Lionel Desmond was a victim of racism, cousin testifies at inquiry

It was two years ago this month that Raymond Sheppardfirst wrotein the former Nova Scotia Advocate about the role racism played in the case of his younger cousin, Lionel Desmond, who, in 2017, killed his wife, Shanna, mother, Brenda, and 10-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, before killing himself.

Desmond who served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in the war in Afghanistan suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). An inquiry into deaths is now underway.

Sheppard testified at the inquiry on October 13 after putting in an application to testify. Though a lot of reporting has been done as to whether Desmond received adequate mental health treatment following a seven-month tour in Afghanistan in 2007, Sheppard’s testimony highlighted how racism he says Desmond experienced in the CAF also contributed to his PTSD. Sheppard chronicled in his articles some of what he learned about Desmond’s experiences.

“There was one particular incident that stands out,” Desmond’s brother-in-law Shelton Borden told Sheppard in one of Sheppard’s previous articles. “Three guys that had been harassing him jumped Lionel in the men’s locker room and used racial slurs such as “chocolate milk” in reference to his wife (my sister Shanna). Lionel ended up successfully defending himself against the aggressors and ended up going to summary trial in response to the attack. There would definitely be records of that summary trial if we looked into it.”

Borden告诉Sheppard，他经常“见证[Desmond]下班回家并每周说“那些种族主义混蛋”，”仅仅让这些​​情绪随着时间的流逝变得“更加极端”。

A retired Black CAF Senior Non-Commissioned Officer, Rubin “Rocky” Cowardalso spoke with Sheppard并说：“我根本不希望莱昂内尔（Lionel）只有PTSD，这仅归因于他所看到的行动。种族主义也是我们看到的行动。”

Sheppard’s testimony

Early in his testimony at the inquiry, Sheppard talked about Desmond in his youth and said he was a playful and “happy-go-lucky individual who was respectful and helpful to others including seniors in the community.”

“In my opinion,” he said, “Lionel Desmond had none of the severe risk factors like an alcoholic or drug-abusing parent, sexual molestation, violence at home, as well as mental illness in a family member that might have triggered or stimulated violence.”

Sheppard said that Desmond’s 2007 tour in Afghanistan “was said to be the bloodiest of the Canadian Military’s combat mission with many casualties as a result of the gruesome guerrilla campaign of the Taliban.”

Sheppard described PTSD by saying that it “is most often triggered by a terrifying event — either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, thought of suicide, and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event itself.” He told the inquiry that, if left untreated, “symptoms can become worse and last for years thus interfering with activities of daily living and therefore affect one’s quality of life.”

谢泼德继续解释了种族主义，特别是是反黑人种族主义的受害者，或者本身就是造成PTSD的直接原因。。”

He quoted theAmerican Psychiatric Association,which stated: “Racial trauma repeated over time and the individual and or individuals enduring these hatred acts can develop reduced self-esteem and they can internalize the hatred.”

“The Desmond Inquiry and Canadians must remember,” Sheppard said, “that when African Nova Scotians are victims of racism it causes vicarious trauma and therefore these acts negatively affect the African Nova Scotian community as a whole.”

Sheppard said that when historical anti-Black racism and hate, or PTSD2 (Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder), is compounded with PTSD like the kind experienced by soldiers who return from war, “many are left feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people. This is especially the case for those charged with the responsibility to serve and protect.”

“In Lionel Desmond’s case racism has emerged as a parallel narrative in the discussion over PTSD. Many family members, friends and others who have served in the CAF believe he also suffered from Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder (PTSD2).”

“Any racist bullying, racial taunts and slights in any workplace can mentally scare, but in confined quarters it is compounded.”

“In February 2021, only one mental health professional mentioned that Lionel has shared that he was subjected to racism while a member of the CAF. Since 2017,” Sheppard said, “I have personally spoken with at least 17 present and past members of the CAF, who all say that they also experienced racism in the CAF, and that there is no doubt in their minds that Lionel was also a victim of racism.”

Indirect factors and connecting the dots

Sheppard说：“尽管这项研究可用，但这并不需要天才。
Sheppard said that “when sustained for a period of time this internalization can lead to physical and mental problems, even disease.“

他说，就反黑种族主义而言，非洲新斯科舍省经常被教导要简单地“超越它”。但是，他强调说：“这种创伤的影响很深，而不仅仅是消失。”

“这可能就是为什么为什么被诊断出患有高血压，心脏病和癌症等的非洲新斯科舍省人数增加了。”他说。

“Whether psychological trauma happened yesterday or years ago, it can continue to affect one’s life, thoughts and reactions,” he told the inquiry.

Sheppard also testified how acts of terror can even have a negative effect on people who weren’t even directly involved.

“尽管当恐怖主义行为堆积在一个毫无戒心的公众身上时，我们可能没有在新西兰，纽约或魁北克，同样，当飞机上飞机杀害所有乘客和船员或众多乘员之一时，我们可能不会去埃塞俄比亚美国的学校枪击事件……许多人仍会受到影响。”他说。

“Viewing and or knowing about these incidents can most times produce traumatic stress all on its own.”

“Some, I am sure, believe one incident of racism and hate may be given too much attention and importance,” he said. Though he went on to note that “closer observation reveals a lifetime of acts of racism and hate” can fester and compound, leading to psychological wounds and physical ailments.

“同样,研究表明种族创伤result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Where these acts cannot be predicted when they are perpetrated it leaves victims anxious and hyper-vigilant and often depression results based on feelings of powerlessness to change the system that supports racism and hatred based on privilege, power and control, and profit,” he said at the conclusion of his testimony.

Going forward

Sheppard作证后的第二天，Desmond询问的高级法律委员会Shane Russell写信给他感谢他，部分地说：“我要感谢您。您昨天的意见是有见地的，雄辩的，毫无疑问，当我们试图从如此恐怖的悲剧中学习时，将成为有意义和负责任的变革的催化剂。我敢肯定，社区，戴斯蒙德和博登家族对您的每一步都与他们在一起。”

在2020年3月因联盟大流行而于2020年3月休会后，戴斯蒙德的询问于今年2月恢复，并正在进行中。可以在desmondinquiry.ca.

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