Racism in Lethbridge Causes National Boycott of Tim Horton's

[Catchme]

Tim Hortons serves up some controversy

'No Drunken Indians Allowed' joke at Alberta outlet no laughing matter for surrounding aboriginal groups

DAWN WALTON

CALGARY — — A boycott is brewing at Canada's iconic coffee and doughnuts chain after a sign that declared "No Drunken Indians Allowed" was taped to a drive-through window at a Tim Hortons outlet in Southern Alberta.

The company, which says the poster was an ill-conceived joke placed by a teenage staff member at a Lethbridge location last week, is fielding complaints from aboriginal people, who are now calling for a ban on the popular eateries.

"Please do not purchase from these stores," noted an e-mail that is circulating among members of native communities. "It might not make a big impact on their profits, but at least it will let them know that these [types] of discriminatory acts will not be tolerated."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

[Drea]

NOTHING will stop me from gettin' my large double double or iced cap... mmmm

Somebody driving thru probably taped it there. Nothing to do with the rest of the customers or the owner.

Now go out and get yer coffees! LOL

[gc1765]

NOTHING will stop me from gettin' my large double double or iced cap... mmmm

Somebody driving thru probably taped it there. Nothing to do with the rest of the customers or the owner.

Now go out and get yer coffees! LOL

Apparently it was one of the employees...but you are correct, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the owners, so no reason to boycott.

[Catchme]

Shoulda read the linked story Drea, it was put there by an employee of Tim Horton's.

And I too love Timmy's, but am writing a letter of complaint and will boycott all Timmy's, the employee was NOT fired.

[guyser]

Glad it was in Alberta. Maybe the protestors from Caledonia and the ones out east in Brockville can venture out there and set up a roadblock. And then when they are gone.....

Considering Tim s has the worst coffee around, maybe second worst to Starbucks, boycotting them will not be on the agenda. I dont go there anyway.

Why the girl was not fired is beyond me. She has been suspended , big deal! Fire her dumb arse immediately.

[Drea]

Oops -- yer right I didn't read it.

It was probably a joke. Can't anybody take a joke anymore?

and I don't think they can fire her arse... there is no other employees available.... unless of course that *drunk indian* would want to work....

*joking!*

[newbie]

Teenager rant. Nothing more. Tim Ho's apologized, let's get on with life.

[geoffrey]

What a ridiculous thing to do, a national boycott?

Some stupid teenager screwed up and wrote a nasty little sign.

I wonder if we should launch a boycott of paying Indian welfare for them shutting down rail lines and obstructing people's property, burning down rail bridges and tearing up a highway.

This seems rather trivial in the bigger picture. If they act as a group, as they seem to be with the boycott, I'll judge them as such.

[sharkman]

Shoulda read the linked story Drea, it was put there by an employee of Tim Horton's.

And I too love Timmy's, but am writing a letter of complaint and will boycott all Timmy's, the employee was NOT fired.

That's not a firable offence. People are far too sensitive, aren't they? Boycotting the whole chain over one young employee's idea of a joke is such a knee jerk reaction.

[cybercoma]

Next time she should write "NO DRUNK IDIOTS," and watch as the idiots complain and boycott Tim Hortons.

[scribblet]

You do know that the gal was disciplined and required to apologize to the First Nations employees, and would it be better that the store closes down throwing the First nations employees out of work?

Actually Timmy's handled it very well by acknowledging that it was racist and having her apologize to her First Nations co-workers. They also wrote a letter of apology to the nearby band, I think she was also docked shifts and Timmies has released a statement apologizing for it categorically affirming that what happened does not reflect Tim Horton's policy. No need to boycot.

BTW, do they get a lot of drunken patrons in the store, is that what prompted this?

[Catchme]

Oops -- yer right I didn't read it.

It was probably a joke. Can't anybody take a joke anymore?

and I don't think they can fire her arse... there is no other employees available.... unless of course that *drunk indian* would want to work....

It was NOT a joke, and she has 2 co-workers who are FN's, I find the underlaying bigotry expressed less than delightful.

[BC_chick]

Tim Hortons serves up some controversy

'No Drunken Indians Allowed' joke at Alberta outlet no laughing matter for surrounding aboriginal groups

DAWN WALTON

CALGARY — — A boycott is brewing at Canada's iconic coffee and doughnuts chain after a sign that declared "No Drunken Indians Allowed" was taped to a drive-through window at a Tim Hortons outlet in Southern Alberta.

