C'mon, let's be honest
Isn't this actually more of a "we don't really give a shit" menace?
Geraldine Red-Iron, a vice-principal at Canoe Lake's high school, said that the dog issue is very divisive. She said that whenever authorities try to kill the wild dogs, people claiming to be their owners rise up in anger.So you've got vicious predators roaming your streets... and you do what?
Well... that'd be doo-dah.
No wonder the child mortality numbers on reservations are through the roof...
"The rate of deaths from injuries is 3 to 4 times higher for Aboriginal children than for other children in Canada."Appalling doesn't even begin to cover this.
Source: Government of Canada (2002) Healthy Canadians – A Federal Report on Comparable Health Indicators 2002. Ottawa: Health Canada.
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FROM THE COMMENTS:
"The Indian Act is a flawed and outdated piece of legislation and yet, every politician who has offered to repeal it has been met with howls of indignation by the very people it oppresses. You can blame the residential school system and the evil white man all you want but the only thing stopping you from changing things is the natives themselves."**********
"No one, in this day and age, is going to stop any visible minority from improving themselves."
RELATED: They shoot toddlers don't they?
This is the neighbourhood where, in April 2008, a drive-by shooter fired a bullet through the home of Asia Saddleback's grandfather, ripping into the 23-month-old girl's abdomen.And sorry Peace Moonbeam... look's like money isn't the solution...
At one point, the cheques climbed well into the six figures; Mr. Crane told court yesterday he'd spent nearly half his $40,000 on marijuana and alcohol.Yup... lots to be proud of here.
20 comments:
Hmmm. Where I come from, when dogs are caught chasing deer, the dogs are automatically shot. No questions asked. No recourse. No compensation.
I guess chasing humans is different...
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this one's a no-brainer... around here the farmers take better care of their livestock... than these folks do their children.
i don't get it.
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i don't get it.
Clearly the Natives don't love their children as much white people do. Isn't that what you really want to say? Why not say it?
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hey gerald... read slower...
"The rate of deaths from injuries is 3 to 4 times higher for Aboriginal children than for other children in Canada."
Source: Government of Canada (2002) Healthy Canadians – A Federal Report on Comparable Health Indicators 2002. Ottawa: Health Canada.
i dunno, gerry... is it about love... or simply neglect?
i know... let's ask this guy.
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What are you trying to say? Natives neglect their children because they don't love them?
What reasons can you offer for the wretched state of affairs on Indian Reserves?
Anyone can sit back and cherrypick this stuff. How about some actual analysis? Give me a reason to think you actually give a shit. From where I sit, it looks like you're simply pissing on Natives because it amuses you.
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"gerald, once again, taunts... What are you trying to say? Natives neglect their children because they don't love them?"
gerald, how would i know what anyone feels about anything? this is about the demonstrable neglect... that is indisputably costing aboriginal children their lives.
now, are you disputing this on the facts... or simply ignoring them and calling me a racist?
i do know that something is seriously wrong here...
"One in 10 aboriginal children is in foster care, compared to one in 200 non-aboriginal children."
whaddaya think, gerry... you just gonna blame this one on the wily white man?
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I agree that the condition of First Nations People in Canada is horrible. What I don't understand is why you are satisfied to state the facts without any meaningful analysis. What do YOU think are the root causes of problems like alcoholism and drug abuse? Surely these problems lead to neglect?
As a First Nations person who was adopted into a white family at birth only to rediscover his true identity as a young person, I can tell you that I've witnessed the results first hand of drug addiction and alcoholism. My experience has taught me that hopelessness is the main culprit that leads many young Indians astray. That sense of hopelessness comes from frustration. The cycle of abuse and addiction is entrenched and hard to break. No one dreams of growing up to be a loser. Certainly, much of the responsibility to break these cycles falls on the shoulders of my own people. However, we didn't simply decide to abandon our way of life, our families and our traditions. They were stripped from us a long time ago. As we slowly work towards restoring dignity to our people, we face the daunting task of doing so in poverty and hopelessness.
