Like many White Canadians my ancestors came here as farmers, lured by free land to expand the Great Western Frontier, and, according to family stories, I would be writing this from the U.S. if it weren't for the fact that there was no free land left in Minnesota so my Great Grandfather chose Southern Alberta instead. So much for the, we worked for everything we have, argument, yeah it was a huge government program that brought the White people here in the first place along with that other huge government program, the railroad. I know the Right-Wing hate the "You didn't build that" line of thinking from Obama (and look where that got him) but it's true! With the help of slave labour from China we did get that railroad built across the 2nd largest country in the World! There was also a great push to amalgamate the culture, ie; make everyone speak English as planned out by Sir John A. McDonald which is why I'm not writing this in German or Russian or Swedish. I bring this up because there seems to be a certain attitude out there, a collective we, an us vs. them, like we all started from the same place, which is not true, every Nationality in this country owes a debt to civility and common decency, under which we all became equal citizens. Canada was a place to come to escape persecution and find peace and prosperity. So, it is with immense disgust I read comments on news media and elsewhere that say the most vile things a human could come up with against our Aboriginal People. Since Aboriginals were already here when the RCMP rode into the West claiming land for the Crown, our History has been together. That History has been good and bad, but mostly bad for the Natives, and really, anyone who has gone to school in this country should know that!
It should be no surprise that I read the worst things on the Calgary Sun website, they seem to have a loyal following of "Trolls" ready to stamp out and yell down any logical argument posted. I often wonder if it is just their staff or Conservative Party members propagandizing their platforms since there is never any opinion or article to the contrary? I say this because I never seem to meet actual people with these opinions, a lot of the postings just don't seem like what actual people say, and the comments also seem to hit certain talking points again and again, just like a political campaign. Boy there sure are a lot of people out there with the same talking points on that site who have all the time in the world to write everyday???
The arguments I keep reading are basically:
- The Natives should GET JOBS, and quit asking for more rights and money, they are LAZY and don't deserve special treatment. The right-wing seem to love this argument, it's probably the one most often used, which I find cute for a variety of reasons. I think it comes from the Tea Party mindset out of the U.S., the ultra-right argument that freeloaders are bankrupting the economy and everyone should pull up their socks and get to work, while we cut public spending. I suppose it goes over well with all those descendants of farmers? One could call it the "Protestant Work Ethic", nothing is worth anything unless it is worked for. Personally, I find the Lazy Indian accusation really racist and completely evil, akin to old images of the American Negro eating watermelon. It is also quite rich in a Canada where people get EI for a year just for having a baby, claim the Child Tax Credit, send kids to Public School on public roads or public transit and watch Hockey Games in publicly funded Arenas,and enjoying a government supplied and quality controlled water supply, just to name a few things, so much for the Ayn Rand philosophy! Also, for the vast number of people leaving this comment, I suppose they should get a job, unless it is their job!?!?!?
-The Natives weren't the first people in North America, thus they have no claims to anything and you are a f**ing idiot who should go read History! I actually first heard this argument almost 5 years ago on a completely unrelated topic and thought what the hell are the right trying to fabricate now? It sounds a lot like what we hear from the radical right in the U.S. and/or something Ezra Levant would come up with, it's a common tactic akin to there should be more guns in Elementary Schools to prevent shootings or Oil from Canada is "Ethical" ,as opposed to other nationalities of petroleum. It's all completely cockamamie but if they say it enough people will believe it because they're not going to go read a book on Human Evolution or Early Human Migration, because they're busy leaving nasty comments online somewhere.
-Those people have no right to block roads, I am not a lawyer so I don't know if that's true or not and I think it's meant morally anyway. Sorry as a Canadian I believe people have the moral right to protest peacefully and standing beside a road is not as effective as standing on it. I'm sorry people are so busy and so important they cannot be inconvenienced. This is not rioting or bombing like some countries so Canadians need to take a chill pill. Comments on blockades ranged from those savages should not be scratching people's cars to hoping a giant truck would plow through them. That last one is nice isn't it? So tell me who is feeling entitled to public roads right now?