The company, which says the poster was an ill-conceived joke placed by a teenage staff member at a Lethbridge location last week, is fielding complaints from aboriginal people, who are now calling for a ban on the popular eateries.

"Please do not purchase from these stores," noted an e-mail that is circulating among members of native communities. "It might not make a big impact on their profits, but at least it will let them know that these [types] of discriminatory acts will not be tolerated."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...y/National/home

They are all franchises, it doesn't make sense to practice collective punishment like that.

How about we just boycott Alberta?

(joke)

[Shakeyhands]

That's not a firable offence. People are far too sensitive, aren't they? Boycotting the whole chain over one young employee's idea of a joke is such a knee jerk reaction.

Thats not a firable offence??? Ok, here is a challenge for you Sharkman, you hang that sign at the front door to where you work and see what happens. I know if I hung it at my place of work I would be on the outside looking in pretty quickly, and rightfully so. The girls should have been dismissed after that.

[Posit]

In the 305 replies to the article at the Globe to the minimum discussion here, few people get the point.

It isn't that one youth put up a sign that was derogatory and racist. It is that there is an environment that exists in that store / coffee shop that would have people think this is funny. You can bet that there are more than one at that store that were involved, since few people laugh alone (and those that do end up in white straight jackets). This employee had the unfortunate demise of taking the heat for the rest of them.

And why is it important to call for a boycott? A clear message must be sent to the corporation (and to which the corporation must respond positively) that these kinds of things will not be tolerated in society today. The only way for this to happen is to pinch the company a bit and see if they will do more then provide a 15 minute video in the back room telling how bad it is to put up racist signs. If Tim Hortons wants to avoid such a counter action then I would suggest that they implement a country wide program of anti-racism training.

Racism lies just beneath the surface in Canada and unless we are outraged at even the most minor of expositions, we simply allow it to fester.

[betsy]

In the 305 replies to the article at the Globe to the minimum discussion here, few people get the point.

It isn't that one youth put up a sign that was derogatory and racist. It is that there is an environment that exists in that store / coffee shop that would have people think this is funny. You can bet that there are more than one at that store that were involved, since few people laugh alone (and those that do end up in white straight jackets). This employee had the unfortunate demise of taking the heat for the rest of them.

And why is it important to call for a boycott? A clear message must be sent to the corporation (and to which the corporation must respond positively) that these kinds of things will not be tolerated in society today. The only way for this to happen is to pinch the company a bit and see if they will do more then provide a 15 minute video in the back room telling how bad it is to put up racist signs. If Tim Hortons wants to avoid such a counter action then I would suggest that they implement a country wide program of anti-racism training.

Racism lies just beneath the surface in Canada and unless we are outraged at even the most minor of expositions, we simply allow it to fester.

What we should be asking is why racism seems to be gaining ground? That with all the law, information and promotion and endorsement of eliminating it....it still lies "just beneath the surface".....and by the looks of it, feeling it couldn't be contained to lie just beneath that surface. It wants to be expressed.

It may just be a simple racist joke.....but there's no doubt there is a reason behind its expression.

What is that reason?

All the more if youth are fostering this feeling.

Boycotts will not solve the problem. It's just a band-aid solution....covering one's ears saying "if I can't hear you, then it cannot be". Covering the other's mouth and coercing them to shut up is not a solution. It will find ways to be expressed...and it will only foster more resentment.

This method will only keep it brewing just beaneath the surface.

We need to hear why.

That is what we ought to find out and understand. We can only solve the problem if we know and understand the root cause of it.

[theloniusfleabag]

I laughed at so many things in this thread. I lived in Lethbridge, and they have a large number of 'drunken natives'. The Blood Reserve is the largest in Canada, and the Natives from there that wish to get drunk go to Lethbridge. A low percentage of them, of course, but they are highly visible. Galt Gardens (a downtown city park) used to be famous for having lots of 'drunken natives' and lysol cans laying about. Sad but true.

I agree with the poster (cybercoma, I believe) who said 'the sign should have read "No drunken idiots', and the employee should have been fired, regardless of work shortages. For those people who wish to boycott Timmys for one person's foolish actions, and especially for those who feel the sign was an act of 'unfounded rascism', I urge them to go see for themselves. Send the reps from the First Nations to Galt Gardens (or wherever the popular spots are nowadays) and ask them afterward if they are proud to have these individuals representing their community.

