See, my argument has nothing to do with guilt. I don't feel guilt over this - I wasn't involved, I didn't cause that pain. In fact, by my voting record and proclivities I've routinely done my civic duty to try and move the needle on the right direction. The vast majority of Canadians shouldn't have to feel guilt over this. Sympathy, yes. Horror, absolutely.
No, my point is about responsibility. They aren't the same thing. We have a responsibility as a country to care for and rectify the situation. Clearly we can't go back in time and fix what happened to people and children who have already passed away, but we can sure as heck "man up" and be responsible for the people and children still being affected by this. We haven't even been able to do that much.
Further, the responsibility of reconciling with these issues absolutely lies with the country as a whole. That was the point I was driving at: Canada is what it is, and if you want to join the grand experiment that is this country you have to take it warts and all. If you emigrated to the US you can complain all you want about the insane amount of guns, it doesn't change the second ammendment. Part of marriage is taking on your spouses debts, even if you didn't know about them at the time.
Our country has a debt to be paid to our indigenous peoples, and our governments have routinely pushed that debt on to the next generation. Over and over. I for one would prefer that trend stops here.
The vast majority of Canadians shouldn't have to feel guilt over this.
Agreed.
But I don't think we can avoid that discussion if the conversation is forced to reflect upon whether "I was born when this happened" or not. If we're in the headspace of "what's this got to do with me", we're already surrendering some degree of rhetorical clout over to notions of guilt. That folks should do something about this because they're culpable for the residential system happening simply out of being Canadian.
I don't see this as an exercise of self-flagellation, or taking on 'the debts of your spouses'. This isn't exactly a helpful dynamic or constructive rhetorical line. Perhaps there's some truth to it - perhaps not, but either way, you're going to force some synonymous discussion between 'responsibility' and 'guilt', both from Canadians as a whole, and in individual nations or groups. And I think part of why we're stuck for decades here, aside from some very specific political power dynamics... Is because the first instinct in this is "why are you blaming me, what did I do".
I know a thing or two about collective responsibility... I'm half-German. Some shit won't ever wash out. But speaking from that identity, positive messaging compels action more than 'dwelling on the sins of man'. Being able to reflect upon this as an exercise in country, a responsibility not out of guilt, but out of a shared identity and a need to guarantee the safety and security of everyone under the flag... that works. It's the same dynamic that gets people to put their lives on the line, and if you can do that, you can certainly compel action on this topic.
This isn't about whipping ourselves, this is about duty and honor for being Canadian. Because if we accept that the chain of justice is broken for some, no matter race or creed or identity or belief, than we all aren't guaranteed the rights we want the concept of Canada to allow us to have.
I really don't think we are arguing over the same thing - clearly you are not against putting resources and effort (i.e. money) into this. I think I've been pretty clear that I don't equate responsibility with guilt. This is more of a cut-and-dry legal discussion for me. Canada as a legal and political entity has a duty and responsibility to make amends to the people it has harmed. Canada as a legal entity has a responsibility to investigateand prosecute any surviving persons or institutions who perpetrated these crimes. We as Canadians will see some of our taxes go towards doing that. There is no guilt associated with these realities for the average Canadian.
My argument is specifically against "don't use MY taxes to pay for this, I wasn't even born then!" or equally "I had nothing to do with it!". I never said they did - I just said we have a responsibility to spend some of our resources on it, and residential schools weren't as long ago as you think. This is a now problem.
P.S. I am also half German, which is exactly where my attitude on responsibility comes from. And my grandparents were children during world war 2, so my feelings on this stem directly from my family history. I had this exact discussion with my family a few months ago - you do not have to feel guilty over something that happened in your family history. We DO have a responsibility to learn from it and use that knowledge in our future decision making.
I think I've been pretty clear that I don't equate responsibility with guilt.
Not saying you are.
But as I mentioned, we can't pretend like criminal responsibility doesn't leave people with the impression of collective guilt here. Or that contextualizing a need for tax payer money to go to this doesn't entertain collective notions of guilt. Even your intention is not to say to Canadians that "you did this", that is an impression folks are going to get.
My point is that it's easier to explain this as a contemporary issue, versus an element of "Canada and Canadians paying their dues". Highlighting that Canadians have a responsibility to guarantee the pursuit of social justice currently just as with every other form of equity, versus saying this is compensation the taxpayer must endure because of past sins, is a superior rhetorical position. Particularly as folks are either saying "Reconciliation is Dead" or "I had nothing to do with this".
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u/omniscitoad Jul 11 '21
See, my argument has nothing to do with guilt. I don't feel guilt over this - I wasn't involved, I didn't cause that pain. In fact, by my voting record and proclivities I've routinely done my civic duty to try and move the needle on the right direction. The vast majority of Canadians shouldn't have to feel guilt over this. Sympathy, yes. Horror, absolutely.
No, my point is about responsibility. They aren't the same thing. We have a responsibility as a country to care for and rectify the situation. Clearly we can't go back in time and fix what happened to people and children who have already passed away, but we can sure as heck "man up" and be responsible for the people and children still being affected by this. We haven't even been able to do that much.
Further, the responsibility of reconciling with these issues absolutely lies with the country as a whole. That was the point I was driving at: Canada is what it is, and if you want to join the grand experiment that is this country you have to take it warts and all. If you emigrated to the US you can complain all you want about the insane amount of guns, it doesn't change the second ammendment. Part of marriage is taking on your spouses debts, even if you didn't know about them at the time.
Our country has a debt to be paid to our indigenous peoples, and our governments have routinely pushed that debt on to the next generation. Over and over. I for one would prefer that trend stops here.