-People who claim racism are racist themselves, this is kind of a new one for me but relates to the above cockamamie pretzel logic of the right wing. If they say two ridiculous things with words in between it will start to make sense to someone. Whoever says this does not know what it is like to be the only minority in a room, not get a job or rent an apartment or fear for your life because of how they are perceived. No, actually racism, sexism, or homophobia are real things. I suppose if they tell themselves these things they don't have to feel the guilt?
That's probably the top types of arguments, it gets worse, delving into dark recesses of hate and racism. I did notice on The Sun website "Netiquette" rules, such as no threatening language, racist language, personal attacks, comments in foreign languages and typing in all caps, which no one follows but everyone has "virtually" agreed to, it means almost every user is breaking the agreed upon rules and none of it is moderated. I did read their lame editorial piece recently claiming that "The Sun is not racist", following some Idle No More protests in front of the Sun Media building in Calgary. The article said that they cannot moderate all comments and there are a "few out of line comments". Well, I say that is a total lie and minimizing of what they know is their bread and butter. The Sun has always been the go-to place for tabloid style outrage at one minority or another, it is no more newsworthy or subtle as some drunk guy down at the bar! Most importantly, I ask of the Conservative Party who is in league with the Sun Media, do you denounce these race baiting articles and accompanying comments? These people are representing your side Mr.Harper.
The Sun knows it's promoting racism and lowest common denominator arguments, it's their modus operandi; and our government with oil companies know this too. They do not want the masses to think about changes to our water and environment policies, that were done overnight with the stroke of a pen. People might get too angry if they knew all of our Natural Heritage and water supply is subject to the approval of one appointed MP. They would rather people argue over the morality of protesting or the gall of "those lazy Indians" to demand more rights and money than the rest of you hard working slobs. It is the worst most dishonest style of governing, completely cynical in style. Canadians deserve better and are smarter than all of this!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
Idle No More Protests Threaten Canadian Government
A couple of weeks before Christmas I got a call from our former neighbour, we're still friends even after they've moved now, they were at one of the big malls here in Calgary and had come across a flash mob. Pretty exciting except the flash mobs we are mostly having in Canada are being staged by the Aboriginal, First Nations peoples protesting our current government. So the call kind of went like "Hey Al, listen to this"....it was hard to make out, all I could hear was a drum beat, it sounded like a factory, then I probably said "Where the hell are you?" and my friend says "We're at the mall and there's a Round Dance going on." So then I understood it was an "Idle No More" protest, after listening on the phone a little longer I could make out the Native singing. Exciting stuff! Canada is not the land of political protest, not in my lifetime, people are worried about Hockey most of the time. The other meaningful part of this little story is that our former neighbours consist of a white man married to my great friend and matriarchal figure who is an Ojibwa from Northwestern Ontario. We had many long conversations over the years, I have met their children who are my age, their grandchildren and extended family. I have some knowledge now of what goes on in some Aboriginal communities and as a minority myself (I have the gay) sympathize. It's easy to make broad generalizations about people until you get to know them and since we have kept Natives out of our society I don't think a lot of Canadians have gotten to know them. Many modern day Canadians probably don't even think about Native issues and if you're really recently immigrated you might think all this was here before somehow? Afterall, unless your name is Pocahontas we are all immigrants, I always try to keep this mind if I ever feel too entitled.
