Tasteless attempt to score comedy points

While the world was still struggling to come to grips with the public execution last Saturday of a Minneapolis citizen at the hands of ICE agents, Brandon city councillor Glen Parker — who also serves as the city’s deputy mayor — engaged in an ill-judged and poorly timed attempt at comedy.

On Tuesday, he posted a photo on the East End Community Centre’s Facebook page that showed three people standing at the outdoor hockey rink at that facility. All three were dressed in winter clothing, with their faces partially covered. The Facebook post included text that said: “ICE Agents spotted at East End CC today.”

This occurred just three days after intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti was shot and killed in broad daylight by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in downtown Minneapolis. Video recordings of the shooting were immediately posted online and broadcast across the globe on countless television networks.

To say that many people, both within Minneapolis and throughout the world, have been traumatized by the video of Pretti’s killing, and by the conduct of ICE agents generally over the past few weeks, is an understatement. The situation is as tragic as it is terrifying.

Shortly after the photo and caption had been posted online, several Brandonites expressed their objections to the Facebook post, and it was subsequently deleted by Parker. He later said, “Obviously, we didn’t think it was offensive … The intent was to, you know, have a little chuckle and … have a little fun at (Donald) Trump’s expense, basically.”

He explained on Wednesday that the post was meant to be a “play on words” and that he “wasn’t trying to make light of the seriousness of the situation in Minneapolis.” He added, however, that several people who “liked” the Facebook post seemed to understand the joke, but that others took it out of context and “don’t have much of a sense of humour.”

That may be his position, but it is easy to see why many others — including people living in the city council ward he represents — could reasonably come to the opposite conclusion based on the wording of the caption. To them, there is nothing funny whatsoever about what has happened in Minneapolis, including the deaths of Pretti and Renee Good.

To make matters worse, Parker appears unrepentant for having posted the photo and caption, saying that “It’s mind-numbing that we don’t have more to worry about, but that’s their opinion and that’s their right … But it doesn’t make me or anybody else want to volunteer in the community when, you know, something simple turns so stupid.”

We don’t see it that way, and we don’t view Parker as a victim in this situation.

We agree with Brandonite Tamara Studer, who says that “It’s not a joke. People are dying. People are being shot in the streets or people in their care are dying, too, in ICE’s custody … I just thought as Canadians, we were better than that.”

She’s right. We do expect better from our fellow Canadians, and we are also entitled to expect better judgment and conduct from those who hold elected office and positions of leadership in our city — and that includes Deputy Mayor Parker.

Brandon is a city of great diversity, with newcomers from all over the world. Many of them are watching what is happening in the U.S. and are no doubt fearful that the same could happen to them at some point in the future. Beyond that, many Brandonites, including newcomers, have friends or family members who are experiencing the ordeal firsthand.

For a longtime, experienced city councillor such as Parker to attempt to score comedy points from a situation in which so many are suffering is disheartening, to say the least. It was a mistake and should not be repeated.

We also agree with Mayor Jeff Fawcett, who recommends that Parker formally apologize for the Facebook post at a future city council meeting, and that he convene an in-person meeting with citizens who wish to express their concerns about that post.

That’s good advice from the mayor. We encourage Parker to act upon it as soon as possible.