Poverty is far more the reality than lump sum payments for most. Rather than pointing your finger at examples of inexcusable neglect, you might contribute more to the discussion by considering the causes and even contemplating solutions.
Examples of neglect in all kinds of communities are everywhere. Enough to drive a sane man mad. Why point at us? Is it because we're the easiest targets? Not much sport in that.
Bigotry towards Indians in this country is rampant. However, if you're saying that you're not "that" guy, I take you at your word. I'd be interested in hearing what suggestions you can offer to help improve the conditions for the children you speak of in your post.
If, on the other hand, you're not really interested and simply wish to express your antipathy towards my people, have the courage to say what you really think.
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"gerald says... Examples of neglect in all kinds of communities are everywhere."
gerald... you forgot to list even one example of the "neglect in all kinds of communities".
please elucidate.
and root causes? how about a culturally entrenched sense of victimhood?
you want a suggestion to make things better for aboriginal peoples?
i've already said it many times... disband the corrupt, nepotistic reserve system... give each resident the title to his own land and assist them to enter the larger field of folk.
one people... one law.
that work for you?
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Many cities in Canada are less than a hundred years old. But aboriginal people have lived in this land for more than a hundred centuries.
Poverty, ill health, educational failure, family violence and other problems reinforce one another. To break the circle of disadvantage – where family violence leads to educational failure, which leads to poverty, which leads to ill health and back to violence – all these conditions must be tackled together, not piecemeal.
The colonizing view that many European settlers in North America took towards Aboriginal people devastated their cultures. As early as the late 1800’s Canadian government and church bodies began removing Aboriginal children from their homes and placing them in what were referred to as Industrial Schools. These would later become known as Residential Schools. Residential schools were the most effective tool for destroying Aboriginal culture and identity, and for promoting the assimilation of Aboriginal people into mainstream Canadian society.
The widespread abuse that Aboriginal children faced at Residential school spanned 7 decades – from the 1920’s to the 1980’s. Many of the schools employed curricula that were centred around religious teachings and manual labour skills. Many Aboriginal children came away from Residential school in their teen years barely knowing how to read. What proved to be even more destructive was the emotional, physical and sexual abuse that many Aboriginal children experienced. The history of the Residential School system has certainly contributed to the current education situation with Aboriginal peoples. However, it is not solely responsible for the current state of affairs.
I don't have the stats for the whole country, but it's worth noting that 55 percent of Native people in Ontario live on-reserve while 45 percent live off reserve.
The problems facing the First Nations are a little more complex than you suggest.
The article states:
Ms. Ballantyne said that more than 200 half-starved dogs roam the reserve in packs searching for food.
“Nobody is tying them up or feeding their own animals,” she said. “They don't bother taking care of them.
So for all the dog owners who 'rise up in anger' - how about taking care of your dogs and FEEDING them? Maybe if they weren't starving, they wouldn't be stalking children, whom they see as food prey.
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sorry gerald... unless you think the barbaric treatment of my irish and scots ancestors gives me a legitimate claim against the british royal family... you're just talkin' out your ass.
abolish the reserve system... give equal rights & protections to aboriginal women & give the residents title to their land... instead of being serfs to the chief and his cronies. those are the solutions here.
canadian taxpayers pour 12 billion dollars per year into the corrupt failing aboriginal reserves... and it just makes things worse.
cultures, even the most robust, shift, adapt and die out all the time... think rome, or ghengis khan.
aboriginal culture is in an irreversable death spiral... and that's simply a fact. it wouldn't even exist without massive countrywide taxpayer welfare.
you say you were adopted... so here's a question... have you ever said to yourself... thank the gawds i was adopted and got to escape the decay & destruction that is a prominent feature of reservation life?
why shouldn't all the other aboriginal children get that chance too?
and, oh yeah... you forgot, once again, to list even one example of the "neglect in all kinds of communities".
c'mon gerald... you said it, you have to wear it.
