Canada Kicks Ass
Canada’s race problem? It’s even worse than America’s.

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xerxes @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:24 am

For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis?

Scott Gilmore

$1:
The racial mess in the United States looks pretty grim and is painful to watch. We can be forgiven for being quietly thankful for Canada’s more inclusive society, which has avoided dramas like that in Ferguson, Mo. We are not the only ones to think this. In the recently released Social Progress Index, Canada is ranked second amongst all nations for its tolerance and inclusion.

Unfortunately, the truth is we have a far worse race problem than the United States. We just can’t see it very easily.

Terry Glavin, recently writing in the Ottawa Citizen, mocked the idea that the United States could learn from Canada’s example when it comes to racial harmony. To illustrate his point, he compared the conditions of the African-American community to Canada’s First Nations. If you judge a society by how it treats its most disadvantaged, Glavin found us wanting. Consider the accompanying table. By almost every measurable indicator, the Aboriginal population in Canada is treated worse and lives with more hardship than the African-American population. All these facts tell us one thing: Canada has a race problem, too.
How are we not choking on these numbers? For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis? Why are governments not falling on this issue?

Possibly it is because our Fergusons are hidden deep in the bush, accessible only by chartered float plane: 49 per cent of First Nations members live on remote reserves. Those who do live in urban centres are mostly confined to a few cities in the Prairies. Fewer than 40,000 live in Toronto, not even one per cent of the total population of the Greater Toronto Area. Our racial problems are literally over the horizon, out of sight and out of mind.

Or it could be because we simply do not see the forest for trees. We are distracted by the stories of corrupt band councils, or flooded reserves, or another missing Aboriginal woman. Some of us wring our hands, and a handful of activists protest. There are a couple of unread op-eds, and maybe a Twitter hashtag will skip around for a few days. But nothing changes. Yes, we admit there is a governance problem on the reserves. We might agree that “something” should be done about the missing and murdered women. In Ottawa a few policy wonks write fretful memos on land claims and pipelines. But collectively, we don’t say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”

If we don’t have a race problem then what do we blame? Our justice system, unable to even convene Aboriginal juries? Band administrators, like those in Attawapiskat, who defraud their own people? Our health care system that fails to provide Aboriginal communities with health outcomes on par with El Salvador? Politicians too craven to admit the reserve system has failed? Elders like Chief Ava Hill, cynically willing to let a child die this week from treatable cancer in order to promote Aboriginal rights? Aboriginal people themselves for not throwing out the leaders who serve them so poorly? Police forces too timid to grasp the nettle and confront unbridled criminality like the organized drug-smuggling gangs in Akwesasne? Federal bureaucrats for constructing a $7-billion welfare system that doesn’t work? The school system for only graduating 42 per cent of reserve students? Aboriginal men, who have pushed their community’s murder rate past Somalia’s? The media for not sufficiently or persistently reporting on these facts?

Or: us? For not paying attention. For believing our own hype about inclusion. For looking down our noses at America and ignorantly thinking, “That would never happen here.” For not acknowledging Canada has a race problem.

We do and it is bad. And it is not just with the Aboriginal peoples. For new immigrants and the black community the numbers are not as stark, but they tell a depressingly similar story.

If we want to fix this, the first step is to admit something is wrong. Start by saying it to yourself, but say it out loud: “Canada has a race problem.”


Image
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-2/

   



BRAH @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:29 am

Image
The Race Card don't leave home without it. :roll:

   



DrCaleb @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:36 am

The article skips one important point - all of those stats for First Nations are because they live on reserves without many of the benefits of modern society. Do the First Nations people that live in cities have those problems? I don't think so.

And the racism found south of the border is systemic. First Nations don't have lower incomes because they are discriminated against intentionally, where African Americans do have lower incomes because it's intentional that they don't get the same pay for the same work.

The subtle lies that statistics can play. . .

   



ShepherdsDog @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:39 am

The last and second to second to last issues on the list are the root causes for the majority of the problems faced by many FN people. It is also something they have absolute control over.

   



fifeboy @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:10 pm

Regardless of our problems and wether they are better or worst than those in another country, what we should be concerned about is our own problems, not what's going on in the USA.

   



DrCaleb @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:13 pm

fifeboy fifeboy:
Regardless of our problems and wether they are better or worst than those in another country, what we should be concerned about is our own problems, not what's going on in the USA.


R=UP

"We suck less than them" is not a valid social policy.

   



shockedcanadian @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:23 pm

fifeboy fifeboy:
Regardless of our problems and wether they are better or worst than those in another country, what we should be concerned about is our own problems, not what's going on in the USA.



No. America is our closest neighbour and largest trading partner. What impacts them, impacts us. To a lesser degree, what happens here affects them, especially in regards to security. This is why when officers in Texas were killed in a terrorist attack, we need to show our support. There are very important ideologies that the West needs to share, or else, we will be isolated; an outlier.

Of course, Canada deals with what we must domestically, but we seem to have a problem progressing and require other nations to show us the way. If we don't deal with these issues, there are always other countries to make us face our demons.

No country is above reproach, and we don't have a right to point fingers at others if we treat our own citizens poorly. Whether in regards to human rights, trade policies, environment concerns or the like, we have many issues that we want addressed by other nations, if we decide to "do as I say, not as I do", we will be further isolated economically and our influence watered down. This is already happening in my estimation.

