Cancel culture is a terrible thing. It’s no good to claim, as the left does, that it doesn’t exist. That is often their answer to criticism “It doesn’t exist” or “It isn’t so,” as if denying something makes it so. But we know that cancel culture does exist. It’s not the only thing eating away at our rights and freedoms, but it is probably the most potent. There are others, like critical race theory, woke culture and political correctness. They are all damaging our culture, but cancel culture is the worst. Knowing this, you may be asking yourself who their next victim will be. 

What?!! Cancel British Columbia?

The next victim might be “British Columbia.” I’m not kidding. There is a growing movement to change the province’s name. In fact, 40% of B.C. municipalities say they would be willing to change it! Fortunately 60% don’t believe that such a name change should take place, but that is down from a previously higher number. That’s how ridiculous this is. There is already talk of changing the flag of British Columbia and so on and so on. It never ends. 

What’s Behind it? 

The real question is, who is behind this and why are they doing it? We can be reasonably certain that the vast majority of British Columbians do not want these changes. Either they don’t care, or they don’t want to see the province’s name changed. They see it as unnecessary. Those who want these changes are part of the “woke” and cancel culture movements I have written about in previous posts. They are radical leftists and “wokeists” and their goal is to eradicate “colonialism.” 

 “Colonialism?…Really?” 

But what do they mean by “colonialism?” Historically “colonialism” just means a policy that promotes the spread of colonies by a dominant power. That was its original meaning, and the one it should still have, but liberal progressives have changed all  that. It’s important to remember that every significant power on earth has taken part in colonialism whether they were European, Asian or some other cultural group. It’s part of the fabric of history and the way things have always been over the centuries. 

Extremist Far Left “Colonialism” 

But to far left progressives “colonialism” means something else. To them it means white people, western culture and western civilization. When they say they want to end “colonialism” they really mean they want to end our culture, the culture of the western world. They are not asking. They are demanding, and they are determined to destroy it. This means destroying statues of Sir John A. MacDonald, the name British Columbia, civic coats of arms, provincial flags (there is a petition to get rid of Ontario’s provincial flag) the names of universities and so on.  It’s all fair game to them. A terrible example of this is a statement by Justin Trudeau on July 25,2018 “The very concept of a nation founded by European settlers is offensive to me. Old Stock White Canadians are an unpleasant relic,and quite frankly, replaceable. And we will replace them.” Unbelievable.

A Small Group of Bullies

As is so often the case, the people doing this are a minority. It is always so. Every radical revolution, along with the destruction and loss it brings about, is initiated by a fringe group. It was so in the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Maoist revolution and in every other terrible event where thousands died because of extremism, and it is true of the cultural revolution we are experiencing now. We have not arrived at wholesale chaos yet, or the destruction that accompanies it, but we are witnessing the beginning of the kind of radicalism that precedes it. 

Cultural and Historical Violence

Historical revisionism and cultural warfare is what these people are all about. Getting rid of the name “British Columbia” is just another example. It’s unnecessary and destructive, something the majority never asked for, and an intimidating act of cultural violence. These people are bullies, and we must stop them. But we can’t do that unless we muster the courage to defeat them. One way to do so is to vigorously defend anything they want to destroy. So fly the flag of British Columbia, celebrate B.C. Day, write your MLA and tell them how stupid you think the name change is, but, above all, don’t be silent. The day is coming when they will be pushing even harder to change British Columbia’s name and initiate even more bizarre changes. You can count on it. When that day comes you will want to be ready, and you will want to do what is right.