The author takes a seat next to Emily Murphy on Parliament Hill photo: Aaron McKenzie Fraser

During February, some Canadians participate in the celebration of the history, heritage and culture of Canadian people of colour. Every year during black history month I learn something new. Sometimes when I pass on what I know to other Canadians, they stare at me, frozen in disbelief. History can be a Medusa that traps you in time, but breaking the spell and moving forward is easier than you think.

Will the real Emily Murphy please stand up?

Emily Murphy was the first female magistrate in the British Empire. She was appointed to the Alberta courts in 1916 after her University education. She litigated the Persons Case that went before the Supreme Court of Canada, and, when it turned her down, the British Privy Council. Women had received the right to vote 10 years earlier in 1919, and other laws recognizing women as persons needed to be revised. Emily Murphy became a symbol of the feminist movement in Canada.

On October 18, 1929 the British Privy Council decided Canadian women were people under the British North America Act and, therefore, they could be eligible for appointment to the Senate. Five Alberta women played a key role in this achievement, and are referred to as the Famous Five. They are Irene Parlby, Henrietta Muir Edwards, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung and Emily Murphy. Bronze sculptures of the Famous Five were unveiled in Calgary at the Olympic Plaza on October 18, 1999 and second sculptures were unveiled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on October 18, 2000.

Statues on Parliament Hill are usually reserved for prime ministers or royalty-an exception was made for the Famous Five. They were also added to the new $50 bill as part of the 75th anniversary of the Persons Case, and the bill was issued on November 17, 2004. Currently 33 of 89 senators in Canada are female. That's what most people do know.

Here's what they don't. In 1922, Emily Murphy began writing under the pen name of Janey Canuck. She regularly appeared in Maclean's and other publications. She attacked Asian immigrants, American blacks, Jews and other Eastern Europeans who had chosen Alberta as their home. Her publication, The Black Candle, is a series of essays that justify her particular type of racism. Her work outlined the belief that multiculturalism spelled moral degeneracy and was detrimental to the purity of the white race. Her highly influential and extremely popular book advocated prohibition, tighter immigration control and "exclusion of all persons of colour from the continent."

Murphy's articles and books were instrumental in creating hatred for Asian immigrants. Thousands were deported, many were jailed unfairly, and Chinese exclusion laws were endorsed and publicly supported by Emily Murphy. Laws made it illegal for white women to be employed by Chinese men until the 1930s in British Columbia, and 1946 in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Although she helped white Canadian women win the right to vote in 1919, Asian persons were not allowed to vote until 1949.

Eugenics 101

Emily Murphy was also closely associated with the Orange Order, an organization of Irish-descended Protestants who advocated a European-based system of apartheid. They were exclusionary to Catholics, and all non-white persons, and closely associated with the Ku Klux Klan. From 1922 to 1937 the Klan was active in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

The word "eugenics" was coined in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin, to refer to the study and use of selective breeding of animals or humans to improve a species over generations. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party fabricated and clearly defined five so-called races of human being based upon colour of skin and texture of hair. White was to be superior, on top of yellow, brown, red and black. The Nazis systematically murdered millions of people, based upon the ideologies of white supremacy and ethnic cleansing. Their tactics included mass murder, controlled breeding, and sterilization.

Judge Emily Murphy approved all the legislation that passed through her bench at the time, which included all of the Chinese exclusion acts, the Indian Act of 1923 and the Residential School Act of 1925. From 1923 to 1980, the Canadian government took native children off their designated reservation, to be raised by Christian-run schools and dormitories.

Three of the Famous Five advocated for sterilization of some persons. Emily Murphy travelled throughout British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan and delivered more than 100 speeches supporting laws for forced sterilization. Murphy, along with McClung, a novelist and legislator, and McKinney, the first woman sworn into the Alberta Legislature, were all instrumental in the Alberta Sexual Sterilization Act adopted in 1928. Until 1972, the Alberta government made applications to the provincial court for the forced sterilization of 4,725 Albertans (2,882 were actually authorized). Most of the sterilizations were done to young women under the age of 25. Some as young as 14 had surgical procedures to ensure that they could never sexually reproduce. Native persons and Metis comprised only 2.5 per cent of Alberta's population, but accounted for 25 per cent of Alberta's sterilization procedures.

