Quote:
Originally Posted by Slava
Whoa, I'm not sure about that line of thinking. Like frankly this particular case is about a school that started and finished it's course before I was even alive. I have a hard time seeing how I'd "bear some responsibility" for any atrocities committed there?
Things that were done to the first nations were abhorrent. I actually think there are things still happening today that are absolutely unconscionable and unacceptable. I completely agree with that line of thinking and feel that the governments (provincial and federal) have a duty to make inroads toward resolving those issues. I think that many of them are basic, human rights issues and it's a disgrace that in a country as rich as ours has allowed this to continue.
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I respectfully disagree. I acknowledge that you are not defending what has happened. Most of us were intentionally not taught about what really happened. It was wrapped up under Nation building and well intentioned decisions that ultimately caused attempted genocide to occur.
We don't bear guilt for these incidents because we weren't apart of this, but we do help continue the legacy of racism. We vote for politicians continue to fail the Indigenous ppl of Canada. We (royal we) tell them to get over it that we won and then we vote for politicians with hard on crime platforms vs actually helping the ppl who are suffering the direct consequences of residential school.
This issue impacts all of us and we have to act. A good friend of mine was killed in a hit and run while she was crossing at a crosswalk. The driver was Indigenous with no license and he was intoxicated. He didn't get jail time. He was a residential school survivor. Clearly traumatized by it. I struggled with anger, but everyone was failed by this situation by the actions of the Church and our government. We may not have been there, but we are paying for it.
It's terrible. Those who made it out with healthy on the other side still struggle with personal relationships and the fact that they were cut off from their culture.
The TRC is a great start and there has been some change as we are now learning what happened, but we are responsible for fixing what our ancestors did.
I grew up in a BC town. I didn't realize how racist it was until I left. Its all so horrible.
Anyway, we are responsible for righting the wrongs of the past. It impacts us all.
EDIT: Worth noting that most of BC was never treatied out