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fatso · 06-15-2008, 08:31 AM

This thread has gone completely off the rails. Here are a few of the strands I can decipher...

1. I think everyone feels bad for West Karma and is sincerely glad his/her father will be ok. No doubt about that.

2. Is there a systematic bias, enabled by the government that disadvantages First Nations peoples? yes, absolutely... whether it's "hand-outs" (as some so naively put it), reservations, failure to address historic economic inequality, straight-up racism, etc., I think everyone can agree that First Nations people are in a tough spot and need some better social support and leadership. We can debate the terms of that assistance 'til we're blue in the face, but there is certainly a cultural problem that needs to be addressed - a problem that negatively impacts all Canadians.

3. West Karma's father got beat up by some "drunk Indians". IMO it is fundamentally racist to draw a link between the violence and their race. The presumption that someone is the way he/she is because of their race is racist, because it delimits that individual's character to be a singular expression of their race. Why is race an issue here as JiriHrdina asked, but no one addressed? Is it because "indians" are inherently violent drunks? Is it because "indian blood" carries some kind of social misfit gene? Or maybe it's not about race directly... maybe it's about poverty? And what about those "indians" who are law-abiding, model citizens? Did they beat the Indian gene? Are they the exception to the blood rule? Or maybe they had more opportunities in life or didn't fall through the cracks?

Race may be a valuable descriptor of an individual, but it's not - and should not be - a determinant of, or a criteria through which we pre-determine, their character. At least, that's what racial equality means to me.

4. As always, there's a camp that's adamant there is some politically correct conspiracy to prevent people from speaking the truth. Come to think of it, has there even been a thread in the history of CP that raised race, that did not degenerate into a whinefest about the tyranny of political correctness?

flame away...

06-15-2008, 08:31 AM	#80
fatso First Line Centre Join Date: Feb 2008 Exp:	This thread has gone completely off the rails. Here are a few of the strands I can decipher... 1. I think everyone feels bad for West Karma and is sincerely glad his/her father will be ok. No doubt about that. 2. Is there a systematic bias, enabled by the government that disadvantages First Nations peoples? yes, absolutely... whether it's "hand-outs" (as some so naively put it), reservations, failure to address historic economic inequality, straight-up racism, etc., I think everyone can agree that First Nations people are in a tough spot and need some better social support and leadership. We can debate the terms of that assistance 'til we're blue in the face, but there is certainly a cultural problem that needs to be addressed - a problem that negatively impacts all Canadians. 3. West Karma's father got beat up by some "drunk Indians". IMO it is fundamentally racist to draw a link between the violence and their race. The presumption that someone is the way he/she is because of their race is racist, because it delimits that individual's character to be a singular expression of their race. Why is race an issue here as JiriHrdina asked, but no one addressed? Is it because "indians" are inherently violent drunks? Is it because "indian blood" carries some kind of social misfit gene? Or maybe it's not about race directly... maybe it's about poverty? And what about those "indians" who are law-abiding, model citizens? Did they beat the Indian gene? Are they the exception to the blood rule? Or maybe they had more opportunities in life or didn't fall through the cracks? Race may be a valuable descriptor of an individual, but it's not - and should not be - a determinant of, or a criteria through which we pre-determine, their character. At least, that's what racial equality means to me. 4. As always, there's a camp that's adamant there is some politically correct conspiracy to prevent people from speaking the truth. Come to think of it, has there even been a thread in the history of CP that raised race, that did not degenerate into a whinefest about the tyranny of political correctness? flame away... __________________ The great CP is in dire need of prunes! "That's because the productive part of society is adverse to giving up all their wealth so you libs can conduct your social experiments. Experience tells us your a bunch of snake oil salesman...Sucks to be you." ~Calgaryborn 12/06/09 keeping it really stupid! Last edited by fatso; 06-15-2008 at 09:05 AM.