The ‘All Lives Matter’ Tenor Spent Valentine’s Day Arguing With Me on Facebook

Who could forget rogue Tenor Remigio Pereira, who became a national embarrassment when he altered the lyrics of "O Canada" to include "all lives matter" during a live performance at the MLB all-star game last July.

Actually, I had forgotten all about Pereira until he accepted my Facebook friend request yesterday, which I'd sent just after his controversial performance in the hopes of getting comment.

To recap: Pereira, who was part of the opera group The Canadian Tenors, was doing a solo bit of the national anthem, when he sang, "We're all brothers and sisters. All lives matter to the great" instead of "With glowing hearts we see thee rise. The True North strong and free."

He also held up an "all lives matter" sign. The other three Tenors denounced Pereira's stunt and said he went rogue, later kicking him out of the group.

Anyway, since I now had a direct way of communicating with Pereira, who appears to be a flat-earther and enjoys posting memes of himself on Facebook, I decided to ask him how life has been after his MLB disaster and if he's had a change of heart about using the phrase "all lives matter." It unravelled real quick and he doubled down on his misguided stance, but here's our conversation pretty much verbatim:

VICE: Hey Remigio. How's it going? I'm a journalist at VICE.
Remigio Pereira: I'm well, thank you.

I wanted to potentially catch up with you and do an interview of life after The Tenors.
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/lone-wolf-tenors-apologies-to-the-black-community-are-actually-worse-than-his-anthem-stunt
Canadian Tenor's Apologies to the Black Community Are Actually Worse Than His Anthem Stunt - VICE  [He posted this]
Was this your doing? Will it be a one sided interview? Will you give actual factual evidence, or will it be your opinion of someone you know nothing about to hang to dry like all other media who got it wrong, printed lies, and misquotes?

No, it won't be one-sided. You'll have an opportunity to tell your side.
Your record doesn't prove that with me…

Yes, but last time I couldn't get in touch with you—now we have a direct line of communication.
So you made up a story to suit your narrative.

No, I didn't make up anything. What do you think is factually incorrect?
You made up your mind without talking to me.

Does this mean you still think saying "all lives matter" is OK?
Yes, because your life matters to me…and my message was to the system that marginalizes us all by dividing the one race…human. Had you done your research properly you would have known that.

Yes, but after what happened did people explain to you why saying "all lives matters" is offensive because it's taking away from the cause Black Lives Matter? 
What does we are all brothers and sisters mean to you? United we stand? Stand on guard for peace?

What does any of that have to do with Black Lives Matter?
Exactly. It has to do with us all. And how we treat each other.

Do you understand what Black Lives Matter stands for?
Do you understand that nobody is better than anyone else in the eyes of God? But yet we live in world that thinks where some elitists think themselves better than others…subjugate people to violence…my message for everyone all inclusive that is marginalized… it was to the system demeaning human and animals lives for profit.. people like (George) Soros who funds both sides of the coin, to make money off guns and civil war…

Read more: Everything We Learned From The Tenors 'Lone Wolf' Canadian Anthem Fuck Up

You're not answering my question, which makes me think you still don't understand why appropriating Black Lives Matter is wrong.
So call [sic] philanthropist Soros donates money to Black Lives Matter while at the same time holding positions in Freemason extension of KKK?

If you want to protest against Soros why don't you come up with your own slogan that has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter?
All lives matter have nothing to do with only black lives, it has to do with our existence as brothers and sisters here and the oppression of the people by elitists. If you had done your research on me you would have known this.

So are you opposed to Black Lives Matter?
No excuse… you are a journalist do you research … no wonder people don't respect the media anymore full of lies controversy for ratings at the expense of civilization. No I'm not opposed to anyone who is being marginalized by the system to speak up, in a non-violent way…the problem is in this politically correct world that elitist have created specifically to pit people against each other….we are on the same team…we should not be fighting each other… that is ridiculous and exactly what the elitist wants us to be doing because that's how George Soros makes his money on guns… Do you think George Soros cares about black lives?

What happened after the baseball game—what did the other Tenors say to you? 
We'll do our interview properly on camera live… When the time is right…Until then I would suggest you do some research on me.

Well, we just had an interview and I think it makes sense to publish it as is. You've made your views very clear.
What are my views?

Everything you just wrote.
So you don't want to know more??

What more do you want to say? We are talking right now.
What is the purpose for you talking to me today, is it to spread love and peace? Or is it to sell magazines? [Editor's note: VICE Magazine is free!]

Well, you accepted my friend request from months ago and I thought it would be interesting to ask how things have been since the controversy broke.
Are you about love and peace? Agape love?

What's agape love?
You need to do your research (Martin Luther King) knew what it was…. He stood by it… What do you stand for?

Do you regret the performance?
What do you stand for? Did you look up the word?

I'm giving you the opportunity to tell your side of the story and all you're doing is asking me questions about my personal beliefs that having nothing to do with this interview or your offensive performance. So I'm not sure if there is a point continuing.
So, it's okay for you to attack my belief in agape love while portraying me to be a racist in your magazine …and you don't even know what agape means? And I am the offensive one? You need to look deep, are you doing this for greed or for peace? What do you stand for? You can't answer a simple question?

I'm not attacking your belief in agape love.
You did.

I'm asking you about a specific incident that offended a lot of people.
Because (agape love) is what I am all about.

Do you realize that a lot of Canadians were embarrassed by you changing the anthem? Does that bother you at all? Does it bother you that you offended people in the black community?
Is this about the anthem now? Don't change the subject.

This was always the subject — why else would I want to interview you? 
You are offending the black community by posting a false narrative against my character someone who speaking up for all people…you chastised and persecute in your magazine for profit. You made money off of ostracizing someone who is speaking for the very people who are being oppressed. And you don't know the meaning of agape love speaks volumes of what you stand for…I took a stand for all life… against the system….humanity and all animals…  your magazine is owned by the system… and will print what the system wants the public to know… tailor made to suit the profiteers…

This article went online—it wasn't used to sell 'magazines.' What are your plans for Valentine's Day?
Ads on your page same thing… Follow the money trail… So far I've spent it trying to explain to someone what agape love is.

Yes, that sounds almost as frustrating as trying to explain why saying "all lives matter" is racist.
Look I don't want to come down on you and make you feel bad, just do the right thing…care for people, think about what you write, is it for love? For peace? What do you stand for? Injustice? Let your heart do the thinking for you. Not enough heart in this world… which leads to our own demise. Sending you peace and love…plz keep my words intact as written here.  And I will post the same interview. Just in case…

Just when I thought it was over, Pereira sent me another message saying he had altered the French lyrics to the national anthem as well because the line "Car ton bras sait porter l'epee il sait porter la Croix" meaning "your arm knows how to carry a sword" promotes violence.

Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.