Hindsight is 20-20

B P W Canada is an equality group that addresses the needs of business and professional women. Over several years, they have raised thousands of dollars for the commemorative statues of the Famous Five in Olympic Plaza in Calgary, and on Parliament Hill, as well as a commemorative plaque in the Senate. "I am not sure that we would do the same thing today," said vice president Fran Donaldson, referring to the infamous three out of the five. "It can be quite disturbing to realize some of the things that were done." True. And a memorial plaque could easily be added to explain the truth. Then people would be able to learn from our past.

But all signs point to more of the same, and we're not learning from the past. In 2001 a new series of Canadian bank notes named Canadian Journey were introduced. The notes celebrate Canadian culture, history and achievements. The theme of the new $50 is "Nation building shaping the political legal and social structures for democracy and equality." The bank of Canada surveyed 4,000 Canadians during the design process to get their input. For this theme, with input from the focus group and other sources, the Bank of Canada proposed the Famous Five for the back of the bill. Designed by Jorge Peral with Canadian Bank Note, it also depicts a quote from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as two scales, representing justice, and an image of the medallion that is awarded as the Therèse Casgrain volunteer award (an award presented to a male and female Canadian who has had significant achievement in volunteering).

The Bank of Canada acknowledged, when asked, that during the focus groups, some persons were concerned about some of the history of the Famous Five, but believed that their contributions as a whole were significant for the bill. Designers, researchers and experts all contributed to the design of the currency. The final design for all bank notes is approved by the Minister of Finance. The infamous three fooled them all.

The Devil in the details

Complaints have been logged from citizens in Calgary and Montreal about the bill, the Bank of Canada said. And there is a precedent for removing Canadian money from circulation. In 1954 the $50 bill had Queen Elizabeth on the face. Many people believed that in the line work of the Queen's hair above her left ear was a gargoyle-like face. Known as the "Devil's head" bill, it was modified in 1956 to remove the effect. There have been 105 million Famous Five Fifties printed and circulated. For the sake of all the human beings that suffered, and for the sake of Canada's sense of respect, these notes must also be modified. The Bank of Canada must remove the effect of Emily Murphy and her colleagues from Canada's modern identity.

If after reading this you think the bill should be changed, you can contact the following places:

Bank of Canada
education@bankofcanada.ca
1-888-513-8212

Minster of Finance
Ralph Goodale
rgoodale@fin.gc.ca

 
 