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Gerald; I am not ignorant of conditions on reserves in Canada and I agree with a lot of what you say but don't you think that the time has come for you and your fellow natives to do something about it. The Indian Act is a flawed and outdated piece of legislation and yet, every politician who has offered to repeal it has been met with howls of indignation by the very people it oppresses. You can blame the residential school system and the evil white man all you want but the only thing stopping you from changing things is the natives themselves. No one, in this day and age, is going to stop any visible minority from improving themselves.
sorry gerald... unless you think the barbaric treatment of my irish and scots ancestors gives me a legitimate claim against the british royal family... you're just talkin' out your ass.
You're able to gloss over the very real and recent treatment of Aboriginals in Canada by conjuring the ghost of William Wallace? If that's the best you have to offer, I can plainly see what this really all about for you.
I suppose those who suffered under Nazism should just get over it? And those who were mass murdered under Stalin and whose ancestors still struggle to shake off the damages from Communism need to pull themselves up from their self-indulgent despair?
Proportionately, the number of Native Americans that died at the hands of Europeans is staggering, whether from European disease or otherwise.
aboriginal culture is in an irreversable death spiral... and that's simply a fact. it wouldn't even exist without massive countrywide taxpayer welfare.
You're speaking of the conditions Aboriginals live in rather than our culture.And yes, it is a death spiral. Our culture and traditions vary from one end of the country to the other. Our traditions are thousands of years old and include responsible stewardship of our land and those we share it with. Please do not mistake the current and ongoing crisis our people live in with our anthropology.
I left my adopted family as quickly as I could. Like many others, I was sexually abused under their care. Native children should be raised by their parents. That is the goal. The notion that native children belong in more adopted white families indicates your true motivation for writing this post.
Finally, you have asked for an example of a disfunctional white community? There are many. The prisons of this country are full of all colours. But, here's a direct example that comes from my own experience.
Priestly sex scandals against children are an epidemic. There are so many reports worldwide of sexual molestation and rape charges by priests against children it is disheartening. What is even more disheartening are the actions of the Catholic Church.
You should save yourself the effort of a response. Clearly, your mind is made up. I won't visit again.
Speak truth in humility to all people. Only then can you be a true man. It is easy to be brave from a distance.
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"gerald naively asks... I suppose those who suffered under Nazism should just get over it?"
uh, gerry... not to be too contrary here, but they got over it pretty damn well... founded their own country... and vowed that it would never happen again.
what they didn't do was sink into a miasma of unemployment, domestic violence & alcohol and drug abuse.
if i'm remembering correctly, it's called... ah... wait a minute... oh, yeah... israel.
and if you're using a subset of invariably homosexual men who choose to cloister themselves in an all-male environment as a shining example of "neglect in all kinds of communities"... well, that's just lame.
please note that... in the instance the post refers to here... the people apparently weren't able or willing to take care of their dogs... never mind their children.
good grief... if this is your best argument, i can see why you'd choose to cut off the conversation and run away.
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You choose to dismiss me with a nickname? Gerry? Clever.
The world rallied around the Jewish people after the Holocaust and much has been sacrificed to establish Israel. Slowly, the Canadian people begin to recognize how their actions have devastated the First Nations. With the continued support of many Canadians, we shall overcome our struggles, I don't doubt it for a moment. Unfortunately, attitudes like your own exist.
I wonder how you dismiss the Residential Schools? In fact, I notice you don't even touch on the topic. Why?
I accept responsibility for the destruction my people create in their own lives. My goal is to understand why it exists and how to break the cycle. Your dismissal speaks more to your ignorance than to your knowledge of history.
I should mention that Scotland has the highest poverty levels in western Europe. You're lucky your ancestors got out.