   



stratos @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 2:12 pm

I would suggest a side by side comparison of Canada's FN's vs U.S.A's FN's

   



Thanos @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 2:59 pm

$1:
All these facts tell us one thing: Canada has a race problem, too.
How are we not choking on these numbers? For a country so self-satisfied with its image of progressive tolerance, how is this not a national crisis? Why are governments not falling on this issue?


Because there's billions of dollars in aid and treaty money issued every year, free education provided, free housing provided, free medical help provided, and every free social program imaginable provided. Nothing will improve because the damage inside the community itself, mostly from generations of fetal alcohol syndrome and drug abuse, will never be cured. More politicians on apology tours and more money being sent into the black hole of Indian Affairs are the only things that are going to happen.

And, in case anyone missed it, Demon Harper was the only PM we had that tried to make the band chiefs and councils financially responsible for the money they received. It was the first thing that Prime Minister Sunnyways McSelfie got rid of when he took office last year.

   



Strutz @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:07 pm

stratos stratos:
I would suggest a side by side comparison of Canada's FN's vs U.S.A's FN's

I agree. Comparing the two groups in that chart makes no sense.

   



Thanos @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:16 pm

It's not supposed to make sense. It's a contribution by a Canadian "journalist" to this year's major collective media event, trying to stir up a race war with an endless deluge of evil-whitey-forever-guilty stories. It's the trend of the moment that will end immediately when something extra-stupid occurs in the US election, another mass shooting happens, or some disaster strikes overseas.

   



shockedcanadian @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:20 pm

stratos stratos:
I would suggest a side by side comparison of Canada's FN's vs U.S.A's FN's


Go further, much further.

Compare the FBI adherence to their constitution to the RCMP's adherence to our Charter of Rights.

Compare the successes of blacks in the U.S to those in Canada. Including city mayors, leadership in government, global success stories, opportunities for upward mobility for Blacks and the poor etc.

Compare transparency of government, access to information, obligation to citizens, civic pride and duty.



In every category Canada would lag. In some cases they would be grossly outmatched. The old saying that you "get the government you deserve" is entirely true in Canada, I know, I spent a decade reaching out to them for basic accountability and I met a wall at every turn. Anything to protect the status quo and for politicians to be politicians rather than leaders. They wouldn't take on the RCMP or their surrogates, and for that I reached out and spoke the truth. They lie, engage in character assassinations and various forms of cowardice. Unbecoming of a righteous human being, let alone those sworn to uphold basic premises.

I listened to Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, have a Town Hall question and answer event on CNN this week. It is clear, he thoroughly supports the Constitution of the United States. He demands accountability and adherence to these values which your American forefathers so wisely outlined. It is the soul of America, it's the reason among others that you separated from Britain. He spoke fondly of the vital importance of due process and transparency. A nation of the people for the people, even as you have your challenges and struggles, you confront them and voice them openly.

We have no such leader in Canada. We don't have Libertarians in our House. We don't have "Constitutionalists". We don't have individuals who speak first about the absolute necessity of Canada to strongly enforce and abide by the Law of the Land; our Charter of Rights. In fact, we have had some former chiefs of police and federal politicians who have written books that attack the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and make gross suggestions (Julien Fantino). We have career politicians, and it isn't a new phenomenon. We have generational government employees, who have been bestowed opportunity simply via government work. They are not the best of the best, the care little for civic duty or greater consequences.

The question every American should ask themselves is, if this is how the Canadian government and police agencies treat their own citizens, under what premise would they even consider what harm they do to America?

   



ShepherdsDog @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:28 pm

Gee...just waiting to see how nuttier than squirrel shit tries to tie in the hockey season to his imagined abuses at the hands of the Illuminati. Also wondering how he accessed the net from the psych ward. Someone needs to chip and track this MHA....wait he already is

   



Thanos @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:32 pm

FBI? **cough cough** COINTELPRO **cough cough**J.Edgar Hoover ignoring the growth of the Mafia until it was too late to stop them and keeping clandestine files on his political enemies for decades** cough cough**

Your worship of the United States is truly geeky. I don't even run across actual Americans anymore, from the left or right, that have such blind and misplaced faith in their government.

   



shockedcanadian @ Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:39 pm

Thanos Thanos:
FBI? **cough cough** COINTELPRO **cough cough**J.Edgar Hoover ignoring the growth of the Mafia until it was too late to stop them and keeping clandestine files on his political enemies for decades** cough cough**

Your worship of the United States is truly geeky. I don't even run across actual Americans anymore, from the left or right, that have such blind and misplaced faith in their government.


You can mention Hoover and McCarthy, but those were the darkest days, so it's not the norm.

Compare systems through and through. I am no different than many in the world, they understand and appreciate the values that Americans bring to the world. This isnt "geeky", this is the most important issue of our lifetime. Will Canada continue to stagnate socially and economically, or will we shed our backwards, elitist government to a more accountable and responsive one as the U.S has? Will we rely on the "collective" system of a centralized" security apparatus, or will we look at encouraging the Right of the individual as ordained by God?

Most Canadians don't even appreciate the differences, I know I didn't, in fact, until the interference in my career I couldn't stand politics and knew very little about it or world affairs.

   



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