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News flash!     Now here's one I'd like you all to ponder. I think the message will soon become clear so bear with me. <<>> My grandmother, God bless her, was a strong woman. Old country strong. She had 7 kids of her own, plus she raised the 4 stepchildren of my granfather. She raised those children, was a good wife and helped run the family farm, which let me tell you wasn't small. She survived the death of her husband and at least two of the children. Yes, she lived a hard life. She was funny, stubborn and always lent a hand when possible...she was also, much to my surprise, quite racist. <<>> She wasn't a bad person, it's not as if she ever acted like some redneck bigot but every now and then you'd pick up that she had this strong dislike for black people. She rarely said anything but you could tell. Outside of this trait you'd think she was the kindest person you'd ever met. My point, you're wondering? Nobody truly knows anybody. My grandmother lived to be 99 years old and it wasn't until the last ten years that I even picked up on it. So Emily Murphy wasn't a saint. What politician is? I'm not excusing her but you've got to look at the big picture here--what's her legacy? People are a product of their times and you always have to look at them as people not simplistic icons without ugly facets. In the end, most people remember the good because it is the good that endures, it is the good that people build on.
Pedro Eggers	{6 votes}	April 2nd, 2005
The Mixed Blessing of Revisionist History     If by Racism we mean a worldview interpreted through the lens of ethnicity, then Emily Murphy was racist. If we mean instead that rabid sense of ethnic superiority perfected by the Nazis, then Murphy was quite moderate. If one looks beyond the racial assumptions in her Black Candle, one finds a thoughtful woman possessed of the ability--rare in her time--to see past a person's ethnicity. She commends China's bold laws against opium, saying: "This eradication of a century-old vice was not put into force through the issuing of edicts by the Government alone, but [through] the imperceptible and immense pressure of public opinion--opinion held by millions and hundreds of millions of inarticulate Chinese scattered throughout the vast distances of China, a force imbued with the simple and definite instinct of Right." She continues: "There is no doubt that on this continent there are thousands of Chinese of like honesty and sturdiness of character..." The notion that the majority of a non-white race could posses an innate sense of Right, and the character to choose it, is not indicative of racism. Murphy recognized that individuals, not ethnicities, were responsible for the social ills she sought to reform. Although she did identify the possibility of the ascendance of a non-white race as one of the most alarming aspects of the drug trade, this is little different from the Globe and Mail recently publishing a special edition on the Rise of China. Today we speak in terms of citizenship and corporate headquarters; in Murphy's day, we spoke of blood and skin tone. The fear is the same: the loss of autonomy. Emily Murphy was a woman of admirable qualities and a pioneer of social justice. Examining the shortcomings of her era in light of today's standards is perhaps valuable; demonizing her personally because of those shortcomings is lamentable. In our efforts to better understand history, let's not needlessly revisionize our few legitimate heroes into villains.
Joel Bastedo	{4 votes}	February 27th, 2005
Who wasn't a racist in politics?     My goodness. It wasn't just Emily Murphy touting racism in our nation's colourful (pardon the pun) past. White power was everywhere although, perhaps, worded so nicely, so suavely. You had to be in tune to catch the undertones of all the correct and upper crust language. The Orange Lodge was not only prevalent in the prairies and out west. My own mother was a member of one, a descendent of Scottish immigrants. I don't even think she realized what a faux pas she was committing when she married my Catholic, French and First Nations father. I grew up with her drilling "The Maple Leaf Forever" into my head and didn't understand until I grew up that all those years she was (albeit via ignorance) insulting me every time she made me sing it. God rest her soul and the racism she carried with it. She didn't even know it was racism. It had been so ingrained into her culture. Do you want to find some more racists in politics? Check out WWII. Our freaky crystal ball reading Prime Minister Mackenzie King and his crony cohorts sought to keep Jews out of Canada even though they knew that genocide was occurring. Check out the archives. The phrase "None is too many" referred to how many Jewish immigrants should be allowed into Canada as they were fleeing Germany. How shameful that we were asked to take in 1000 Jewish children, and our government delayed the legislation long enough to ensure that every single one of those children had been gassed. How damning that we too refused to allow the "St. Louis" ship, made infamous in the movie "Voyage of the Damned" to dock here. 1000 Jews were sent back to Nazi Germany. There were very few survivors. A few did survive and have been interviewed on PBS. Oh yes. Call us tolerant. Call us peaceful. We have a highly racist history... and don't even get me started about modern examples of it. Remember Neil Stonechild?
Jennifer McCullen	{1 vote}	February 15th, 2005
