Hey, their skeptics, get ready for a wild story from Port Coquitlam, Canada. A bizarre sign showed up at a stop sign, actually not a really stop sign, but a bus stop, and it's causing quite a stir. The sign promotes a white only moms in tops group. Yes seriously, it suggests kids can play with others who look like them and escape force diversity. After the tweet went viral, the city condemned it, but social media reactions were all over the place. Some defend the event, others are outraged,
and some questioned the city's reaction if it targeted people of color. It's a mess and a mix of opinions. But here's the kicker. The drama doesn't hold a candle to the beliefs of another group a as a true folk assembly. Stay tuned for more on this wild ride. The story is from Distractified dot com, published on September twenty six, twenty twenty three. So felas, let's go ahead and talk about Port COQUITLM I practice that in infantil You want to go ahead and kick us off. You know there was a
time when things like this were becoming actually less acceptable. I'm uncertain whether to despair such regression. Are to be glad that people make it easy to know who holds such contemptible view. But this, this exposure does, this does expose a very real problem. Overt Racism is on the ride, and some diversity is a buzzword for danger, something to be held in contempt. Homogenes
their goal. What they don't understand is diversity brings new perspective. Exposure to new cultures, values, and beliefs that don't mirror your own is an important experience for growth, not only as individuals, but for a community as whole. It's important. Now there will always be differences between individuals, and at times there will be disagreements and even conflict, but the alternative is just stagnation.
Now, the FOCU assembly that you mentioned, they were new to me, but doing a little research on them, I recall running across another group that they're tied in with the Odiness, and they pretty much have the same viewpoints. You know, they support all sorts of detestable things that one would expect a Christian identity movement only with old European gods instead of a white Jesus.
Now Canada and the United States, they're both becoming more diverse populations, and I do think that is one of the things that's causing this fear, this fear of change that we're seeing as a driving force. Hee. These people are blinded by a desire to return to a time when they that they look back nostalgia. The reality is is that we're not gonna No one's going to talk anyone out of prejud can't be forced to learn or give up your
preconceived ideas. Ultimately, people are going to move forward into a future where diversity is embraced, or they're going to huddle in fear of the changing world around it. Now I have to look at this sickening sign. It's just something temporary, a temporarily temporary regression, because for me, it's with shame and disgust that I recall I've seen and laughed and even worse than this sign.
But if I can grow from a neo Nazi Duke supporting delegate having attended a wedding where a groom wore a Nazi uniform and bragged about a triple crossburning he attended the week before, if I can go from there to where I am now, I have to remain hopeful that these people can too. Now. Truth is, I almost felt like I should just read out their sign for two or three minutes, because there's not much I could say that would make them look worse than that. They pretty much did it themselves a scotta.
I know, I have a somewhat limited view here, coming from my background, and I was very curious to how you felt about it. Well, first of all, I'm it's wonderful to learn that Infidel sixty four parties with some hardcore people. I'll keep that in mind. I keep that in mind. But you were saying, yeah, you were worried about how we're regressing here, about how you know, is this a sign of regression?
And yeah, that's totally the case. I mean, I remember when I was a kid watching old Happy Days reruns and it was edgy to have an episode where there was, you know, whites only this or you know, so on you know, colored people go over here kind of thing. You know, it seems like, you know, haven't haven't we hasn't this played out already? You know, how how is it that we can see this?
But but there was an interesting twist on this story, I think, and that is that usually you know, some of the segments we did earlier this week, we've been talking about cut and dry legal you know, wrongdoing. You know, this is this is constitutional, this is not, you know, very very straightforward. In this case, though, I think the
legality is a little bit hazy. So we have this group that's advertising for whites only, moms and tots, okay, And we know that in the in the US at least, or I know in the US at least, that organizations that are offering uh services to the public. And I might be uh, you know, I might not get the legal terminology exactly right here, but you know, if if an organization is offering services to the public, they're restricted from discriminating on the basis of race and so other category.
