Tory MP accused of emailing 'denigrating' joke

[Fortunata]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...0125?hub=Canada

Colin Mayes is the head of the Native Affairs Committee and he sends around a Tonto joke? Then he says that it was just a joke and too much is being made of it. Hello Colin, look what position you hold. What a joker.

[Canadian Blue]

It's just a joke, people should learn to lighten up. I've heard hundreds of jokes which were much more offensive then the one the member made.

[BC_chick]

It's just a joke, people should learn to lighten up. I've heard hundreds of jokes which were much more offensive then the one the member made.

As Fortunata pointed out, it's not the joke, but Mayes' position.

[geoffrey]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...0125?hub=Canada

Colin Mayes is the head of the Native Affairs Committee and he sends around a Tonto joke? Then he says that it was just a joke and too much is being made of it. Hello Colin, look what position you hold. What a joker.

Oh please. Grow up. A joke is a joke. If he circulated this joke around the department, sure, it's unprofessional and shouldn't be tolerated.

But if a friend sends me an e-mail joke, and I laugh, am I to be condemned because it has some racial (though much more political in this case) undertones?

The PC police have kicked it up a notch.

[Fortunata]

Oh please, you conservatives sure get your tail in a knot when improprieties of your party are aired.

I know it's just a joke BUT c'mon even you Cons should get that the head of the Native Affairs Committee shouldn't be sending around a Native joke? What's more inappropriate? I'm sure Natives are going to really believe this guy is working for their good after this. He's lost his credibility.

[geoffrey]

Oh please, you conservatives sure get your tail in a knot when improprieties of your party are aired.

I know it's just a joke BUT c'mon even you Cons should get that the head of the Native Affairs Committee shouldn't be sending around a Native joke? What's more inappropriate? I'm sure Natives are going to really believe this guy is working for their good after this. He's lost his credibility.

Actually the e-mail called secularists 'Godless infidels' as well, but that's not the prime focus of the article or your post... mostly because they aren't a minority that has way too much power in Canada.

If you sent me an e-mail Fortunata... and I was government minister of Indian Affairs, and you make some joke about Indians... I should be responsible and resign for laughing at it?

[Slavik44]

Oh please, you conservatives sure get your tail in a knot when improprieties of your party are aired.

I know it's just a joke BUT c'mon even you Cons should get that the head of the Native Affairs Committee shouldn't be sending around a Native joke? What's more inappropriate? I'm sure Natives are going to really believe this guy is working for their good after this. He's lost his credibility.

Well technically he didn't send the joke, he recieved the joke. And technically the joke wasn't poking fun at natives, it was poking fun at government officials, using a stock native charachter. I can think of worse things seen and sent over e-mail by government officials.

Now was it the brightest move for this guys career? Nope, this will hang over his head anytime his name is mentioned in the media. So hey, maybe as head of native affairs he should have been astute enough to cover his rear a bit better.

But lets give politicians the benifiet of the doubt, just this once, and god forbid suggest they have a sense of humor. In such a case how many jokes do you think they have sent? And perhaps those jokes are going to be a little more contraversial then how did the chicken cross the road? Which in its own right is probabley highly offensive to animal rights activists.

Personally I would prefer the media raise a clamour about bad government actions and spending decisions, but that is just me. Perhaps if they weren't so busy trying to find an MP who has seen an offensive joke, they may actually get to report real news, like an MP implementing an offensive policy.

[scribblet]

Oh please, you conservatives sure get your tail in a knot when improprieties of your party are aired.

I know it's just a joke BUT c'mon even you Cons should get that the head of the Native Affairs Committee shouldn't be sending around a Native joke? What's more inappropriate? I'm sure Natives are going to really believe this guy is working for their good after this. He's lost his credibility.

Personally I would prefer the media raise a clamour about bad government actions and spending decisions, but that is just me. Perhaps if they weren't so busy trying to find an MP who has seen an offensive joke, they may actually get to report real news, like an MP implementing an offensive policy.

Good post. The Liberals have their knickers in a knot because it made fun of them; anything to tar and feather the opposition and score points.

[margrace]

But this is just the problem. This is a man sending this? Too many times I have heard stuff like this excused by men because it is just a joke. I was at a conference in Ontario on the problem of abused women. We were talking to the Attorney General of the time, not the present one, and a gentleman came up and asked how his wife was and where she was. His reply was At home where she should be. Shocked silence from the group.

Men just don't get it, I guess it is in their genes.

[Ricki Bobbi]

But this is just the problem. This is a man sending this? Too many times I have heard stuff like this excused by men because it is just a joke. I was at a conference in Ontario on the problem of abused women. We were talking to the Attorney General of the time, not the present one, and a gentleman came up and asked how his wife was and where she was. His reply was At home where she should be. Shocked silence from the group.

Men just don't get it, I guess it is in their genes.

Easy honey, don't get your knickers in a knot.

Two examples of stupid behaviour by men isn't enough to tar 3 billion people world wide.

Was this the Provincial or Federal attorney general? Which party?

Mayes' just made an error in judgment. Never email something that could get you in trouble.

Obviously he just forwarded it, but it wasn't a bright move...

[Wilber]

For cripes sake. how about some real issues! I sure doesn't seem like politicians have to try very hard to make themselves look like twits, it comes naturally.

[M.Dancer]

I am reminded of the time last August 2005 when the Ontario Provincial Tories sent a letter to the assembly of first nations addressed to Leader Mathew Coon Come....except he wasn't the leader.....