A Real critical examination of ourselves and our history     First, John, thank you again for an excellent article. The reality is that those people we elevate to hero status are seldom deserving of such superficial designations of perfection that focus on one aspect of their work or lives. Even Dr.Martin Luther King had failings and shortcomings but that does not mean he was not an important leader and that his work was not valuable. By refusing to see our leaders, trailblazers, and revolutionaries as multi-faceted people, we de-contextualize their accomplishments, & de-value their legacies. And as far as Canadian history goes, we are constantly ignoring aspects of our country's past that are distasteful, and this allows us, in typical Canadian fashion, to maintain a veneer of peaceful classlessness, racelessness, multi-culturalism and gender sensitivity that prevents us from dealing with the very real inequalities in our society. Suggesting that racism in the past was alright because it was "just the way things were" is akin to suggesting that female genital mutilation in Africa or White supremacy in South Africa are alright because they are "cultural". It is an excuse that absolves us from the responsibility of critically analysing our own past and therefore facing the reality of our own present assumptions and behaviors. In fact there were always people - in Canada and everywhere - who knew that hatred and oppression of any people was wrong - humans have been capable of intelligent, critical thought at every time and in every age. First wave liberal feminism was concerned primarily with upper class white women gaining access to the economic world of upper class white men; today many people actively understand that systems of oppression are all connected and that any movement to end oppression must acknowledge this interconnectedness. Let us therefore see our leaders for what they are - praise their accomplishments and call them out on their failings. It is how we may move forward.
Millie Dean	{7 votes}	February 10th, 2005
Emily Murphy-commemorated in the wrong colour of bronze???????     John Akpata writes an article that concentrates on Emily Murphy and profiles her as a strong advocate for making "white" the right color to defend. Her "black candle" publication allowed her a platform for her views that immigration in Canada back in 1922 was not a good thing because newcomers brought poverty, prostitution, drug and alcohol abuse to her Western Canada. This was a really absurd view looking at things now but back at the turn of the century, a woman speaking out about any issue was considered novel. Her writings did not get digested overnight. It took about 40 years before her recommendations (including the creation of legislation concerning narcotics) resulted in any changes. She was a sheltered woman who fancied herself able to look out from her window in Western Canada frightened by the influx of people from foreign lands and feeling somewhat impacted, decided to put a "white" opinion on the matter. Isn't it ironic that in the creation of a status honoring her prickled and uninformed opinion, the statue's colour?..................You guessed it...a lovely shade of dark brown bronze.........oh, if she could roll over to grab a can of white spray paint, she'd teach those sculpters who's the boss.................and what color her pettycoat really was................
Steve Landry	{9 votes}	February 7th, 2005
Atrocities By Women Singled Over Those of Men     The vicious promotion of racist legislation and action in Canada by Emily Murphy, as outlaid by John Akpata in The Medusa of Murphy (Feb 3rd Xpress), cannot be ignored and was rightfully pointed out. However, so often women in positions of power, historical or contemporary, stand out as targets to be attacked by male and female critics alike. Akpata's suggestion of a plaque explaining the truth near the monument of the Famous Five is a good one, but while we're at it, why not add a plaque to the statue of John A. MacDonald on Parliament Hill and take his face off our $10.00 bill too? MacDonald's inexcusable racist policies towards Asian immigrants and Métis peoples were just as "instrumental in creating hatred" as Murphy's publications. Though advances in Canadian Feminism were First-Wave and referred to upper-class women of British descent, we can't forget that they were stepping stones upon which equal rights for all women were eventually built, and continue to be built. The Person's Case of 1929 opened the door for women to participate in all levels of Canadian government. Neither, though, as Akpata's article indicated, should we remain naively unaware of the histories of those who paved these paths, whether female or male.
Catherine Sinclair	{7 votes}	February 6th, 2005
John Akpata's article on Emily Murphy     Dear Mr Akpata, As a history graduate I would like to offer you my praise for raising an excellent point with your article. It is already well documented that history does not occupy a place of choice in most north american school system or even in the general psyche. And so we often make the mistake of concentrating only on the points we want to remember from history. As the saying goes: "There are two sides to a story" or the french version: "two sides to a medal". Often we only look at one side, and with your article you do what any self respecting historian would do...look at the other side of things! Which in this day and age doesn't happen very often. Your article brings up an excellent conondrum....what to do about these people, who on the one hand helped a great cause, but on the other, helped justify a sociological philosophy that snowballed into what we now know as the holocaust. Perhaps my choice of words are a tad strong but in essence there is a parallel here (the nazi comparison is not far fetched) that leaves one disgusted that the canadian government still chooses to endorse a person like this. One positive action does not excuse a life devoted to a philosophy that embraced the ideas of a superior white race, apartheid, segregation, ethnic cleansing etc... Based on this, Emily Murphy has no place on any canadian money nor on parliament hill! Thanks for your article John, this is what should be written about more often in newspapers!
Sebastien Clement	{18 votes}	February 4th, 2005
