Why I wrote the open letter to Mr. Donald Trump
By. Sunny Mangat
Editor’s Note: On December 7th, 2015, U.S. Presidential hopeful Donald Trump called for a total ban on all Muslim immigrating to the United States. Sunny Mangat’s response drew significant media coverage and a growing petition to remove his name from the Trump Towers in Vancouver. This is her story.
I wrote the open letter because I have watched Mr. Trump systematically discriminate against various groups over the last year. He started with the Hispanics, where he stated that Mexico was deliberately sending over their ‘diseased and rapists’ to the USA. He then moved on the African-American black youth, claiming they had ‘no spirit’ when discussing the killings in Baltimore and Chicago. Now he is targeting Muslims, in which he believes the USA should implement compulsory registration in addition to his plan to stop Muslim immigrants. These statements sound too similiar as the rhetoric of Adolf Hitler during Nazi Germany.
The Trump Tower in Vancouver stands to be the second tallest next to the Shangri-La hotel – do we really want our city attached to a symbol of hate?
We as Canadians, as Vancouverites, have overcome so many challenges and over the years have come to embrace our diversity. Despite Canada’s history of prejudice and discrimination. For example, the Komagata Maru, the Japanese internment and the Chinese head tax. But efforts have been made to rectify these injustices and bridge the gaps between communities. These are just a few examples, and we are continuing on by building bridges with our First Nations community.
What are we saying to the fellow citizens of our city, our country and globally by having a symbol of hate at the center of our city?
Trump’s rhetoric do not uplift nor represent what Vancouver and Canada stand for. He represents hate and fear, a brand that is anathema to our city.
The people of this amazing city have high standards and principles and we should not allow a man to incite fear or hate in the heart Vancouver. We may not have the loudest voice on the global front. However, our high standards and our ethical behaviour do that job for us. You can travel almost anywhere in the world, and if they know you are a Canadian, you are typically greeted with a smile. I want to keep it that way. We are a community that takes actions as opposed to just talking. By removing his name we are making it clear to Vancouver, to Canada and to the rest of the world that we are a united city and country and we will not allow division through fear.
Never underestimate the power of people- unity is key.
