Hamilton 350 supports the public statement released just after the municipal election by a number of newly-elected Councillors, Trustees, and candidates in the recent municipal election.
The intention in calling out the article in The Hamilton Spectator was to draw attention to systemic racism in our community. The Spectator handled the story very differently with regards to the Black person and the two white people connected with the same offense. It published a photo and referred to historical activism for the former but not the latter.
Regardless of intent, this is systemic racism. It used the dog-whistle term “defund the police” when it had nothing to do with the story. This is gratuitous profiling. It may even have played a role in altering the course of the election and the makeup of Council.
We believe that The Spectator should reflect on this and consider whether it breached its own ethical standards rather than continuing to deflect and justify.