This is not the Liberal Party

This is sad. I have gotten to know members of the Rae family personally over the past several months, and I know for a fact that they were deeply hurt by the anti-Semitic comments made by some convention-goers.

I expect our new leader to repudiate such comments in the strongest terms. That being said, we must understand that the prejudice of a few does not represent the sentiments of the Liberal Party as a whole. Our party has always been open, tolerant, diverse and respectful. My personal experience in Montreal clearly reflected this fact.

Unfortunately, "ethnic organizing" remains a part of our political culture. Campaigns often target specific communities in membership drives and pit certain groups against others in order to solidy support. This is wrong. It is offensive to the process, to the individual and to our reputation as a party. We should all make a concerted effort to stop it.


UPDATE: Quite appropriately, our leader has responded. Stephane Dion has proven once again that he is an ardent defender of true Liberal values. That's why we elected him. Good for him, and good for us.