Canada Day free food
Tuffy P mentioned to me yesterday morning that the Mandarin restaurants were giving away free dinners to Canadians yesterday in celebration of Canada Day. We saw one of their restaurants from the highway around lunchtime and there were lineups for blocks for free dinners. When I saw this, I thought it was a generous gesture. I also thought, I'm really fortunate I don't need to line up for hours to get a free dinner. I didn't think any more about it.
This morning, I heard on the radio news there were a lot of people unhappy with the gesture, saying it was discriminatory because it was exclusively to Canadian citizens and excluded visitors, landed immigrants and so on. I suppose the restaurant chain could just as easily celebrated the diversity of Canada on Canada Day by giving free food to anyone who wanted it, not just Canadian citizens. I don't think their intent was nasty, but a good point was raised.
What's your view?
2 comments:
They had to show proof of citizenship? Who brings a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship papers to a buffet? I agree it was a good idea re: the free give away but then to demand proof that the people in line are really Canadian? Bad call. I think they should have just said free meals on Canada Day and left it at that or not bothered in the first place.
And I applaud your decision not to go. I tend to avoid the free breakfasts, BBQs etc around town for the same reason - there are people out there in greater need than I. If I want food, I can buy some. Not everyone has that luxury.
Oh goodness, where do people get off being so easily offended. I'm tired of being pushed about by immigrants down here while we pay for their public assistance with our tax dollars. Their refusal to assimilate or obey immigration laws has bankrupted California, a state with the economic impact of 1/7 of the world's economy. It's ok to say "NO" sometimes. Grrrr. That's kind of like the people standing behind me in the movie line getting offended because I get a Senior's discount.
All in all the Coyote has a good point - I wouldn't have gotten in line either - but perhaps some people are running so low on money for food they felt they needed to be there.
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