I'm sure most people around the world think Canada is a fairly innocuous and benevolent country, helping out where we can and quietly prospering under an admirably democratic government. Well, it's not true anymore! Since the election of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his band of idealist Right-Wing MP's (Members of Parliament),and with the help of The Sun Media who are modelled on FOX News from the U.S., we have become nothing more than a frozen Banana Republic! Because of our British based Parliamentary system of government the Prime Minister has immense power, this is not America my friends there are basically no "Checks and Balances". The Prime Minister and his majority power can introduce any Legislation they want, they choose the committees and who is on them, he appoints the Senate that passes Legislation and the Supreme Court as well as the Governor General who is supposed to represent the Queen; it's regarded as symbolic, supposedly. For those not living in a Commonwealth Country this may sound weird but the British Monarch is the actual head of Government; it's why she's on the $20, it's really just a vestigial leftover from colonial times We are a sovereign country with our own Constitution; it's just a style of government as opposed to a Republic. So, my point is our PM wields a lot of power, not unlike Hugo Chavez I suppose, and they have been very busy introducing huge amounts of new Legislation -about the size of a telephone book or two - called Omnibus Bills. Most of us think they do this so no one notices all the changes and so new laws are not scrutinized by the opposition, media, and the public. During the second round of Omnibus Bills our very Right-Wing and sympathetic to large Oil companies government passed a lot of Environmental changes and changes to the Indian Act which surprisingly Aboriginal peoples are really mad about! Remember last post when I said "we don't ghettoize people" where I was wagging my virtual finger at American Gun Culture? Well, I take that back, we have been pretty bad to Native peoples and continue to, and continue to ignore it, sorry. Anyway, our Natives and the Idle No More movement is specifically opposed to Bill C-45 and the Indian Act that basically gives the government and one MP the power to take away portions of Reserve land, if they see fit, like if there's oil on it. Reserve land was where we made Indians live while we were turning the land into farms and cities, it was usually land we didn't want for these uses. Also, the Navigation Protection Act formerly the Navigable Waters Act, it gives oil and gas pipeline projects the power to ignore environmental laws subject to the approval of an appointed MP, I wonder how that approval process will work!?!?!? In the right room with the right people over an expensive bottle of Scotch at a beautiful exclusive retreat! Also, The Environmental Assessment Act which speeds up any pesky studies of the environment and of course is approved by an appointed MP. After all those years of giving smallpox infected blankets to the Natives who were in our way we're finally going to give them all cancer by dumping by-products of the Tar Sands into the waterways. So, surprise! The Natives are becoming restless!
So, things are really heating up in Canada in the middle of the winter. We have a First Nations Chief, Theresa Spence, on a hunger strike in the Capital City of Ottawa demanding a meeting with the PM. The government with the help of The Sun Media are busily trying to smear her reputation, her protest is unrelated to Idle No More but the Right-Wing powers that be are trying to tie the two together as there are scurrolous accusations against Chief Spence and really she is not a master of the media and has made many public relations mistakes. Recently, there have been threats by various Native leaders to hurt the economic interests of Canada, including blocking rail lines, highways and border crossings and maybe more! Today a statue of Sir John A. McDonald, the first Prime Minister, was vandalized with spraypaint slogans "This is Stolen Land", "Murderer" and "Colonizer". While I personally don't approve of this, I think it speaks of the simmering anger boiling just below the surface.
I know a lot of Canadians do not want to face their racism and prejudice ingrained in our society against Natives, in so many ways it is similar to the Civil Rights struggle of African Americans. I say to those fellow Canadians, do you enjoy clean water and air? Are you drinking different water than everyone else because of the partisan politics you follow? I think not. These laws and this government overreach affect all of us.
The best thing the Idle No More movement can do right now is to get International attention and especially American attention. I have been busy trying to drop links all over the internet and get the attention of our more Left-leaning media friends at MSNBC. After all these protests are also starting to occur stateside; there was a flash mob at a mall in Montana just a few weeks ago by local Natives in support of Idle No More. I don't think the PM could take the International attention; it's not really in his DNA to seek discord or actually have to defend his decisions. I would like to see a conversation with someone like Kofi Annan or Ban Ki Moon, wonder what they would say???? Right now, I can only see the movement getting bigger and bigger. There is probably a lot more sympathy among Canadians of many walks who question Oil Companies, support strong environmental laws, dislike governments that rule without conscience and absolute power. No one, however, is going to support violence and vandalism so keep that in check- it will discredit your movement overnight. I would not put it past the radical Right-Wing in this country to try and stage something and blame it on Idle No More.
These are becoming crazy times.