Kudos!     What a brilliant article!! I have to admit that I was taken aback by the story. I never thought that in a time where affirmative action has gone wrong, and it's almost a cardinal sin to defame a historical figure like Murphy. I think it's important to put these figures in their place. Holding someone in high regard, but not holding them accountable to all their actions is a crime, and often insults more people, then 'benefits.' I know you can probably go through every historical figure and find the good and the bad, even Mother Theresa had enemies - but that's not the point, there's questionable conduct and then there's outright appalling, despicable values - of which Murphy falls inline with. As someone of both Irish-Catholic and Metis background, I can't begin to tell you how disrespectful it is to have Murphy's statue on Parliament Hill. It's a slap in the face to my ancestors and many others, and does more bad than good. I can honestly say I wouldn't mind defacing the statue one bit, after all the pain she advocated, I think she's owed at least that!
Kelly Martel	{6 votes}	February 4th, 2005
Why don't we just put "white power" on the $50?     Janey Canuck did SOME good in regard to getting women allowed on the Senate. But how can the government and the Bank of Canada just gloss over how hateful and ugly she was, and think that people will be okay with having her and her facist friends on our currency? Emily Murphy's "The Black Candle" was based on her articles for Maclean's magazine. Some of her recommendations for abolishing the drug trade, you ask? Increased law enforcement Stricter search and seizure provisions Longer prison sentences for offenders Whipping of offenders at the judge's discretion Deportation if the offender was an alien Hard to imagine drug problems still existing with such humane, compassionate policies like these isn't it? Some of the other articles Murphy wrote were titled "Sterilization of the Insane," and "How to Choose a Wife." What a champion of women's rights she was! Why don't we just put a bronzed Hitler beside her on Parliament Hill to see if we can offend absolutely EVERYBODY! All sarcasm aside, Murphy was a bigot and a racist. She was obsessed with "protecting the white race" against immigrants and their immoral cultures. She feared that white folks would one day lose a race war. Kind of like what Charles Manson thought. Not that I'm outright comparing the two or anything (okay, there's that sarcasm again). I suppose my point is this: Putting a statue of Emily Murphy on Parliament Hill or her likeness on our $50 bill is tasteless at best, and leans more towards bigotry as far as I'm concerned. Sure, she did SOME good, but let's not forget the horrible, horrible BAD that she did, and the hostility and intolerance she helped breed in this country. If anything, put her on a coin, so we can see both sides of her.
Aaron Brown	{2 votes}	February 4th, 2005
When I grow up, I want to be a hypocrite!     It never ceases to amaze me how hypocritical people are. With the Infamous Three, you have the perfect example: people fighting for equality, but condemning it at the same time. And it still goes on today. I always find it funny when people of any ethnic background have a strong belief that gay people shouldn't be allowed to marry. It's racism, to another extent. It's even worse when ethnic groups fight against each other. In 'Do The Right Thing', a film by Spike Lee, there was a portion of the film when all these different ethnic groups were calling each other out by the hate names they've given each other. And in the end, it's all really silly. These groups of people, the minority, who could be the majority, create another era of racism. It's depressing because we've [people of ethnic background] been subjected to prejudice, and it's a terrible feeling, but it's worse when we take that same hate and throw it at another groups way; be they Asian, black, Latino, gay, whatever, hate is hate. In the end, no group will ever be free from racism. There are liberated women out there who will hate black people, there are black people who hate immigrants, there are immigrants who hate gay people, and it just goes on. Instead of fighting for the liberation of all, we fight for just ourselves, which just goes to show how selfish people really are.
D'Janau Morales	{11 votes}	February 3rd, 2005
Drug Laws and Racism     Great article. Few people like to acknowledge the fact that Canada's (and the States') drug laws are founded in racist rhetoric. The first significant piece of drug legislation in Canada was the Opium Act of 1908. The real reason it was passed is because it was noted that the Chinese immigrants used opium more widely than Euro-Canadians. What it fails to recognize is that opium use at the time had no discernable, generalized negative effect on the majority of its users. Interestingly enough the white man's drug of choice, alcohol, was responsible for far more fights and general "immorality". It has also been suggested that the real reason behind the Opium Act was to criminalize the hard-working Chinese immigrants who were taking jobs at lower wages than "real" Canadians and thus made competition for employment more stiff. These days no drug is more abhorred in the media and in public opinion than crack. Is it mere coincidence that crack is also most commonly used among lower-income, minority groups?... I think not.
R M	{5 votes}	February 3rd, 2005
Re: The Medusa of Murphy (Thursday, February 3, 2005)     I peruse the Ottawa XPress on a weekly basis, but this week's cover story definitely struck a cord. Kudos to John Akpata on a rather intelligent, enlightening and thought provoking piece! As a young Canadian woman of mixed origin -- French- and African-Canadian -- I thank you for opening our eyes to the truly appalling systemic racism of our nation past and, albeit more subtle, present. Let's hope we can learn from our previous political, social, economic and cultural flaws and woes, and refrain from proliferating the true colour of democracy.
Alexandra Talbot	{7 votes}	February 3rd, 2005
Laughable and pathetic     As the title suggests I find it both laughable and pathetic to read the comments of women who are going to great lengths to justify the most heinous and cruel moments in Canadian history.
Kevin Lepp		August 25th, 2008
