October 18, 2007 @ 10:49
In case you didn't know, yesterday was International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, and there was a rally in Toronto fronted by two thousand members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.
CUPE Ontario president Sid Ryan was there yapping about the "conspiracy of silence" surrounding the poor conditions of the First Nations, who he said are treated like "second-class citizens" and ignored by politicians who lack the will to address the situation.
"The plight of the First Nations is a national disgrace," Ryan said. "The plight of the First Nations has got to be the front line in the battle against poverty in this country."
In one respect he's right, First Nations poverty should be addressed, but who should be responsible for addressing it?
How often do we hear aboriginal groups declare they are outside the government of Canada, that they're responsible for their own people and their own society and they want nothing to do with the rest of the country?
It's a tune they've been singing since the first day they unlawfully occupied the housing development in Caledonia and it's the song they sing every time they want to lay claim to something else out of deep history.
Enough of the conflict, we need solutions.
How's this for a solution? The government of Canada gives First Nations total independence but with that comes the responsibility for all its people.
First Nations can continue to earn money from cheap cigarettes and liquor and they can continue to share casino money and an independent arbitrator will settle outstanding land claims.
I may be way out of line here, but you either admit you're Canadian and accept the benefits or you take on all the responsibility that comes with declaring yourself independent, you know, much like we tell Separatists in Quebec.
Category: Stuff
Site Feed
Recent Posts, Recent Comments & Categories