But that's not the case for private gatherings or social groups or things like that and so. And I'm not familiar with how it is in Canada, but I'm assuming that it's fairly similar, uh, if not even more progressive. Generally, Canada is a little bit more progressive than the US, although not in all cases. But since this group has been allowed to at least advertise at a public bus stop, I'm assuming that they fall under you know, the social group kind of aspect, not not the other group, but who
but who knows. You know, assuming that's the case, then the group is basically calling themselves out for being bigots. It's you know, they're pointing at themselves and they're saying, hey, come look at us, bigot alert, bigot alert and so and but but it's not. But see, it's an interesting take on it because it's the legality of it is not necessarily so
cut and dry, but the moral case is very cut and dry. And it's amazing that they're not only that that we're still talking about this kind of thing, but that if there's people out there that are proclaiming it, that's the headline of you know, that was the big, the big headline of their poster. And you know, morally, we definitely have I mean, clearly there's uh, this is a harmful thing. There's a bunch of you know, several different ways that we're seeing harm from from this type of of
segregation. Is that they're depriving their children. The moms in this group are depriving the tots of the wonderful opportunities that come up when you're exposed to people that are different than you. You know, that's one of the best ways to learn things is to see things that you don't already believe or that you don't already know. You exposed to new experiences. Secondly, they're depriving themselves
as parents by limiting their their exposure to other families. Okay, and so again that helps maintain that, you know, those fences of bigotry and division, right, the US versus them mentality. They're also depriving their family group or what you know, the moms and the moms group. Okay, they're depriving that group of exposure to other people. Okay, New people come in that are different than you can maybe show you better ways of doing this or
whatever. You know. Evolution economics, you know, you always hear, don't put all of your eggs in one basket or diversify that portfolio. And that's because it creates a stronger group. It creates you know, it's not a bunch of identical people with all the same skills and all the same preferences
and all the same predilections. They're different people with different ideas. And so then you can pick and choose from the best, and you can set aside the old Well, we would think you could set aside the old tire, the old tired ideas. But the way that they're the most impact that they're having as far as harm is concerned, is on society as a whole, because what they're saying is, hey, it's okay to act like this, It's okay to be a dick here. You know, it's okay to be
a bigot. And that's not the case. I mean, we see time and time again we see that these you know, bigotry just puts up those fences, it reinforces its elean, it just breaks us down and makes us weaker. Kelly, what do you think about that? Yeah, I think I think you're right. Yeah, I know you're right. You're right about bigotry. I don't know what the laws are in Canada. It's just like you. I didn't do a deep dive into the laws in Canada because I
knew that was going to be a really deep dive. So what I did do is I started looking into a Satru and it's actually a very popular religion in Iceland. But real assaw Through is not the same as the Assatru Focus Assembly here in the United States. They've co opted this religion, much like the Christian Nationalists have co opted Christianity and turned it to their bigoted, white
supremacist ideals. And so I want to make sure that people understand that that you don't don't just get down on somebody because they weren't because they follow a saw through It's that's just the belief in the old Norse gods. So but but these are but this Assa Through Focus Assembly has really really changed it. They are they're even worse than the Christian Nationalists. They started in nineteen sixty
nine with the name of the Viking Brotherhood. Now is it just me or does like when an organization has the word brotherhood in its name, it seems to me it's like a dog whistled buzz word. Yeah, I get triggered, get real hard. Yeah yeah. Right. So anyway, they eventually they changed their name to the ESAUTH Through Focus Assembly. They now have twenty four chapters across the United States. They actually got a permit. They haven't
White's only church. So I mean this is something that they're on the move and marching across America. So we do have to stand up to these kind of things if we don't want to see this kind of bigotry, and as Infidel mentioned that racism is on the rise in the USA, it's considered accepted right now. Many political bleeders are out there using the same dog whistles that this church is us in and they're making it acceptable to be a bigot.
