Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Gormley: Racism tension and life in rural Saskatchewan

http://wpmedia.thestarphoenix.com/2015/11/saskatoon-sask-october-30-2015-staff-mugshot-john-gormley.jpeg

  All is not well in peaceful, socialist Canada. Well in all the Western Countries these days non-whites are being incentivized to attack whites. Interestingly enough this incident is in the general area of the site of the Frog Lake Massacre where Cree warriors executed 9 white settlers they took captive during the 1885 Northwest Rebellion.

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Racism or a realistic perception of danger?

A farmer in Saskatchewan lives near a "First Nations" (Canadian Indian) settlement and there has been a great deal of crime among the Indians concerned.  So when he saw a carload of Indians driving onto his farm, he fired first and asked questions later.  He was probably too impulsive but if you were in fear of being violently attacked, you might shoot first too.

The shooting was undoubtedly based on a perception of racial differences but it was also a realistic perception of racial differences.  So are we here dealing with realism rather than racism in any other sense?

That the farmer has been charged with murder has enraged many Saskatchewan whites who think he acted reasonably in self defence.  They back up that belief with many critical comments about Indians which justify the farmer's fear.  Are such comments "hate speech" or are they a reasonable comment on real differences?  A bit of both, perhaps

Comments like “He should have shot all five of them (and) be given a medal” and “his only mistake was leaving three witnesses.” undoubtedly express hate but what has provoked that hate?  Two things mainly, dysfunctional Indian behaviour and coddling of Indians by the government.

Government favoritism is undoubtedly a great way to poison white attitudes to Indians.  Racism begets racism. A new system in which Indians and whites are treated equally would undoubtedly do much to defuse tensions.  A perception of injustice would be removed and a perception of injustice is almost always a great source of anger. But such a reform will not happen while Pretty Boy runs Canada.  Odd how Leftists are great preachers of equality but are in fact major sources of unequal treatment.  Wouldn't it be great if Leftists had some real principles that they stuck by? -John J. Ray, MA PhD, Brisbane, AU – Dissecting Leftism and A Western Heart

Gormley: Racism tension and life in rural Saskatchewan
Published on: August 19, 2016 | Last Updated: August 19, 2016 4:52 PM CST


Much has been said and written in recent days about racism following the shooting death of a young man on the Northwestern Saskatchewan farm of Gerald Stanley, who stands charged with murder.
What happened that day to 22-year-old Colten Boushie was tragic; for his family, loved ones and community it is an unimaginable loss.
At its core, racism is the belief that members of each race have certain innate or inborn moral and social traits, qualities and abilities specific to their race and these biologically possessed characteristics make that race inferior or superior to others.
Within this is prejudice based on negative stereotypes and a resulting discrimination that is often humiliating, belittling and disadvantages the victims of racism.
In order to accept this rather formalistic and dictionary-derived definition, one must walk past the view of social justice warriors that dictionaries themselves are racist documents because they were prepared by white, colonial, non-Marxist academic, straight men of European ancestry who subconsciously perpetuate their inherent racism in everything they write.
Also, in the culture of our times, racism is not a word to be tossed around when merely disagreeing with someone, losing an argument or having your feelings hurt.
Racism against aboriginal people in this province is very real. It is part of a long and sad chapter of our history and culture.
As recently as the late 1990s, an interesting analysis of this was undertaken by Mr. Justice Ron Barclay of the Court of Queen’s Bench when asked to rule that prospective jurors in a murder trial could be questioned on their perceptions of an aboriginal accused.
He wrote: “Widespread anti-aboriginal racism is a grim reality in Canada and in Saskatchewan. It exists openly and blatantly in attitudes and actions of individuals.
“It exists privately in the fears, in the prejudices and stereotypes held by many people and it exists in our institutions. Furthermore, examination of racism as it impacts specifically on aboriginal people suggests they are prime victims of racial prejudice.” 
For Saskatchewanians — from lifelong residents to newcomers — there are two central issues we face with racism. First, it is learned. People are not born racists; a young child, free of other influences, does not see someone who looks different and impugn them. Kids learn intolerance.
Second, the stereotyping feature of racism can be undermined by spending time with people of other races. Even at the most superficial level, we see human beings with strengths, weaknesses, hopes, aspirations and failings unique to them and not the colour of their skin.
What possessed a landowner to allegedly pull out a loaded gun? All the self-defence laws in the world will not excuse the use of lethal force for trespassing on land.
The context of life in rural Saskatchewan will be considered, where increasingly vandalism, thefts and occasionally grotesque acts of violence befall some farm families that are alone and living miles away from help.
The area around Colten’s hometown of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation is particularly notorious.
It is where the execution-style slaying of two men happened on a nearby farm in 1994; recently stolen cars from Wilkie appear on Red Pheasant; in 2005, a family at Cando, fed up after eight attacks in a year, said they were being driven off their farm after two Red Pheasant men and several youths trashed their farm, set vehicles ablaze and looted their house.
In that case, the local newspaper reported the Crown prosecutor warned “we do not want to see rural Saskatchewan turn into the Wild West where farm owners arm themselves to protect themselves because they don’t feel the justice system will do it for them.”
Racism happens when someone becomes a target not for what they did but for what they look like, or, in this case, where they live. The death of young Colten Boushie, in the wrong place at the wrong time, deserves answers.
There are many facts yet to be revealed. Allowing the courts, the rule of law and justice to prevail is the correct first step.

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