[jefferiah]

The Liberals will dig up anything.

[M.Dancer]

The Liberals will dig up anything.

In this case, with the class in ottawa, you don't need to dig.

[tml12]

Oh please, you conservatives sure get your tail in a knot when improprieties of your party are aired.

I know it's just a joke BUT c'mon even you Cons should get that the head of the Native Affairs Committee shouldn't be sending around a Native joke? What's more inappropriate? I'm sure Natives are going to really believe this guy is working for their good after this. He's lost his credibility.

Nothing in that e-mail could be more offensive to Canada's Aboriginal community than the treatment of Aboriginals when the Liberals were in power.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...s_name=&no_ads=

Plus the Liberals weren't exactly known for their careful e-mails either. Calling Olivia Chow a "dog" and Scott Brison's insider trusts game comes to mind.

[Catchme]

The hypocrisy of his actions, he fires a staff from his riding association because he did not like his staff's joking email, but feels he is justifed to stay?

Typical, rascist puke! That email should have been immediately deleted and a letter sent to the person sending it saying that this type of thing was not acceptable. Instead he forwarded it!

[Wilber]

The hypocrisy of his actions, he fires a staff from his riding association because he did not like his staff's joking email, but feels he is justifed to stay?

Typical, rascist puke! That email should have been immediately deleted and a letter sent to the person sending it saying that this type of thing was not acceptable. Instead he forwarded it!

Where do you take your over the top lessons? You were made for politics.

Racist? The guys got a Japanese wife and two adopted Haitian grand children. He sure must have taught his kids to be racist to.

[Canadian Blue]

But this is just the problem. This is a man sending this? Too many times I have heard stuff like this excused by men because it is just a joke. I was at a conference in Ontario on the problem of abused women. We were talking to the Attorney General of the time, not the present one, and a gentleman came up and asked how his wife was and where she was. His reply was At home where she should be. Shocked silence from the group.

Men just don't get it, I guess it is in their genes.

Well I've never heard a women make a joke about men, I guess they are just to perfect.

Typical, rascist puke! That email should have been immediately deleted and a letter sent to the person sending it saying that this type of thing was not acceptable. Instead he forwarded it!

How is he racist, people make jokes like that all the time, hell half of these racial jokes come from minority groups. I'm wondering if the people making these accusation's even have an idea of what a real racist is, it seems they don't since they have to make up racists.

[Catchme]

The hypocrisy of his actions, he fires a staff from his riding association because he did not like his staff's joking email, but feels he is justifed to stay?

Typical, rascist puke! That email should have been immediately deleted and a letter sent to the person sending it saying that this type of thing was not acceptable. Instead he forwarded it!

Racist? The guys got a Japanese wife and two adopted Haitian grand children. He sure must have taught his kids to be racist to.

You're trying to say someone can't be racist against First Nations because they have a Japanese wife and their children adopted Haitians?

Totally untrue! I have a friend, or had a friend actually, whose wife is Filipino and his child of course is 1/2 and he is completely racially biased against FN's. When one pointed that out to him, he just said "that's different, Filipinos are hard working honest people."

Rasism isn't an all or nothing situation, most people are not racially biased against all let's say non-whites.

His job position demands he be non racially sterotyping. And "stock native' jokes are racial sterotyping and in fact bigotry, whether you choose to see it or not. More over he gave the joke his approval by forwarding it. I am ashamed that he is a BC MP.

He needs to be fired or resign immediately, it is no wonder FN's issues are NOT being taken seriously by thios government.

[Keepitsimple]

Good joke.

[weaponeer]

What is the big deal, just a dumb joke. I have heard way worse. It's a good potrayal of the gov't though:)

Rascism is a word we throw around way too easily these days. I think we have lost touch with what it really means.

[Black Dog]

Racist? The guys got a Japanese wife and two adopted Haitian grand children. He sure must have taught his kids to be racist to.

Being on intimate terms with certain races does not automatically discount the possibility of harbouring racist beliefs about others. The joke is certainly quasi-racist, plus "Indian" is a passe term. The bottom line is I would have hoped a senior government official would have a little bit more proffessionalism about these things.

The worst part about the "joke"? It's not funny.

[Canadian Blue]

You're trying to say someone can't be racist against First Nations because they have a Japanese wife and their children adopted Haitians?

Totally untrue! I have a friend, or had a friend actually, whose wife is Filipino and his child of course is 1/2 and he is completely racially biased against FN's. When one pointed that out to him, he just said "that's different, Filipinos are hard working honest people."

Rasism isn't an all or nothing situation, most people are not racially biased against all let's say non-whites.

His job position demands he be non racially sterotyping. And "stock native' jokes are racial sterotyping and in fact bigotry, whether you choose to see it or not. More over he gave the joke his approval by forwarding it. I am ashamed that he is a BC MP.

He needs to be fired or resign immediately, it is no wonder FN's issues are NOT being taken seriously by thios government.

So what action's besides the jokes show that he is a racist. If he's doing his job, why fire him over some person getting their panties tied up in a knot.

[Catchme]

'Canadian Blue' So what action's besides the jokes show that he is a racist. If he's doing his job, why fire him over some person getting their panties tied up in a knot.

The joke, and his approval and recommending it while forwarding it after is plenty enough. It went to his MP's office, and was forwarded from there. This also makes anything he does in committeee suspect, and subject to suspicion, meaning he cannot do his job adequately.

And sweet, you approve of a racist joke and add a misogynist comment as well.

[weaponeer]

It's not a rascist joke.....