[White Doors]

Oops -- yer right I didn't read it.

It was probably a joke. Can't anybody take a joke anymore?

and I don't think they can fire her arse... there is no other employees available.... unless of course that *drunk indian* would want to work....

It was NOT a joke, and she has 2 co-workers who are FN's, I find the underlaying bigotry expressed less than delightful.

I think she's an anti-Christ Dominionist myself.

[White Doors]

In the 305 replies to the article at the Globe to the minimum discussion here, few people get the point.

It isn't that one youth put up a sign that was derogatory and racist. It is that there is an environment that exists in that store / coffee shop that would have people think this is funny. You can bet that there are more than one at that store that were involved, since few people laugh alone (and those that do end up in white straight jackets). This employee had the unfortunate demise of taking the heat for the rest of them.

And why is it important to call for a boycott? A clear message must be sent to the corporation (and to which the corporation must respond positively) that these kinds of things will not be tolerated in society today. The only way for this to happen is to pinch the company a bit and see if they will do more then provide a 15 minute video in the back room telling how bad it is to put up racist signs. If Tim Hortons wants to avoid such a counter action then I would suggest that they implement a country wide program of anti-racism training.

Racism lies just beneath the surface in Canada and unless we are outraged at even the most minor of expositions, we simply allow it to fester.

Did you ask yourself why people would think it funny?

Perhaps it's because there are a hell of a lot of drunk Indians out and about?

you sir, seem to be the one that didn't 'get' the point.

[Drea]

Racism lies just beneath the surface in Canada and unless we are outraged at even the most minor of expositions, we simply allow it to fester.

If natives were treated equally and not receive any special "status" from the govt then this "percieved" racism would end.

The Indian Act affords special treatment (free post secondary education, tax exemptions, etc) which fosters racism.

The lousy bastards should work for a living.

I am such a racist bitch that when I see a native driving I nice new car I figure they should thank me (and all the other sugardaddy taxpayers) for it.

Oooga booga.

[stignasty]

The lousy bastards should work for a living.

I live in Lethbridge and this incident embarrasses me. Then again, I have had a lot of contact with the people from the Kainai (Blood) and Piikani (Peigan) reserves and know that they are not the stereotype of the "lazy indian" that you seem to have bought into. Most of them work for a living and as far as being lousy, I have never seen one with lice.

I know quite a few native people who have taken the opportunity of post secondary education and are working on and off of the reserve as teachers, bankers and administrators. Is that a bad thing? Would we as a society be better off if we said to them, "take student loans and word part time jobs to get through school." I imagine your response would be yes, because....

I am such a racist bitch

At least there's one thing we can agree on.

[BC_chick]

If natives were treated equally and not receive any special "status" from the govt then this "percieved" racism would end.

No it wouldn't. People will always make excuses to dislike other people based on the colour of their skin, the amount of money they make, the gender they choose to sleep with, and so on. You have to rationalise it because deep down inside you know it's wrong. Child-molesters, thieves, murderers all do the same thing.

[Drea]

This is one of those topics that people are afraid to say how they really feel.

I see it every day. Who is sitting, wasted or passed out on benches after welfare day?

They are afforded every opportunity -- and yet few take advantage of it. And I, for one taxpayer, am tired of paying for it.

Something needs to be done for them to integrate into society. Giving them "special status" does just the opposite.

[guyser]

This is one of those topics that people are afraid to say how they really feel.

Not really. You just feel guilty and dumb for such an inane utterance and want company. Oh oh, is this were the smiley goes?

I see it every day. Who is sitting, wasted or passed out on benches after welfare day?

Lets have a look shall we? There is the white guys there, the black guy over there, a woman of indeterminent ethnicity over there and a FN over there, but all in all mainly whites .

Are you married to mikedavid?

Whatever you "think" is not the norm. Do FN's have some problems with booze? Does society in general?But go ahead and ignore all else.

They are afforded every opportunity -- and yet few take advantage of it. And I, for one taxpayer, am tired of paying for it.

Or you could rant about the huge numbers of whites in this nation who get paid to do nothing. Ahh...but that does not fit your agenda.

Something needs to be done for them to integrate into society. Giving them "special status" does just the opposite.

Integrate?

[Canuck E Stan]

Youth is not the era of wisdom; let us therefore have due consideration.

- Antoine de Rivarol, Comte de Rivarol