And I'm hoping that this is hopefully, hopefully the lashing out of a corner dying animal, because the ideals that they're spreading need to be put the rest by a society eager to embrace a better future for everyone. And I'm hoping that maybe that's the path we can take and be warned by people like this. Cynthia, what do you have to say? Well, you know, Kelly, the problem is and when I said when you know, I sound
an Infidel. The problem is that unfortunately we have a group of people that won't let this idea die that you know there are there are definitely people that want to continuously espouse push and and and continuously give the defibrillator to racism, bigotry and all things shitty. When it comes to this particular rhetoric, I think it's I think it's mostly because they need somebody to blame their own their
own inadequacies on yep. Yeah. And also it's still like pushing because like I'm unfortunately, we have seen in the news on more than one occasion, news particular news outlets and also other people using this whole idea of the great replacement theory to be very much so alive. And like, you know, the immigrants are coming from your jobs, Black people are coming for your wives
and you know, ha, your kids, how's your wife? They get They coming for everybody, just and just all this ridiculousness that just comes from not engaging in being able to rise above your cognitive biases. I know that all of us have them. But the difference when you are saying that you are a person that values skepticism and critical thinking is that you realize that you have cognitive biases and you take the time to learn not only what your biases
are, but why they are wrong. And unfortunately this Moms per TOATS groups and the Asatru Folk Assembly have not done that. They have doubled and tripled down on why they need to be more insular and why they need to balk against anything that has to do with diversity, anything that has to do with inclusion, anything that has to do with, you know, actually saying that, hey, there's other white of other people other than white people that exist in the world. And guess what, not all of us are bad.
I know that that's a soccer. It's a soccer of y'all. Really, yeah, it is a sack I'm saying. But no, not all of us are bad. I'm just saying, but you guys actually went through the story pretty well. I applaud you, thank you, you make you make you make Mama proud. But you know, one of the things that I actually mentioned in the intro is the things that people are saying on the dumpster
fire that is kind that is known as x formerly known as Twitter. I wanted to read a couple of tweets to ya if you give me a little room to do that, Okay, And you know, guys, read the read the story. It has actually you know, some of the tweets that I'm reading on it now. Uh. First one, I would like the city to explain what is hateful about id I thentitarian social gatherings. Yeah,
what's wrong for me? Identitarian? Right? Identitarian? That I had to say it's slow, just so that I can get my hooked on phonics worked for me out, you know. Yeah, that's important. You know, sound it out back in the day. Yeah, sound it out, That's how you learn words. Here's another one. Guys, white people should not be forced to interact with non whites until non whites lower their crime rate.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, this whole crime you know, dog whistle and you know, to be honest with you, I can do a whole show just on that tweet alone and why it's fallacious. But let's move on. Uh, here's another one. There's lots of black only groups, Asian groups, et cetera. The way they phrase this was reminiscence of segregation. But if they had some mom and tots European group or something similar, it
wouldn't be any different than private groups for black families. And that's the tweet that I really want to focus on, because, honey, there is a difference between even saying that mom's fur tats for European groups or something similar is just like saying, you know, private groups for black families or Asian families or Hispanic families or the like, Right, And I wanted to just bring us back, as we were talking about earlier, concerning history in the Americas.
Now what they get wrong about this commentary saying that moms and tots European group is not the same, is not the same as non whites who have groups. The groups that are non white did not form because they wanted homogeneous groups to themselves. When you look at Western civilizations like the United States and even Canada, they formed because segregation was real and practices, and they were
practiced actually in both countries. Canada was not you know, was not immune to segregation, to racism and also systemic racism, since all of us on the panel are very aware of Jim Crow and Black Codes and the Indian Removal
Act and also the Chinese Exclusion Act. Like the United States, racial segregation in Canada applied to all non whites and was historically in force through laws, court decisions, and social norms, with a closed immigration system that barred virtually all non whites from immigrating until nineteen six, and several provinces including Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia had segregated school It was not until the passing of the
nineteen seventy seven, the year I was born, Canadian Human Rights Act that these practices begin to change. And the last segregated school in Canada closed in nineteen eighty three. That's the year when the Thriller moved. When the Thriller Oh of course, yeah, when Thriller you know, actually the short film premiered. Now that you've provided the context, now, well that's important because everything's go bas to Michael. But just outside Halifax, in Lincolnville, Nova
Scotia, this was a thing. And I also wanted to find a way to kind of like frame my thoughts as far as like why even though like I don't particularly care for the term people of color, I usually just use non white, but why non whites actually need spaces where they're actually away from white. And as much as I love you Infidel and Scott and Kelly, I love you guys, and to life and and and I look forward to the day that all of us can gather in Austin and drink plenty of beer.
