In an arrogance that befits modern day governments at all levels in Canada, the powers at be carry political correctness to absurd levels in an attempt to stem the racism that they see everywhere. a recent example of just how ridiculous this can be took place last week when an "equity officer" or some such thing with the Toronto and District School Board sent a memo around suggesting that Halloween activities be curtailed in schools. according to the memo, not only are students from other cultures likely to be frightened by the usual assortment of ghouls and goblins, but celebrating Halloween might be offensive to Wiccans.
The memo was put into the proper perspective when a Wiccan high priestess was quoted as saying that the symbols that are used to celebrate Halloween are no more offensive to Christians than chocolate bunnies and eggs are to Christians at Easter.
Much like fraud, theft and money laundering, racism is something that the federal Liberal government abhors unless they are the ones that happen to be doing it.
The Kashechewan Reserve in Northern Ontario had been subject to a boil-water advisory for years. While the Minister of Indian affairs, the hapless andy Scott, and his overpaid senior bureaucrats sat around pondering long term solutions to the reserve’s water problems, vast amounts of chlorine was pumped into the water supply. The result was that many of Kashechewan’s residents became ill with impetigo, scabies, diarrhea and other illnesses. The situation became so intolerable that Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty ordered the residents to be evacuated to centres such as Sudbury where they could receive proper care and medical treatment, not to mention drinkable water. Ottawa (the government, not the city) didn’t get all excited at what had happened but Ottawa (the city, not the government) took in some of the reserve’s residents who are now being referred to as Canadian refugees.
Even though McGuinty was criticized by the opposition for not acting quickly enough when he had known about the problems for some time, the quality of water on Indian reserves falls squarely within the jurisdiction of the federal government. and apparently, they just couldn’t be bothered doing much about it. The province took action while the federal Liberals sat there like a deer caught in the headlights. Presumably the Liberals are too busy preparing for the report of the Gomery Commission to worry about a bunch of sick Indians. The action that McGuinty took could very well end up being his finest hour. and let’s face it; there’s not a lot to choose from.
Kashechewan band member Henry Koosees was quoted as saying, "The only thing that’s different between the government and us is our complexion. I’m a Canadian citizen."
Koosees and others who are accusing the government of racism are correct. Koosees was wrong however, in thinking that citizenship has anything to do with the situation. Illegal immigrants from Guatemala or Botswana would never have to endure the quality of water in Canada that aboriginals at Kashechewan and other reserves have had to put up with. They wouldn’t have to endure it in Guatemala or Botswana, but I digress.
after the dramatic events at the reserve were publicly revealed, more horror stories from other reserves surfaced about boil-water advisories that have been in effect for years. The number of reserves with inadequate water is estimated to be in triple digits.
It is too simplistic to put this all down to the fact that the federal government simply isn’t as capable as other levels of governments are when it comes to keeping people healthy when their health falls under their jurisdiction. There can be no explanation for what is taking place other than the fact that the feds just write off serious problems that occurs on these reserves because the residents are aboriginals. The federal government would never show such wanton indifference to any other community in Canada by idly sitting by while people, including young children and babies, were suffering from serious skin rashes and chronic diarrhea.
This is not the only example of systemic racism within the federal government. If upper middle class kids in Rosedale, Rockliffe or Westmount were being blown away with the frequency that young black males in certain parts of Toronto are, Paul Martin would not be sitting around dreaming up plans to solve the problem by suing american gun manufacturers.
The Liberal government should spend more time examining their own racism and less time and money on lecturing the rest of us.