Aboriginals.. Nocturnal? So says Edmonton School Trustee - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

burn_this_city · 11-27-2008, 07:52 AM

This is all kinds of hilarity..

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...f-110f10db5ece

llama64 · 11-27-2008, 07:56 AM

I know a guy who's First Nations. He stays up till 4 am most nights. Logic tells me that it's because he's a First Nations that he stays up till 4am. Therefore all First Nations are nocturnal.

This pearl of wisdom coming from someone who is in-charge of shaping educational policy.

There has to be a way to test our officials for stupidity before they are allowed near anything they could harm.

burn_this_city · 11-27-2008, 07:58 AM

Thats exactly what I just said to my co-worker.. This guy is responsible for creating education policies.. Yikes.

onetwo_threefour · 11-27-2008, 08:37 AM

Okay
, I'm usually as sensitive as anyone else to this type of issue, but I honestly think this guy is being unfairly demonized for a poor word choice because there isn't a word to properly express what he was trying to say. From his biography it's clear that he has worked in aboriginal education for a lengthy period of time and was trying to express his experience that those that he has worked with seem to be better able to work on a different schedule. The schedule he proposed was hardly 'nocturnal' unless you believe he was saying 9:30 PM to 4:30 AM. He was tring to express support for an idea that has been tossed around with respect to teenagers previously and which his experience tells him may be applicable on a cultural basis as well. He may be wrong, but he doesn't come across as ignorant or ill-meaning and has acknowledged a poor word-choice here.

MaxPower · 11-27-2008, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onetwo_threefour

Okay
, I'm usually as sensitive as anyone else to this type of issue, but I honestly think this guy is being unfairly demonized for a poor word choice because there isn't a word to properly express what he was trying to say. From his biography it's clear that he has worked in aboriginal education for a lengthy period of time and was trying to express his experience that those that he has worked with seem to be better able to work on a different schedule. The schedule he proposed was hardly 'nocturnal' unless you believe he was saying 9:30 PM to 4:30 AM. He was tring to express support for an idea that has been tossed around with respect to teenagers previously and which his experience tells him may be applicable on a cultural basis as well. He may be wrong, but he doesn't come across as ignorant or ill-meaning and has acknowledged a poor word-choice here.

Agreed. Also, how "hurtful" is the word nocturnal? Are people really upset about that? Or is it because he, as the chairwomen said, stereotyped a group of people? Well he didn't do that either. He never said "all aboriginals", he said "some, in my experience."

This is a non-issue and should be treated as such.

burn_this_city · 11-27-2008, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Did this guy go to Carleton?

It may be just me but the first thing that occured to me is that nocturnal is more of a word that applies to animals.

Bats come to mind.

FireFly · 11-27-2008, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Did this guy go to Carleton?

It may be just me but the first thing that occured to me is that nocturnal is more of a word that applies to animals.

Humans are animals.

Russic · 11-27-2008, 09:09 AM

I might be missing the point, but I'm not seeing the offensive side to this. I agree the comment is ridiculous and makes little sense, but I'm not sure what about it is offensive.

jayswin · 11-27-2008, 09:19 AM

"Some, (in) my experience, aboriginals tend to be nocturnal, and perhaps if we started at 9:30 and went until 4:30 we can consult with them. Would that be a better time schedule?"

Meh. He said "some" not "all", and really he's just trying to change the schedule to start an hour later, ie: help them. I don't see how it's that big of an issue. He just used the word nocturnal because it was the word that came to his mind to describe people staying up late, I guess. Poor word choice? Maybe. But his intentions were clear, so I'm not going to villify him.

jayswin · 11-27-2008, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russic

I might be missing the point, but I'm not seeing the offensive side to this. I agree the comment is ridiculous and makes little sense, but I'm not sure what about it is offensive.

It's like that comedian said, we as humans always feel the need to get offended on behalf of other people.

burn_this_city · 11-27-2008, 09:23 AM

I dont think anyone around here is claiming to be offended.. I just thought it was dumb and hilarious.

jayswin · 11-27-2008, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I dont think anyone around here is claiming to be offended.. I just thought it was dumb and hilarious.

Oh I wasn't reffering to your original post (all you said is that it was hilarious). I was just talking about the article itself, and the reactions on the news.

corporatejay · 11-27-2008, 09:38 AM

I don't really see how this is offensive. It just really doesn't make sense. And for the record, I would benefit from starting my days at 9:30 because I tend to go to bed much later than the average bear. I actually think the suggestion itself is probably a good one (not just for natives, but anyone who is "nocturnal")

MattyK · 11-27-2008, 10:10 AM

I'm half-native.

While I don't stay up all night, I love staying up until 2:00am or so and getting into work at 9:30am. Heck, my first job they let us come in as late as noon, and I used that benefit to it's fullest.

Perhaps this theory has some merit. Or maybe he's just a lazy bum like me who wants to sleep in a bit. :P

Oh ya, and I don't find being called nocturnal offensive in the least bit.

STeeLy · 11-27-2008, 10:18 AM

He didn't generalize with all

And nocturn is neither bad nor good

Nothing offensive here... people need to get over themselves and listen to what other people are ACTUALLY saying.

Hack&Lube · 11-27-2008, 10:41 AM

He just used a poorly chosen word. There are studies that show that certain groups or people, ethnicities or age demographics that work better at different times of day. This is usually applied to teenagers, etc. and I haven't heard specifically about aboriginals but this man probably has some experience and was just unable to properly articulate it.

Joborule · 11-27-2008, 11:32 AM

People are just looking for reasons to get mad and offended. What was said shouldn't have been taken in the wrong way if you read the FULL sentence rather then pick out parts.

This society in North America is too uptight...

Ford Prefect · 11-27-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llama64

I know a guy who's First Nations. He stays up till 4 am most nights. Logic tells me that it's because he's a First Nations that he stays up till 4am. Therefore all First Nations are nocturnal.

This pearl of wisdom coming from someone who is in-charge of shaping educational policy.

There has to be a way to test our officials for stupidity before they are allowed near anything they could harm.

There is. Ask them to lift their left foot. Then ask them to lift their right foot. Then ask them to lift both feet. If they try to, they test positive for stupidity and are declared fit for being a civil servant. How else do you think they find all these idiots in the first place?

flylock shox · 11-27-2008, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

There is. Ask them to lift their left foot. Then ask them to lift their right foot. Then ask them to lift both feet. If they try to, they test positive for stupidity and are declared fit for being a civil servant. How else do you think they find all these idiots in the first place?

Careful with those generalizations.

A surprising number of civil servants have managed to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

Ford Prefect · 11-27-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flylock shox

Careful with those generalizations.

A surprising number of civil servants have managed to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps.

Sorry ... you're right. I just had a frustrating go-around with Canada Post in which it was a struggle to find any sentient life forms to address my problems, so that's the context for my frame of mind when i wrote that. You're right though, there are some good civil servants. They don't tend to end up in the upper positions though ... they're usually too involved doing the actual work it seems while their bosses sit around dreaming up ways to impede the system. But that's just more venting on my part due to my recent frustrations with Canada Post.