Here's an explainey link from CBC, as always they have the best coverage for more information
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/01/04/f-idlenomore-faq.html
I'm sure most people around the world think Canada is a fairly innocuous and benevolent country, helping out where we can and quietly prospering under an admirably democratic government. Well, it's not true anymore! Since the election of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his band of idealist Right-Wing MP's (Members of Parliament),and with the help of The Sun Media who are modelled on FOX News from the U.S., we have become nothing more than a frozen Banana Republic! Because of our British based Parliamentary system of government the Prime Minister has immense power, this is not America my friends there are basically no "Checks and Balances". The Prime Minister and his majority power can introduce any Legislation they want, they choose the committees and who is on them, he appoints the Senate that passes Legislation and the Supreme Court as well as the Governor General who is supposed to represent the Queen; it's regarded as symbolic, supposedly. For those not living in a Commonwealth Country this may sound weird but the British Monarch is the actual head of Government; it's why she's on the $20, it's really just a vestigial leftover from colonial times We are a sovereign country with our own Constitution; it's just a style of government as opposed to a Republic. So, my point is our PM wields a lot of power, not unlike Hugo Chavez I suppose, and they have been very busy introducing huge amounts of new Legislation -about the size of a telephone book or two - called Omnibus Bills. Most of us think they do this so no one notices all the changes and so new laws are not scrutinized by the opposition, media, and the public. During the second round of Omnibus Bills our very Right-Wing and sympathetic to large Oil companies government passed a lot of Environmental changes and changes to the Indian Act which surprisingly Aboriginal peoples are really mad about! Remember last post when I said "we don't ghettoize people" where I was wagging my virtual finger at American Gun Culture? Well, I take that back, we have been pretty bad to Native peoples and continue to, and continue to ignore it, sorry. Anyway, our Natives and the Idle No More movement is specifically opposed to Bill C-45 and the Indian Act that basically gives the government and one MP the power to take away portions of Reserve land, if they see fit, like if there's oil on it. Reserve land was where we made Indians live while we were turning the land into farms and cities, it was usually land we didn't want for these uses. Also, the Navigation Protection Act formerly the Navigable Waters Act, it gives oil and gas pipeline projects the power to ignore environmental laws subject to the approval of an appointed MP, I wonder how that approval process will work!?!?!? In the right room with the right people over an expensive bottle of Scotch at a beautiful exclusive retreat! Also, The Environmental Assessment Act which speeds up any pesky studies of the environment and of course is approved by an appointed MP. After all those years of giving smallpox infected blankets to the Natives who were in our way we're finally going to give them all cancer by dumping by-products of the Tar Sands into the waterways. So, surprise! The Natives are becoming restless!
So, things are really heating up in Canada in the middle of the winter. We have a First Nations Chief, Theresa Spence, on a hunger strike in the Capital City of Ottawa demanding a meeting with the PM. The government with the help of The Sun Media are busily trying to smear her reputation, her protest is unrelated to Idle No More but the Right-Wing powers that be are trying to tie the two together as there are scurrolous accusations against Chief Spence and really she is not a master of the media and has made many public relations mistakes. Recently, there have been threats by various Native leaders to hurt the economic interests of Canada, including blocking rail lines, highways and border crossings and maybe more! Today a statue of Sir John A. McDonald, the first Prime Minister, was vandalized with spraypaint slogans "This is Stolen Land", "Murderer" and "Colonizer". While I personally don't approve of this, I think it speaks of the simmering anger boiling just below the surface.
I know a lot of Canadians do not want to face their racism and prejudice ingrained in our society against Natives, in so many ways it is similar to the Civil Rights struggle of African Americans. I say to those fellow Canadians, do you enjoy clean water and air? Are you drinking different water than everyone else because of the partisan politics you follow? I think not. These laws and this government overreach affect all of us.
The best thing the Idle No More movement can do right now is to get International attention and especially American attention. I have been busy trying to drop links all over the internet and get the attention of our more Left-leaning media friends at MSNBC. After all these protests are also starting to occur stateside; there was a flash mob at a mall in Montana just a few weeks ago by local Natives in support of Idle No More. I don't think the PM could take the International attention; it's not really in his DNA to seek discord or actually have to defend his decisions. I would like to see a conversation with someone like Kofi Annan or Ban Ki Moon, wonder what they would say???? Right now, I can only see the movement getting bigger and bigger. There is probably a lot more sympathy among Canadians of many walks who question Oil Companies, support strong environmental laws, dislike governments that rule without conscience and absolute power. No one, however, is going to support violence and vandalism so keep that in check- it will discredit your movement overnight. I would not put it past the radical Right-Wing in this country to try and stage something and blame it on Idle No More.
These are becoming crazy times.
Here's an explainey link from CBC, as always they have the best coverage for more information
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/01/04/f-idlenomore-faq.html
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