Letters to the Editor
debaser
Published Letters: 656 Editor's Choice: 11
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@ thaeus
[Read the article: Northern exposure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]re: the native issue.
have you read the Kelowna Accord yet? It was signed by Paul Martin, has widespread support amongst native leaders (at least), calls for a massive infusion of money, as well as wholesale change as far as administration goes (native self-rule would be much easier..i.e. "treaty federalism")
all in all a great step forward for natives...so naturally Harper buried the thing...he refuses to implement any of it. In fact just a few weeks ago the Liberals introduced it as a private member's bill, all parties save the conservatives voted for it - but of course they aren't beholden to that vote since no government can be compelled to spend money on a private member's bill.
just one more reason to hate Harper and his cronies...what a prick.
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@ Thaeus
[Read the article: Northern exposure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The specifics about self-rule escape me at the moment, but I do remember my professor in Canadian Federalism saying that it is in there...implicitly at least.
and don't mistake Martin's largesse with native affairs to be vote-pandering. They were very dear to his heart. One example: under his leadership the Indian and Native Affairs Department (i can't remember the exact name) was considered it's own seperate ministy, meaning that it got more funding, and had much greater chance of having it's voice heard in committee.
Harper has buried it in a catch-all department...it now has to compete with about 5 other ministries in order to be heard. The upshot is that there's very little chance of native affairs ever taking centre stage.
also look at the 180 Canada has done at the UN in regards to the Declaration of Rights for Indigenious Persons since Harper was elected - we went from a key supporter to a key opponent (with Australia, new Zealand and the US...the group has been dubbed CANZUS)
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re: sugarman (i know I'm just giving myself a headache here but oh well...)
[Read the article: Northern exposure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You said:
"that means MONEY. a money economy. just shoveling it in creates what, in your own child would be called a "trust fund baby". to be fully integrated (and so to earn a modern dollar) means not only education, but loss of native culture. it just happens that way. you can't have both."
the Accord and theories (treaty federalism) I was speaking of escape your limited knowledge. These imply the creation of a whole other order of government (to go with federal and provincial). I find it amusing that you would think that money would destroy the culture of native government, when that certainly has not been the case for the other ethnically different provinces in Canada (has federal transfer payments destroyed Quebecois culture? Hardly, in fact, the opposite has is true..Quebecois culture is strong and vibrant and has resisted the folklorization that one sees with the cajuns in Louisiana)
Instead you throw around these facile, juvenile arguments about that smacks of "noble savage" imagery...
get your head in the 21st century man!
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i'm confused
[Read the article: More drunken pirates, fewer teachers]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So I just tried to google my name to see if my facebook or myspace accounts would show up (both pages include both my first and last names) and nothing doing...so I tried about 10 of my friends who also have accounts on those sites...again, nothing doing.
so I guess the only way to come across one's profile page is if one is also a member of these social networking sites, which would make the possibility of being found alot more remote.
which is all besides the point I guess...that girl should sue the pants off that school. She was denied the certification needed for her chosen career simply because a picture of her having a drink *might* one day be seen by a student?? That's just criminal...(by that logic it should be illegal for parents to buy wine...patently absurd)
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further reading
[Read the article: A black blizzard's gonna fall]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If you're interested in further reading about the dust bowl and how it was almost completely man-made check out Donald Worster's "Dust Bowl" it was written in 1980 and he saw even then that the dust bowl would return...it's an awesome, eye-opening read.
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This is great!
[Read the article: God grief]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I had clicked onto the letters section with a sense of dread, fearing that it would turn into another one of those interminable shouting matches where atheists call the religious idiots and the religious call atheists arrogant (like the discussion on the Gospel of Judas generated last month)...
Imagine my surprise to find that the great majority of posts have been well written and respectful of the opposing viewpoint! This IS GREAT! Maybe it means that we're finally moving beyond the "I'm right and you're an idiot" dichotomy...it is truly refreshing!
Good Work Everyone!
also, "Steve from Iowa"...I'm totally on board with your post, Science and Religion need not be mutually exclusive. One of the serious flaws in the recent spate of atheist authors (Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens etc) is that they are blind to the notion of the religious moderate...not everyone who buys into the beatitudes sends their kids to Jesus Camp :)
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my personal favourite:
[Read the article: Jerry Falwell, "agent of intolerance," dead at 73]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]“Textbooks are Soviet propaganda”
Oh there's just so much in those four little words! He denigrates the notion of learning at the same time as he's taking pot shots at the "evil empire"....oh it's just delicious in its insanity!
my initial reaction was also less than charitable, then I felt guilty about that (stupid Roman Catholic upbringing!) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there's not much worse than a man who purports to preach peace when he's really preaching vile, odious hate.
Hopefully Pat "let's assassinate Hugo Chavez" will come out and say Falwell's death is the fault of the ACLU! :)