1:09 PM 02/16/2018
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Bernice King wrote on Twitter Thursday that the death of Saskatchewan native Colten Boushie is “a painful reminder that racism and systemic injustice” aren’t just U.S. issues.
The daughter of assassinated civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and the head of the MLK Center for Nonviolent Social Change, King posted on social media, “Colonialism leaves in its wake death and destruction across the globe.”
When a jury acquitted Gerald Stanley of second degree murder charges last week in the shooting death of Cree Native Boushie, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated his disapproval and native groups protested across Canada. Trudeau has subsequently indicated that he intends to recognize special “Indigenous Rights” in Canada, creating a potentially two-tier justice system.
Social media is ablaze with debate over Boushie’s intentions on the day he and friends invaded Stanley’s prairie farm and appeared to be helping themselves to an ATV on the property. Members of the party admitted they had been drinking but denied they were trying to steal the vehicle in court testimony.
King tweeted in response to a New York Times article about Boushie:
“A painful reminder that racism & systemic injustice are world issues, not just American issues. Colonialism leaves in its wake death & destruction across the globe. The more we shun change, the more death & destruction comes. You matter, #ColtonBoushie.”
The Crown can still appeal the jury’s decision while the Boushie family is demanding an inquest following a meeting with Trudeau in Ottawa this week.
