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Don’t Blame Canada

by Open-Publishing - Monday 19 June 2006
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Discriminations-Minorit. The "without" - Migrants Attack-Terrorism Canada-Québec

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columni...

Don’t Blame Canada
By Stephen Lautens
June 16, 2006

In the past few weeks, I’ve heard some of the yapping social experts say something that really gets my blood boiling.

I heard it in reference to two recent incidents - the breaking up of an alleged terrorist plot and a sweep in Toronto that arrested a few truckloads of gang members.

What was it the enlightened commentators said that got my goat? When it was pointed out the people accused in each case were immigrants or ethnic minorities, someone leapt to their defence to say it didn’t matter if they were immigrants or ethnic or religious minorities, "they were a product of Canadian society," so somehow we’re to blame.

My immediate reaction was two short words I never use around my four-year-old. I’ll substitute it here with "baloney," although it doesn’t have the same ring to it.

In the case of gangs, these are people who shoot at each other over drugs, turf, "respect" or simply wearing the wrong colour bandanna.

The alleged terrorists are reported to have been planning to blow up buildings full of innocent people to prove whose God is greater, and even had the ridiculous idea of cutting off the head of our PM, although you could argue that constitutes hunting small game.

Saying these people are "a product of Canadian society" is supposed to make us all feel responsible, and that if they hadn’t grown up in a society that has let them down, they would never be shooting up shopping malls or mixing fertilizer in the basement.

Sorry, but that just doesn’t wash.

First of all, it appears many of these people never participated in "Canadian society" in the first place.

They stayed in their own groups and purposefully set themselves apart from other Canadians, our values, hopes and dreams.

It’s not as if they weren’t invited or had the opportunity to absorb Canadian values. They had the chance to go to school, work and meet daily the millions of Canadians working to make their own dreams happen.

And you know, none of us is dreaming about blowing up buildings or shooting someone.

And, of course, it’s tougher for immigrants and minorities. It was tough for my great grandparents, as it would be for me if I up-rooted myself and moved to a different land.

But you won’t find a more welcoming country than Canada, or one that works so hard to be supportive, colour-blind or make newcomers feel at home.

You won’t find a country that is better at understanding and embracing other cultures, or is more open to the big, wide world.

My Canada is certainly not perfect, but it abhors violence, preaches respect and religious tolerance, values responsibility and hard work and never picks a fight, but watch out when we’re forced to.

We think education and family is a good thing, and believe there are more important things than money — although having a little money is nice, too.

For all our challenges as a country, people are lined up to come here.

That’s because we have a good thing going. We have peace, respect and opportunity — more so than a lot of other countries in the world.

Those are the values of Canadian society, and if someone doesn’t grow up with even a few of the most important ones, that’s not Canadian society’s fault.

It’s theirs.

Forum posts

  • Canadian society is about to get a taste of the same psy-op terror that has reduced the U.S. and British public to quivering bowls of jello . They’ve rounded up a gang of arab (how convenient) misfits and hung "terrorists" signs all over them in a thinly veiled sting operation , all in an effort for the new Conservative minority government to cozy up to the southern neo-con agenda and win a majority in the next election . The tip-off was the DEFENCE attorney declaring on national t.v. that one of his clients had talked of "beheading the prime minister " ! Great way to defend your client ! And if Canada is a valuable gateway for terrorists to enter the U.S. as some on FOX would have you believe , why would terrorists want to ruin that little conduit ?
    The outcome of this trial will go far to determine if "Canadian values" survive the New World Order .

    • USA = terrorist number one, second Israel and Great Britain.

      Of course the U.S. fears any country, which allows their citizens some freedoms!
      Liberal is a none word in the U.S. and of course you can’t critizise the leader Bush, the country is at war, did you forget.
      The attitude of Americans becomes more desperate, because they have never been critizised for being the murderers, torturers and war mongers. In fact the American mindset is worth than of those who suffered from stalinism or facism.

    • In fact the American mindset is worth than of those who suffered from stalinism or facism ? I know there are problems in the education system, but read your history! There was no mindset for those targeted by Stalin - He just murdered them. by the millions!

  • Excuse me, but, noone has been convicted of anything. For all you know, these arrests are the product of an overzealous paranoid homeland security. Don’t convict them in the press.

  • SL - Your voice is a refreshing wind in the this blog-world. We are sentient beings, and it is ludricrous and cowardly to always blame society when a few are corrupted. Why isn’t everyone corrupted and distructive? Because the vast majority greet each day with a sense of responsibility to build something good, to work to feed themselves, their family and contribute to their community.
    What so many of those posting on this site and others refuse to acknowledge is that it is because the Western concept of freedom of speech and the technology that emerged in the western world that they have a forum for dissent. Freedom to speak, write anti-government papers, and to worship as one wants is not tolerated in most of the middle eastern countries. That is their prerogative. But you can post what you want because of the Western concepts of freedom. Can’t get around that. I for one am thankful I live in a country where I have friends from many cultural and ethnic backgrounds, where I have attended religious ceremonies for different faiths, all without the fear that I will be blown up, be stoned or beheaded! (sorry to all those neo commies out there, but freedom of speech is not a tenet of communism and if you get your wish for a communist govt., you may find that Georgie B is tame in comparison. Big brother will not only be watching you, but dictating your daily life - and religion is a no-no!)
    All countries have flaws, and Canada has its struggles, but it is a beautiful, welcoming place. I think your comments about those arrested, whether those individuals are terrorists or not, really got to the bottom of the issue. The world’s malcontents, people who are unable or unwilling to accept that life has inequities and can be terribly difficult, have found that they can prey upon societies that are tolerant, at least up to a point. In reality, those that tolerate this kind of murder and mayhem are actually the worst bigots because their core belief is that the terrorists are inferior losers who are desperately seeking attention and therefore to be pitied - certainly not anyone you would like to have as a next door neighbor. In fact, the basic needs of the earth’s human population - food and water, medical help and in most places, peace, are in greater abundance than in any other time in human history. Does everyone have the same access? No. Is life hard. Absolutely. But in Canada, the US and quite a few other countries, a person can work hard to build a stable life for themselves and their family. Are there some gluttonous pigs? Yes. But those pigs have a lot to do with the production and delivery of the abundant supplies that feed and heal the world. I feel pretty bad for so many of the writers because they seem to be wrapped in a cloak of vitriolic hatred. Eventually, intelligent people learn that the way to get along is to be fair and balanced, forgiving. giving and sharing. have a sense of humor. and a sense of their relative importance on this beautiful planet.