This Story must be Told.     It's a little disheartening to me that so many people are willing to defend this woman, still to this day. As a feminist, it was with difficulty that I accepted Emily Murphy for who she was, a racist, hateful person whose influence shaped Canadian domestic policy in ways that continue to cause suffering in the lives of hundred of thousands of Canadians. One thing Mrs. Murphy did teach us is that change, for better or for worse, is possible with the right amount of determination and persistence. It's time we persevere to write our history the way it really happened, the bad with the good. It's time we gave our respect to the true Canadian heroes, and there are many to honour. Let us see this woman's contribution for what it really was, a terrible legacy with brief noble moments, and not the other way around.
Nichole Anderson		March 13th, 2008
The Medusa of Murphy     Thanks for a lot for that article. Sadly, I had no idea of Murphy's rasict past, nor had I any clue who the 'Famous Five' were. I was taught no side to the story. I like that I get to learn the good and bad all at once so I see the whole picture. Emily helped make some great advancements for women then helped in holding back another group of people who wanted to be treated human as well. Will that sad reality ever end? We can condemn her for her beliefs, but when you look at the world we live in now, we're still shitting on smaller minority groups and patting ourselves on the back for being so free. I definetely don't think they have any place on currency, but I like the idea of people learning our history from both sides the way this article presented it. We can only learn from exposing skeletons in the closet, people ignore the issue because they simply don't know.
Josee Lacroix		February 8th, 2005
A paradoxical canadian hero...     I think that Murphy had achieved A LOT toward a better sexual equality in our country. She fought vigorously to have women declared real persons and we indefinetly thank her to have succeded! No need to say that, after reading this article, I felt quite disappointed to found out that Murphy was such a racist person. She was a paradoxical Canadian hero, but then again who wasn't at the time...?!
Valerie Augier		February 7th, 2005
Keep People Informed     While I am a hardcore history person myself, my knowledge of the famous five in either a good context or a bad was seriously lacking. As always I am glad that someone has taken the time to enlighten me of both sides to an issue which is a big part of how our society is constructed. I am proud of a country which would have women who would fight so hard for something they believe in, and if they had left it at that then we would not be having this conversation. However, like many people who were in power, these women saw an opportunity to puch their misguided personal opinions onto the masses, and although I think John needs to refrain from using the NAZI's as an example in this article, as their reign of terror was the extreme (and overused by writers); from the brief bit I have learned, these women were far from the angels that they are made out to be. Here is where I may stray however...though I believe better judgement should have been made in this issue....and if the problem can be solved in an efficient matter, without screwing over the tax payer then I agree they should be removed. Another idea would be for the government to have a program put out which could explain all facets of these women. My problem though is that by doing either we would be costing the tax payer millions of dollars that could be put to things ......dare I say it....more important. If this campaign is successful, I see millions of tax dollars tied up in an "inquiry", then millions more having it switched over. Canadians love to talk about things that need changing and I am proud of articles such as this that bring the truth out, but the hard truth is that even with our budget balanced, Canada is in rough shape and spending money on anything besides the necessities...roads...healthcare...agriculture....employment....etc., is just out of the question. If you want resolution don't petition to have it changed, petition to have the people in charge of the mistake fired....
Robert Brown	{4 votes}	February 3rd, 2005
Different Values for Different Eras     Jesus as the founder of Christianity 2000 years ago tolerated or was indifferent to the slavery that existed during his time. He just chose men and no women to become one of his 12 apostles a closely knit inner group that were his eyes and ears and helped spread the new faith. To Jesus marriage was always between man and woman and the act of men sleeping with men was condemned. In modern times the consensus on this issues has turned almost 180 degrees. Emily Murphy probably knew that if some of the Apostles of Jesus had been women, women as a group would have been involved in the politics of Western countries for hundreds of years and she would not have had to set any precedents! Hers was a remarkable achievement in this context. Even the hatred to the Jews that was common through the ages and was also her viewpoint could be explained by the fact that they killed Jesus. It is only recently that Christians have opened serious dialogue with Jews with the Pope being the guiding force. These days parents can abort the fetus if abnomalities are detected and couples would be voluntarily sterilized if they knew beforehand that they carried defective genes. In Emily Murphy's time science was too primitive and these less than perfect children were a great burden on society making social engineering more palatable. Her racist attitudes towards Blacks and other ethnic groups were quite prevalent during her time. During times of war groups like the Japanese living here could cause sabotage on Canadian soil and help the enemy win the armed battles. By clinging on to their traditions and customs it was also believed they would not make good Canadians. We know now better. Murphy was also looking out for number one and helping other groups could harm her political career and create unwanted competition for the coveted posts she was seeking.
Stephen Talko		February 9th, 2005

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