What is it about my being a white man that makes some people think any argument I make in any discussion I join on any topic is invalid? Honestly, what do my sex and skin colour have to do with my ability to think, form, and express a thought? I am an educated man. I was fortunate to have been born in Canada in the mid-twentieth century. I had the benefit of a public education and earned two university degrees. My schooling included lessons in history, music, drama, and logic. I learned how important objectivity is in the pursuit of knowledge and truth. I also learned that you should judge others as individuals according to their character. So, then why, in 2026, do my sex and race matter to so many people? So much so that I am attacked for being an old white man with no regard to my character. The thing to remember is that despite being white and male, I had to compete for spots in university and employment. Nothing was guaranteed. I suffered hardship and disappointment along the way. Like many Canadians my age, I had to move back in with my parents for a while after graduating from university with a B.A., only to find there was no room for me in the workforce. I remember well when I was in grade 8, my teacher lectured the class on the importance of getting an education. It was that, or you could expect to draw a welfare cheque. I remember the ads in the 1990s that pitched the message, “More education equals more job choices.” I did as my elders told me, only to end up educated, unemployed, and having to move in with my parents. I did not give up. I struggled to find work and initially found jobs through temporary employment agencies. It was at one of these temporary jobs that my supervisor suggested I enroll in library school. I applied and was offered admission to the School of Library and Information Science at the University of Western Ontario (now called Western University) in 1990. I graduated in 1993 with a Master of Library and Information Science degree.

Fortune is fickle. How was I supposed to know that my graduation from library school would coincide with massive firings in the federal public service and in Ontario? “Downsizing and restructuring” and “Getting more for less” were the buzzwords. The Ministry of Education in Ontario thought it perfectly reasonable to expect librarians to volunteer their services in school libraries. Sure, I will volunteer to run a school library if you will volunteer to pay my rent and grocery bills. I had no choice but to seek social assistance after graduating from library school. I spent my 30s working sporadically in temp and contract jobs, and declared bankruptcy when there was no hope of repaying my Canada Student Loan. Between jobs, I had to turn to social assistance. Finally, when I was 39, my turn came, and I landed a permanent full-time position in a university library. I retired at 62.

I enjoy writing and sharing my musings on current events. I think I have much to offer in discussions, given my educational background, knowledge and grasp of logic. I am told I have the gift of wisdom. I welcome all opinions and refrain from being snide in exchanges with people who disagree or hold different views. I listen to my critics and welcome criticism and correction. I get things wrong sometimes, and I will not learn anything unless anyone calls me on it. I welcome constructive criticism, but have no time for personal attacks and abuse. So, once more, why do my sex and race have any bearing on anything I say? How is it reasonable to accuse me of bigotry and hatred for no other reason than that I am a mature white man who disagrees with the radical, left-wing ideas that are so popular and promoted by the Liberal government, and its determination to compel and censor speech in Canada? As a librarian, I have a mandate to uphold intellectual freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom to read. I take this responsibility very seriously, and it has nothing to do with my sex or the colour of my skin. Well, it seems that this is currently the white man’s burden in 21st-century Canada. No one said it was easy, least of all to be a man, but being a man means maintaining your strength of character in the face of adversity. That said, I will quietly endure the ad hominem attacks made against me for no other reason than that I am a white man and continue to express my thoughts freely.

Posted by Geoffrey