I would even drink beer with you, even though I can't stand the stuff, because I love you a lot. Man. Love is real is real, as as I should have but not in a in a in a creepy way, but abort Yeah we're moving on. But but I but I did pull an article from Aerojona dot org call white people of color need spaces without white people, And I want to actually have this additional voice to add why these spacers were not only created, but why they are still necessary.
So just in summary, the author actually discusses the need for POC to have their own spaces where they can gather without the influence of white cultural dominance and judgment. So it's not necessarily like, oh, we don't like the white people, you can't come in here. No, it's not even really about
white people. It's about actually white supremacy and judgment and dominance. And these spaces are seen as essentially for healing, the self discovering, and empowerment, and the author actually emphasized sort of like the ACA, sort of like the ACA a healing environment, a place where people who happened to think like us, who are irreligious, who are atheist agnostic, can gather and be able to express our particular thought patterns when it comes to this particular ideology. And
what the these spaces do is you actually get empowerment and self discovery. And the author even emphasizes valuing and protecting these spaces as crucial for resisting oppression, and the article even addresses common questions and misconceptions about POC spaces, including concerns about segregation like some of the tweeters actually mentioned previously. It argues that these spaces are not forms of oppression, but responses to it, providing a temporary
respite from racism and white dominance. And the author also challenges the notion that inclusiveness can be cultivated in integrated spaces and explains that the presence of non whites
doesn't automatically make a space inclusive. Okay. And you know, one of the things that I would even say even was like doing my atheist activism, you know, also working with the black non believers, even though like this particular our our particular organization works with white organizations, are have allied with white
organizations. But the thing about it is is that it actually emphasizes and it actually brings platform to black voices because white dominance and because white supremacy and because ideologies like moms for tots is still very real in our society and non whites need a safe place to be themselves. It is not an assault you're here, Yeah, It's not an assault on any person who happens to be different
from you or for any of us. It has everything to do with being able to create a safe space so that we can be able to thrive, we can be able to be empowered, and we can be able to have healed because as we can all mention that, I believe everybody on this particular panel was an extra Christian, some of us more deep deeper than the other.
Okay, and we in some cases I know that I am I'm not gonna say that I'm gonna speak for all of you, but I know that I am still in the process of actually deconstructing, deconstructing what that experience was like. Okay, And and I'm grateful for the ACA for being able to provide a space where we can actually talk about these particular things, especially like
on the you know, the ACA discord as well. But you know, but there's a cult, there's an intersectionality for non whites that we also have to deal with white dominance plus dealing with our non belief That is a double whammy. And then in my goodness, don't even add lgbtqya plus on that
too. Come on, it's important to have triple whammy exactly Scott exactly, and so you know, if we had a thing about I would say, like, you know, a if they want to highlight a reason for them to gather, like they're all moms, okay, and me being a new mother ish, I'm always looking at parents and asking for advice because I'm always asking my child, what the hell are you doing now? Okay? And especially as parents, never have advice for other new parents. No one ever
wants to share their experience. Never. I've been on both sides of Hello,
Hello, you know. But but one of the things that I just want to say specifically about that particular article is that it does actually call for support for these particular spaces as a means of subverting white cultural conditioning and fostering genuine inclusivity, and an invice readers to become accomplices in this effort and highlights the significance of these spaces for the collection liberation of all of our society. So as much as we want non white spaces to thrive, we want atheist
spaces to thrive. And if you want our space to thrive, dear listener and viewer, click here