I agree with Hotwater. Even white poor people are more at an advantage than Aboriginal people, already from birth. Maltreatment of this group had been systematic and still occurs!!
Everyone has ancestry. I'm descended from British and French people. That doesn't mean I'm entitled to anything, no matter how many time British and French people have been fucked over. You may say they haven't been, but the common people of all cultures have been for ages. And whether they have been or not is beside the point. Nothing has happened to me as an individual, so I don't deserve anything. And I never said there was no sense of group, or that there shouldn't be. What I meant was that Aboriginals now are not in a group with Aboriginals of the past who were wronged. They may see it that way, and in a way it's a true, but not for the purposes of giving them preferential treatment. I'll say it again: if you've been individually victimised, you deserve compensation. Just because your family was wronged in the past doesn't entitle you to anything, since you weren't even alive yet. And, for the record, the word "naive" doesn't exactly fit the context. What system? The system that gives them preferential treatment? Is that the one that's systematically maltreating them? I realize that it happened in the past, but not to them. They're just descended from the people it happened to. So what make syou think it still occurs any more than toward any other group? Is this just the idea you've been given by society? Likely so. What about all the racism against blacks, whites, and hispanics? They don't get anything just because they're discriminated against in the present. So I think we can leave the whole matter of the present out of it and look at it for what it is: a useless attempt to make amends for past wrongs. Arguing that "it still happens" is just an attempt to add weight to a lacking argument unless you believe everyone should get the same help, since every group is discriminated against to some extent.
I find it quite naive for anyone to believe that all white people are "given every opportunuity and advantage..." And I disagree with the whole "white dominated world" thing too. Maybe on TV, politics, and in the media, but not even close when it comes to my real world.
No systematically... regularly, routinely, and efficiently! No, I dont think that you personally have done this, and neither have I ... but these people have been HISTORICALLY brutalized by Government, and its about time they were compensated ... although this is just a drop in the bucket. The powers that be needed oppress aboriginal people down so they could profit off of them! The present includes the mistakes of our Country's past .... PLUS in America many "Native Americans" still live on reserves with no running water! This cannot be compared, these people had to heal and are now just getting the chance (to go to school) that we've always had!
In most cases they don't want running water. All they want is to live in peace without the hand of the "white man" dipping in their sugar. I think they've been fucked over more than anybody but you don't hear them bitching about it.
You're not listening to what I'm saying at all: they're not the same people! Good to know. Any other arbitrarily pointless statements you'd like to make?
Yes they are. They are their decendents, who have mental illness, post tramatic stress, and addiction issues ... Unfortunately residential school abuse was still occuring in the 70's and 80's, PLUS discrimination (and abuse) is still happening, this is not a long long long time ago, like some sweet fairy tale with a nice "THE END". They completely were robbed of their culture, were forced into residential schools, lost their children, families were split up... in a horrific manner ... and all the while told that they were dirty savages...leaving their children to fall victim to further sexual and physical abuse AND the absolute kick in the teeth of becoming dependant on the white man...
reserves have a shitload of issues, but a lot of them do come from mis-management. there are a coupel reserves in my provine that, from what ivei heard, are really well run great places. the rest oar fucking corrupt as hell, the people in power give the money the govt gives htem to the people they like to buy new cars whiel other peopl ehave their houses falling apart and open spots of asbestos and shit like that. i mean, its not shocking, every person is susceptible to corruption, but at least -some- of the problems on reserves are not the governments fault, nor historys fault, nor the whit epersons fault
did i say our govt wasnt fucked all to hell too? im just saying that reserve issues can be aggravated by those who run/are on the reserve itself as well, sometimes to a great degree
no you never said that, but I am saying that our governemnt has always been fucked up, and any "new" form of governemnt is going to take many many years to get the kinks worked out. Remember the politician who was buying packs of gum with tax payers money a couple of years ago? I worked for an Aboriginal Organization and I can tell you , yeah its fucked up.
To blame mental illness and addiction amongst todays blacks on slavery and white opporession is just terrible logic in my opinion... now I'm a white guy and I don't have much experience with being oppressed by white people. I'm an open-minded guy and I'm willing to listen to the other side, but at what point is it ok to look to the individual? I am a spoiled, rich white kid and I've had mental health issues and addiction issues as well, but I've addressed them. Half the people I know are on freaking antidepressants... the world is a fucked up place right now for black AND white people. I think the sooner we start realizing we're all in the same boat, we're all just trying to be happy in this crazy messed up world, the sooner we can actually start finding some happiness.
dude I know people wronged africans and it was wrong. but come on why call someone a minority just cuz they have a different skin color. I mean wow black /red/chinese/white skin, so amazing I must judge them all
I'm talking about Aboriginal Canadians, those who were colonized ... they were befriended, then tricked ... then corralled and both physically and sexually abused in catholic run residential schools...
im slightly racist, i have nothing against blacks, yellow ppl, red, chinese nothing- but the indians/iraqis/pakkistanni/afghanistanni they drive me insane
I'm sick of wasting time in this thread. If anyone wants to discuss it further, you can PM me. However, I doubt any of you will, since you're mostly all only arguing because people are watching.
I would support affirmative action on account of the fact that minorities (and women, who have benefited most from such policies) are more likely to face difficulties in finding employment, etc. I don't buy it for "past wrongs" or for "diversity," the latter of which is laudable but not something I think you can legislate morally. As for gov't 'handouts," I don't know. But let's skip to the real issue. It's natural for a any minority people to instinctually bond to each other--and for any group, really, especially those who share defining salient traits amid those who do not. The partiality here is a kind of psychological vestige from our more tribal days. So my prescription is the gradual deconstruction of ethnic and racial lines, less functional culture, more assimilation, more understanding.
Affirmative Action is silly. Sure minorities can (possibly) face difficulty in the workplace, but now their achievements are meaningless because their race gave them a leg up on the competition. Its like giving a black guy a headstart in a race just because he's black. I never enlaved anybody, or took anyone's land, why should I be responsible to make better somebody else's crime?