Finally, over 1 billion Catholics worldwide get their marching orders from 400,000 priests. Or to use your words: "a subset of invariably homosexual men".
If these are your best arguments I can see why you choose to publish your blog under an alias.
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"mr gerald says... dismiss me with a nickname? Gerry?"
oops... you're back. and okay... let's be formal. mr gerald it is.
you say... "Slowly, the Canadian people begin to recognize how their actions have devastated the First Nations."
whose actions are we talking about here? brebeuf... or some long dead bureaucrat? how far back do we go here? my family came to canada from scotland in the 1950's... why exactly are we on the hook for this stuff?
and hey... if there's no statute of limitations on this type of grievance, why shouldn't prince charles have to answer for his ancestor's crimes against my ancestors? -- btw, mr gerald... that's not a rhetorical question.
and mr gerald... please note that at least the jewish community, when they pursue justice... go after the actual transgressors like eichmann... not his grandchildren, or ordinary germans who weren't even born during ww2... and, surprise, surprise... who don't just sit around destroying themselves & their families on the german taxpayer's dime while blaming auschwitz.
you also say... "I should mention that Scotland has the highest poverty levels in western Europe. You're lucky your ancestors got out."
well mr gerald, funny you should say that. i guess you're just unlucky that your ancestors, with their relatively primitive technology & culture found themselves overwhelmed by european immigration. hey, maybe they should have been like my ancestors and, despite the injustice & dislocation, actually started up new & prosperous lives.
that's called history... and it's what's been happening since cain smoked abel. you might have noticed, for instance, there is no more kingdom of normandy, no more ottoman or roman empires. and no one, apparently, felt the need to subsidise isolated pockets of folks from these vanquished groups.
the biggest favour aboriginal peoples could do for themselves is to join the larger canadian society. they have no trouble embracing the conveniences like snowmobiles & pickup trucks (and the evils like alcohol & drug abuse)... it's time to throw off the yoke of the communist reservation system.
or, i guess, you can sit around wailing as you watch your people's cultural suicide.
again, mr gerald, one people... one law.
finally, as for publishing my blog pseudonymously... i have been here, every day for over three years. you have my email & these comments.
all the nonnybots know exactly where to find me... and you do... DAILY.
please tell me, mr gerald... where exactly do i find your anonymous self in the millions of other ANONYMOUS commenters?
oh yeah... that'd be nowhere.
p.s. - i'm an atheist... i have no use for the catholic church... with or without the plague of child abuse.
and mr gerald... you say you were adopted into a white family at birth. you care to fit that irony into the larger narrative here?
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whose actions are we talking about here?
The actions of modern day Canadian governments. Residential schools existed up until the 80's.
why shouldn't prince charles have to answer for his ancestor's crimes against my ancestors?
Perhaps your grasp of British history is as shaky as your understanding of your own country's legacy. The House of Windsor, with it's direct connection to the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, has no connection whatever to Britain before Queen Victoria.
ordinary germans who weren't even born during ww2...
The recent history of residential schools continues to be a subject you won't address. This was happening 30 years ago.
with their relatively primitive technology & culture found themselves overwhelmed by european immigration.
Absolutely overwhelmed by technology, disease and treacherous deal making. Having spent some today reviewing your blog, I notice that you left the bright lights of the big city for simpler pastures. Explain.
the biggest favour aboriginal peoples could do for themselves is to join the larger canadian society.
I assume that the larger Canadian society you speak of is the very one you spend most of your time bitching about?
or, i guess, you can sit around wailing as you watch your people's cultural suicide.
Au contraire, I have devoted my life to working on behalf of my people. As I mentioned in previous comments, I understand that First Nations People must accept responsibility for much of our current conditions. However, our PM once said,"The treatment of children in Indian Residential Schools is a sad chapter in our history. Today, we recognize this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country. The Government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the Aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly.”
The way forward is only accessed through hard work and determination. Mr. Harper's apology was gratefully accepted but changing the attitudes of people like you remains a huge obstacle.
