all of the kids out there, all the folks who lived this and are now grown up and still feeling the pain of racism,B次元官网网址� Singh said Wednesday night. B次元官网网址淚 want you to know that you might feel like giving up on Canada B次元官网网址� I want you to know that you have value, you have worth and you are loved.B次元官网网址�

Satwinder Kaur Bains, the director of the University of the Fraser ValleyB次元官网网址檚 South Asian Studies Institute, applauded SinghB次元官网网址檚 reaction, and said that while the photos are B次元官网网址渧ery disheartening,B次元官网网址� they should prompt a national discussion, rather than political division.

B次元官网网址淚 feel like times like these, we all go into our silos,B次元官网网址� Bains said, but instead, politicians should come together.

The photos can help Canadians learn why dressing up as visible minorities is unacceptable, she said, and how that is linked to the barriers and racism faced by people of colour.

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Both Bains and Wilkes acknowledge that an apology doesnB次元官网网址檛 instantly rid the harm and pain thatB次元官网网址檚 been caused.

Countless electoral candidates and community leaders, including those at a meeting of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver on Thursday, have rebuked Trudeau and called for his resignation.

Joan Philip, NDP candidate in Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, has called for Trudeau to resign from his leadership position.

B次元官网网址淗is apology is hollow. ThereB次元官网网址檚 two parts to the apology. ThereB次元官网网址檚 the apology and then thereB次元官网网址檚, B次元官网网址楬ow do I make it right?B次元官网网址� Just like Canada when they apologized for what they did to us. They have to make it right,B次元官网网址� said Phillip to The Canadian Press.

But Michelle Corfield, the Liberal candidate in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, said that though she is disappointed, she believes everyone deserves forgiveness when they ask for it.

B次元官网网址淚 hope the country learns a lesson from this,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗e has asked for forgiveness, he has said sorry. It is now time for us as a country to look at that and take something from it.B次元官网网址�

- with files from Tyler Olsen at The Abbotsford B次元官网网址 and The Canadian Press

ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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