I will be the first to acknowledge that there are serious obstacles that certain peoples of colour face, and that some of that has been caused by people of other colours. Sometimes that "other" colour is white, sometimes it's not.
I would quickly add to what I said last week, that solving the problem is not done by plastering posters all over a school division, denouncing white privilege. What must be done calls for constructive, pro-active, and balance strategies to correct what is wrong.
I trust cooler heads will prevail, and that you yourself agree with that approach. We should utilize wise plans along the lines of education, economics, and family life.
And it must be as broad as the many colours and cultures that exist. Those that come to the table must include all colours and cultures--not just a select few.
As I have stated here before, in the main, the greatest threat to Muslims are Muslims themselves; to the First Nations, First Nations themselves; to the blacks, blacks themselves. I believe I can safely say that without a racist bone in my body. The facts back me up.
There should be no wholesale attempt to change to another culture by destroying it. Rather, each culture should be strengthened and celebrated. We need not go so far as multiculturalism, of course. That has become an unmitigated disaster.
So the Gold Trail School Division (in BC) took the wrong approach. One would think that if any group could get this right, the education community could--but they didn't.
Here are my few passing observations:
1. Parents in that division were not consulted at all. Would that be school privilege, whereby only the "educated elite" have the say? I see some inconsistency there.
2. Are we looking at some healthy cross-representation of the district? No, the agitators all appear to be middle-age professional women. That should raise the hackles of some, I am sorry to say. I don't mean to raise hackles, people; you should know me after twelve years of writing this column. I just simply say that if you want a balanced, credible approach to a hot button issue, maybe try a different tactic. Get a nice balanced, credible cross-section of "victims" and "guilty parties."
3. People like me are always on egg shells, as we wonder if any comment will be construed as sexist or racist, intolerant or ignorant, misogynistic or bigoted. It's a tragedy beyond words that we can no longer talk things out, agree to disagree, and clear up misunderstandings.
Since there is a genuine issue here, maybe a genuine approach would be in order. If I am in the cross-hairs of a race issue (as a white person), I would ask that those fomenting the issue further to stop, think, maybe even dialogue.
I had no say in my skin colour. I wasn't around for the sins, so-called, of the white guys. Some were not innocent, I agree, but certainly not all.
I know they invented those reserves. I have significant concerns about the way the First
Nations people were relegated to these cultural ghettos, and of the economic, educational, and emotional damage that has been done because of that. They're not working out at all.
I have many creative ideas how to solve that problem. But, in today's context, these ideas might construed as racist.
But at least I think my solutions merit discussing in some sort of forum, though I would likely be excluded because of my skin colour. And I sincerely believe a forum would have a more merit than cheeky posters on a telephone p0le.
And a whole less racist.
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