Dec 27, 2006
The Curse - Will it go away?
Does Canada, or any nation for that matter, need agreements, treaties, laws, legislation based on race? Is there a reason to continue this practice?
As the year 2006 exits its last four days or less, there needs to be the desire for a new beginning. There needs to be a new will that will discourage the continuation of race related ideologies that has permeated many of Canada's laws and treaties over the past 200 years.
We can no longer continue down this path way that everyone seems to be blindly trodding down as if there are no exits to get off at. The recent treaties signed in British Columbia are based on race. The fishing and hunting agreements and laws, are based on race. The Indian Act is solely based on race. The Native Reservation System is totally based on race. There needs to be an alternative to this concept of race agreements that produce nothing else but continual racism both expressed and experienced in the Native and non-Native communities.
As everyone accuses and points at everyone else of being a racist, everyone also forgets that three out of the four fingers being pointed, point back at the author of the pointing. Yes you can include me on this as well because I am pointing my finger at both Native and non-Native people. Being an amputee I also experience racism from organizations, laws, policies, and from individuals. So I have some idea of what racism is and the extent of the design.
The recognition of the Quebecois as a nation, again is an ideology based on race and culture. The ideology of "two founding nations" as being the building blocks of Canada, again is an ideology based on race and culture. So when does everyone move away from this concept and into the ideology of no racism? Can we have such an ideology? Does such an ideology even exist.
Some would say that racism will always exist because it is a learned experience. On one hand I agree with this. It is a learned experience. A person who has experienced racism first hand, teaches the experience to their friends and family. It then continues to be taught and becomes conditioned by the learner, even if the learner has never experienced an act of racism.
Comments such as "Oh that's just a whitey. You can't expect them to be any better." or "That's just an Indian. They're all ignorant savages, you can't expect them to be anything else." Here's an oldy but a good one - "I'll try to jew him down." or "He got to be cheap. He's a Scotsman." Another what that I really hate hearing is "nigger". That to me is more than just an ignorant slam. These are taught to children as they listen to their parents, their friends parents, to adults in the stores and from radio and television. We are bombarded by negative racist comments and ideology daily, so it is no wonder that no one is able to escape this curse.
We have just come through the "Christmas season" which has always been deemed a time of hope, love, good will, and joy. It is something that has happened in the past, but I see less and less of it as I have gotten older. Maybe I have become more cynical as I get older. I know I trust people and organizations less and less - especially churches, religious organizations, governments, and many individuals. Much of this distrust I have learned, observed, and been the victim of, so my mistrust of things has become a way of self preservation.
Has racism then, developed in the same way? As an experience, it becomes taught, as we learn from our experiences. As we share these experiences, we teach others what we ourselves have been taught and experienced. Therefore the circle continues to go around and around, without any hope of deviating to another avenue. Are we therefore condemned to repeat this learned experience and ideology? Is there any chance or hope of escape?
On December 31, at the stroke of midnight, the world walks into a new year. Is there any chance that positive change will occur that will rescue humanity from laws, agreements, ideologies based on race? Pay it back was a concept of positive movement. Too bad it is just a movie. The reality of the concept would be a development that would be revolutionary.
As the year 2006 exits its last four days or less, there needs to be the desire for a new beginning. There needs to be a new will that will discourage the continuation of race related ideologies that has permeated many of Canada's laws and treaties over the past 200 years.
We can no longer continue down this path way that everyone seems to be blindly trodding down as if there are no exits to get off at. The recent treaties signed in British Columbia are based on race. The fishing and hunting agreements and laws, are based on race. The Indian Act is solely based on race. The Native Reservation System is totally based on race. There needs to be an alternative to this concept of race agreements that produce nothing else but continual racism both expressed and experienced in the Native and non-Native communities.
As everyone accuses and points at everyone else of being a racist, everyone also forgets that three out of the four fingers being pointed, point back at the author of the pointing. Yes you can include me on this as well because I am pointing my finger at both Native and non-Native people. Being an amputee I also experience racism from organizations, laws, policies, and from individuals. So I have some idea of what racism is and the extent of the design.
The recognition of the Quebecois as a nation, again is an ideology based on race and culture. The ideology of "two founding nations" as being the building blocks of Canada, again is an ideology based on race and culture. So when does everyone move away from this concept and into the ideology of no racism? Can we have such an ideology? Does such an ideology even exist.
Some would say that racism will always exist because it is a learned experience. On one hand I agree with this. It is a learned experience. A person who has experienced racism first hand, teaches the experience to their friends and family. It then continues to be taught and becomes conditioned by the learner, even if the learner has never experienced an act of racism.
Comments such as "Oh that's just a whitey. You can't expect them to be any better." or "That's just an Indian. They're all ignorant savages, you can't expect them to be anything else." Here's an oldy but a good one - "I'll try to jew him down." or "He got to be cheap. He's a Scotsman." Another what that I really hate hearing is "nigger". That to me is more than just an ignorant slam. These are taught to children as they listen to their parents, their friends parents, to adults in the stores and from radio and television. We are bombarded by negative racist comments and ideology daily, so it is no wonder that no one is able to escape this curse.
We have just come through the "Christmas season" which has always been deemed a time of hope, love, good will, and joy. It is something that has happened in the past, but I see less and less of it as I have gotten older. Maybe I have become more cynical as I get older. I know I trust people and organizations less and less - especially churches, religious organizations, governments, and many individuals. Much of this distrust I have learned, observed, and been the victim of, so my mistrust of things has become a way of self preservation.
Has racism then, developed in the same way? As an experience, it becomes taught, as we learn from our experiences. As we share these experiences, we teach others what we ourselves have been taught and experienced. Therefore the circle continues to go around and around, without any hope of deviating to another avenue. Are we therefore condemned to repeat this learned experience and ideology? Is there any chance or hope of escape?
On December 31, at the stroke of midnight, the world walks into a new year. Is there any chance that positive change will occur that will rescue humanity from laws, agreements, ideologies based on race? Pay it back was a concept of positive movement. Too bad it is just a movie. The reality of the concept would be a development that would be revolutionary.
