Not so Happy Canada Day - churches burning

[Purrybonker]

Canada Day celebrations have been very muted this year on the heels of an evolving story about the historic treatment of indigenous people by the Canadian government and the Catholic church.

Historic Catholic churches are burning to ashes mysteriously in the middle of the night

Hundreds, if not thousands of bodies of native children are being discovered on the grounds of ex "residential school" grounds run mainly by the Catholic church under the auspices of a Canadian government initiative during the early 20th century to "drive the native out of the natives".

So, the idea was to take native children away from their parents and family group and "school" them in the way of European/Canadian culture. The goal was sort of like the concept of French immersion - make these kids "white" Canadian and they and their subsequent progeny would eventually be as white Canadian as Sir John A MacDonald.

As Canadians, most of us have known something about this blight on our history - sort of an offset to our bravado about the Underground Railroad and Canadian involvement in saving all those African Americans in their flight to freedom back in the days leading up to and during the civil war.

But we had no idea about the extent of the abuses of these native children until recently. We are now beginning to understand how harshly this indoctrination was undertaken.

I understand that it is appealing, logically, to take these sorts of things in context of their own "day and time" but man this is really sad.

Sometimes I can't help but think that us Europeans are like those African "killer" bees.

We just show up and use and abuse everything with no ultimate benefit to anyone.

Many are feeling not so proud to be Canadian this Canada Day.

[drcoastline]

Posted in your PARF also.

Sorry to say I do not know much about Canadian history. But like in America and other places around the world It was a different place and time. Every Country has it's skeletons. I for one will not condemn current day Canadians or the Catholic Church for something that happened for which they had no involvement. Suffice it to say we learn from history.

In spite of some of our crazy Canadian left friends here in PARF and Trudeau, I think Canada and it's people are good over all. Canada has been a good ally to the US and the free world.

A salute to Canada

[Eric Hahl]

All we can do is move forward, learn from the past and not repeat it.

[Reg]

Originally Posted by Eric Hahl

All we can do is move forward, learn from the past and not repeat it.

Everyone everywhere read this!

[Jeff Alton]

Burning the Churches is terrorism. If it was a Mosque or Temple, it would be top story of the day. Now, we will likely never get to know who is actually doing it (heritage wise) but regardless, it is terrorism. But our weak kneed politicians and leftist media won't call a spade a spade, even when it is a spade....

That said, what happened in the PAST was in the PAST. Time to learn from mistakes (which has largely been done) and move on the correct path.

cheers

[Fast Freddy 944]

Is this guy for real? For shame!

[oldE]

I understand the 'why' behind the arsons. There are steps to grieving. Not everyone goes through them at the same rate.
But imagine if you can, your grandparents had been taken from their families at a young age to go to a school. They were beaten if they spoke their own language. Your grandfather's brother died at the school . Your grandfather was raped by a priest.
Sociological studies have shown trauma can be passed down through several generations. As always, some individuals cope better than others. Some can begin to rebuild their lives sooner than others.
Some need to destroy symbols of the carnage done to them and maybe, just maybe they can deal with the generations of genocide.
The past is the foundation upon which the present rests. It is never just the past.

Best
Les

[beatnavy]

Originally Posted by oldE

I understand the 'why' behind the arsons. There are steps to grieving. Not everyone goes through them at the same rate.
But imagine if you can, your grandparents had been taken from their families at a young age to go to a school. They were beaten if they spoke their own language. Your grandfather's brother died at the school . Your grandfather was raped by a priest.
Sociological studies have shown trauma can be passed down through several generations. As always, some individuals cope better than others. Some can begin to rebuild their lives sooner than others.
Some need to destroy symbols of the carnage done to them and maybe, just maybe they can deal with the generations of genocide.
The past is the foundation upon which the present rests. It is never just the past.

Best
Les

Sorry, I can't agree with any of this. It's classic "victimology" that excuses violence and other bad behavior. And when it excuses it, it encourages it.

[LWJ]

Funny. I thought oldE captured this very well.

I am reminded of South Africa. Mandela (sp?) began everything with forgiveness.

He said that they could not move forward without it.

Big, difficult issues. Way beyond me. How do you move past attempted genocide?

[1990C4S]

As a point of history, I don't believe it was done with malice.

There are still a lot of people who believe that what the government of the day did could have been successful.

[oldE]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

As a point of history, I don't believe it was done with malice.

There are still a lot of people who believe that what the government of the day did could have been successful.

I'm sure there were many slave owners who believed what they did was done without malice. However they owned other human beings (who they considered to be less than human, making it alright). The whole thing was economic, but the victims were human beings.
With regards to the attempts to "civilize" the First Nations peoples of the Americas, it is characteristic of the blind arrogance of European imperialism. Through the first half of the 20th century, efforts were aimed at eradicating any traces of First Nation's culture. If you were First Nations and you didn't let your children go to the white man's schools, you would lose your Native status.
Anyone who can convince themselves the oppression of other humans can ultimately be successful is delusional. Eventually power erodes. This has been true for empires, kings and conquerors.

What we are doing these days is dealing (poorly) with the fall out.
Best
Les

[gordner]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

As a point of history, I don't believe it was done with malice.

There are still a lot of people who believe that what the government of the day did could have been successful.

Haven't heard anyone argue it was right....

Eradicating another culture is malicious no matter the reasoning.

[1990C4S]

I haven't heard the argument since Sunday....at a relatives house.