I doubt that you imagine what I witness daily in my journey to help my people. Afterall, you have chosen to flee to obscurity and complain from the sidelines under an alias. Clearly, you are content to offer criticism without any construction. How very odd for a man who wears his Scottish heritage so proudly. The Scots that came here did much to build this country up while you choose to tear it down.
I'm not sure how providing an email address makes you any more authentic.Afterall,if I chose to email you, I'm still dealing with the "character" rather than the man. Further, I think you post under an alias rather than a pseudonym. A pseudonym is reserved for those who have something to lose. It appears that you have something to hide.
please tell me, mr gerald... where exactly do i find your anonymous self in the millions of other ANONYMOUS commenters?
My name is Gerald Briggs. I am 53 years old. I currently live in Toronto. You may contact me through my email. It is geraldbriggs11@hotmail.com. If you wish, I can provide you with further information about myself if you choose you contact me.
p.s. - i'm an atheist... i have no use for the catholic church... with or without the plague of child abuse.
You asked for an example and I provided it . Whether you're an atheist or not has nothing to do with your request. Again, cherrypicking.
and mr gerald... you say you were adopted into a white family at birth. you care to fit that irony into the larger narrative here?
I can only assume that you're suggesting that my own parents were unfit to raise me. The truth is, they were. You'll forgive me if I don't reveal all of my secrets to a unknown blogger who posts under an alias.
It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.
Gerald, as the descendent of a Jewish woman whose family was decimated by the Nazis your people have some of my sympathy. I would dare not compare the rounding up of millions of people and deliberately killing them to the often well meaning intent of the governments of Canada but the thinking is delusional none the less, and the end result is similar.
I can understand a generational effect, even after some time, the Nazi hand had an effect on my childhood.
Most certainly I appreciate some of the errors made in the residential schools as being atrocious. Those people will be compensated at least, unlike myself for the wealth my family lost. That being said I would never ask a German to pay it back after all these years.
All those things being said, the example of the residential school is a perfect illustration of why its time for our governments to get out of the native business altogether and the reserve system needs to be demolished. I completely understand Neo's point of view there. It has certainly without doubt done more harm than good.
Native people need to be left alone to solve their own issues. If it is important to them, they'll do it for themselves. In the meantime its best to stop the money transfers that cause so many of the root issues as well as all the government regulations, and treat them equally like other Canadians.
This system of subsidization had only impoverished people. As has been famously said, "the best way to kill a man is to pay him to do nothing."
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"gerald says... I assume that the larger Canadian society you speak of is the very one you spend most of your time bitching about? "
yes gerald... as a citizen of this country, i reserve the democratic right to criticise things i'm not happy with. unlike your aboriginal warrior brothers, though... i don't use violence or coercion, or hold whole towns hostage.
but, despite this... you actually have a problem with me voicing my opinion?
and it's my opinion, shared incidentally by politicians of all political stripes, that the aboriginal reservation system... into which canadian taxpayers pour 12 billion dollars per year... is irretrievably broken.
that includes jean chretien, who adopted an aboriginal son, who unfortunately is no stranger to the canadian correctional system himself.
the reserves & the indian act just don't work. residents can't ever own their own land... women get screwed over. aboriginal communities are run, for the most part, on the twin principles of nepotism & corruption. crime among youth is rampant.
you wanna hang on to the reserves and the destruction they are wreaking on aboriginal peoples... that's on you.
you can, as a people, continue to choose to ignore your children... and drink & drug yourselves to death. government statistics tell the sad tale.
that's the line aboriginal spokes-hero shawn brant is taking... and you can see the effect that's having on your people.
or you can join the larger field of folk... and we can move forward together to make this country all it can be.
and yeah... what langmann said.
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p.s. -- hey, mr gerald... not to rain on the perpetual victims parade... but it seems your aboriginal brothers might have some "racial purity" issues they need to work on.
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