Victor Felix (letter July 11) endorses Prof. Hodge's suggestion that Canada
offer refuge to "anyone wishing to leave Hong Kong" prior to
the Communist takeover but goes one better and includes Macao as well.
If the idea has merit, why not extend the invitation to the Chinese already
under Communist rule and whose plight therefore is much more urgent?
Of course, there are a good many more inhabitants of China proper than
of Hong Kong and Macao but then the additional numbers would render the
gesture, and the purported benefits, that much more praiseworthy.
Once we had solved the Chinese problem, we could then resume our normal
intake of oppressed Nigerians, Sikhs, Ghanians, Guyanese, Haitians, Vietnamese,
Iranians, Ugandans, Chileans, Turks, Jews, Portuguese, Lankans, Guatemalans,
Somalis, Palestinians, South Africans and other deserving cases.
Since by this time we probably would be nearing the limit of our absorbtive
capacity, we could alleviate the pressure by cutting down further on immigration
from Britain and Europe. This solution would yield the important additional
benefit of freeing Canadian politicians, churchmen and professors once
and for all from the stigma and terror of appearing to endorse white racism.
It would also hasten the glorious day when whites, too, will be able to
enjoy all the privileges and political rewards of minority status.
Sincerely,
Ian Macdonald
July 16, 1989