The Pragmatic Sort

Before I get into the main topic of my post today, I want to let you know that this afternoon I sent in my registration for graduation this spring.  Hurray!  Assuming I pass everything, I'll be receiving my fourth degree in May/June :)

Now, for the main feature.

This post is about Indigenous rights in Canada.  So if you are not interested, don't read on.  And if you do, be forewarned that I might very well offend your sensibilities.  But you know that I do have a habit of offending people with things I say.  And I don't fucking care.  Anyway, here goes.

I don't know enough about the US situation to comment, so my post is restricted to what's happening in Canada.  One of the things I've learned is that the First Nations here were never conquered.  No 7th Cav charging the Reserves, that sort of thing.  What happened was that the Brits and the French actually signed treaties with sovereign First Nations people, on a nation to nation basis.  And then went back on their words.  Furthermore, much of the land was not even covered by said treaties.  And in the last couple hundred years, Indigenous peoples have suffered greatly, and so on.  So, that's the background.

Personally I think that's really nasty, and some kind of reparation should be made, and the First Nations should be recognized their due status, and so on and so forth.  But what irritates me to no end is all these bleeding hearts in Canada for whom the only thing is life is to bitch and moan about how Canada (and the British Crown before Canada was a thing) had been asshole evil.  Yes, I get that.  I agree.  Can we move on now?

Here's my pragmatic side coming in.  What is to be done?  I see no point just saying how bad things were.  Let's do something about it, eh?  Now, if you're not Canadian, you can be excused for whatever, because you have nothing at stake, right?  But if you're Canadian, are you talking from both sides of your mouth?  I shall elaborate.

So they want John A MacDonald (the first Prime Minister) demonized, because his quest to build Canada meant doing great harm to First Nations in a racist kind of way etc.  OK.  But what about the Canada he built.  Should we not, lest we be hypocrites, also give up everything we know about Canada?  I mean, seriously, the RIGHT thing to do is to leave the fucking place, and everyone who is not First Nations goes back to whatever hell hole they or their forefathers came from.  I mean it.  "This land is not OUR land.  It belonged to the First Nations."  So, let's put our money where our mouth is, and fucking get the hell out of Dodge.

No?  Don't want that?  It doesn't matter how many generations one's family has been here.  You are not fucking First Nations, and everyone you have is built on stolen land and shit.  What do you have to say about that?

Well, you know me, I also feel that extreme positions bring out the clarity of an argument.  A person who only trashes, but offers no solution to the issue, is a simple asshole expressing their opinion.  And opinions are like assholes.  Everybody has one.

Sort of like those who trash the government for not bringing in vaccines fast enough.  What the FUCK would you have done differently?

So back to the Indigenous question.  Instead of bitching about it, as if you meant business, why not come up with ways to deal with the problem?  What will make things right?  What can we afford to do?  Can we not have the parties meet and come up with a middle ground?  And get the thing dealt with once and for all?  Oh, and if one (as in a non-Indigenous person) says I'm not willing to give up ANYTHING, then well, that person has no fucking right to criticize the past.  But, hopefully, enough Canadians will acknowledge that a great wrong was done, and will want to make things right.  

The government likes to apologize and shit.  Fucking senseless.  A First Nation chief said in an interview, You keep asking for forgiveness.  I will forgive anyone who is stepping on my feet, as long as you remove them right away.  But if you keep stepping on me, how do I forgive you?

Instead of saying "sorry," find out from First Nations what should be done.  Find out from non-Indigenous Canadians what CAN be done.  Hire a bunch of business professors, who are not interested in mouthing off shit and never doing anything, have them try to help negotiate a meeting ground.  In a sincere way.  No rhetoric.  Just deal with the issue.

Now of course none of this matters to you if you aren't Canadian or don't care.  But I think the theme of my post is applicable to a whole spectrum of issues.  Too much bullshit rhetoric in this world.  Let's see action instead of constant complaining.  As most of you know by now, I am pretty left of centre.  But I am not an idealist.  Let's be pragmatic for a change.