Your heading "Turbans acceptable" (Letter, Nov. 25) shows commendable
magnanimity.
Very few nations would permit "foreigners" to tamper with their
national symbols. Less commendable is your, and your correspondent's, obvious
disdain for Canada's original inhabitants.
They are much more numerous than Sikhs, more typically Canadian and surely
more deserving (having been dispossessed of their land, culture and self-respect
for several centuries).
Furthermore, the "Indian" headdress is already a proud national
symbol known throughout the world. It is aesthetically more pleasing than
the turban. If accepted by the RCMP, it would not only enliven Canada's
image but bring long-overdue recognition of the native people's hitherto
successful attempts to integrate with their natural environment.
It reflects badly on us as Canadians that we have not already incorporated
at least one symbol of the First Nations into our national regalia. History
suggests that the RCMP would be an appropriate place to start.
Sincerely,
Ian Macdonald
November 25, 1989