With racial tensions high in the U.S., many Canadians are taking solace in their country鈥檚 firm official stance.
But one woman isn鈥檛 so sure that extends into the Lower Mainland.
Justine Galo of Burnaby spotted a Confederate flag hanging from a Surrey home last Saturday, the same day that a 20-year-old Ohio man rammed his car into a crowd that was counter-protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va.
Angry and disheartened to see this in Canada. On Fraser Hwy in Surrey.
鈥� G. Justine G. (@Aviewfromabroad)
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鈥淎s accepting as we are as a culture, I do find there is a vocal minority of people who feel much the way as white nationalist demonstrators in Charlottesville,鈥� Galo told Black Press in a story published Thursday.
Galo, who used to live in the United States, said the flag touched a nerve.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sore spot since I have been a target of a bigot in Georgia and I cannot forget it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he root of that [attitude] in Georgia has much to do with the Confederacy. It boils my blood.鈥�
But the woman who lives at the Surrey home where a Confederate flag has been spotted insists the flag isn鈥檛 a symbol of racism.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not raised in any racist way, shape or form,鈥� Kaetlin Lynch said Friday.
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Lynch contacted Black Press in response to the initial story posted Thursday about the flag, saying she was upset and angry about it, and that the story made her home a target.
Black Press had tried to contact the owner of the home before publishing the story by calling the phone number listed with the home鈥檚 address in the phone book, but the person at that number said he no longer lived there.
Lynch said her boyfriend hung the flag up on Canada Day 鈥渂ecause he鈥檚 redneck,鈥� and that both of them have researched the meaning of the flag.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 believe in racist crap,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e read the actual history of the flag and what it actually stands for, and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 up there. People need to do their homework, simple as that. Do your homework before you judge that it鈥檚 a racist flag [only] because Michelle Obama said it was.鈥�
Galo said the flag 鈥� despite being flown on Canadian soil 鈥� symbolizes hate she endured while living in the south.
She mentioned a time she said hello to child at a public festival in Altlanta.
鈥淎 little Caucasian girl came to me and smiled. I waved back and her mom came and snatched her and muttered, 鈥楧on鈥檛 touch that woman. Asians are dirty.鈥欌��
The moment still haunts Galo, more than 20 years later.
鈥淚鈥檝e been called many names in my life, but I鈥檝e never felt made to sound like a plague like I did that day back in 1996,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ate is taught.鈥�
