Lazy alcoholic Indians
Posted on April 29th, 2010 – 9 great comments. Room for one more!If you’re a member of a North American aboriginal group — Canada, US, doesn’t matter — your blood may already be boiling. Did you judge this post before reading it?
Yes, “lazy alcoholic Indian” is most definitely pejorative, and up until this post, I’d never used it openly. But that’s not to say I haven’t met lazy alcoholic Indians. I’m not talking about people with genuine hardships living on the street here, I’m talking about able-bodied people who lay around in public parks (I see them day in-day out with my own two eyes), getting hammered, living off social assistance, and telling me to get off their land – along with a few other choice words. I will never apologize for calling them lazy alcoholic Indians. And ignorant. And intolerant. And racist. And rude as all fuck.
Let me set the record straight here. First off, the term “Indian” isn’t pejorative. It’s not accurate (this isn’t India), but the word is still officially used by the government. The way to make “Indian” an insult is to tack something in front of it. You know, like “lazy alcoholic Indian”, or “fucking asshole rapist European” … like that.
Okay, “First Nations” or “Indigenous” is more accurate, but “Indian” is easier. For some reason, though, the word has become so taboo that no one wants to use it. Media flee from it like it’s a bomb waiting to go off and no one in government would ever use it if natives didn’t use it first. Okay, again, for accuracy that’s sensible, but I know that that’s not the sole reason for the word being shunned.
So fine, if we’re picking and choosing random words to get insulted about, I think I’m going to reserve the word “white” as an ultimate insult. Someone calls me white, I’ll call the cops and report a hate crime.
Oh, I can’t? Why not?
Because I’m in the “white majority”, that’s why. I know I’m exaggerating; I’m sure the cops wouldn’t arrest me for calling someone an “Indian”, but the vitriol I would receive would be almost as bad. This isn’t rhetoric either, this is what I’ve experienced personally.
I’m sick and tired of hearing that Indians and minorities don’t get the same opportunities. That they’re repressed and being forced into unemployment / onto the streets. Job application forms / university enrolment forms / etc. must ask: are you a member of an Aboriginal group? If yes, you get bumped up on the applicant’s list, no questions asked. Visible minority? Ditto. Female? Uh-huh. White dude? Go fend for yourself. Merit be fucked.
In fact, if you’re white, you will even be disqualified from certain government-controlled jobs. I’d like to hear from one Indian person, just one, recount how they were told – to their face – that they couldn’t apply to a job / school because they’re Indian. Native. Whatever. Bet that would make headlines lickety-split, huh? With Affirmative Action, this happens to white folks every day – where’s the outraged media?
I’ve heard the same bullshit argument for ages: Europeans have oppressed natives for generations and the least they can do is lend a helping hand. Look, Residential Schools were hell on earth, no doubt, and I’m all for compensating and helping those unfortunate people who were forced into them. A little help in preserving the culture / language, I think, is also a nice gesture. But beyond that, give me a fucking break.
Aboriginals were effectively conquered and assimilated. Too fucking bad. Happened to just about every group of people out there since time immemorial. Aboriginals were massacring each other for land / property well before the Europeans came here so let’s cut the hypocrisy. Europeans just happened to have better weapons and immunity to diseases. In effect, stronger tribes came from across the seas and kicked the natives’ asses. Too fucking bad.
The same goes for land claims. True, Aboriginals were clearly here before the Europeans. Again, I take no issue with allotting lands on which native peoples can get back to their roots – I’m a huge fan of multiculturalism. But no, they don’t own Canada. If we want to start arguing ownership of the land based on historic settlement, prior to being pushed off or killed for it, then the Iroquois have no claim to land anywhere. Yet I don’t see Algonquin tribes making any claims against the Iroquois for pushing them out – and the evil Europeans were already here at that point. It’s an infuriating and nonsensical double-standard that’s regularly ignored.
My problem with the whole kit and caboodle is that it’s all being perpetrated under the guise of “equality”. In what dictionary does “equality” mean providing advantages to specific groups while actively suppressing others? We’re not talking about removing barriers to entry, glass ceilings, that kind of stuff, we’re talking about government-legislated boosts for one group — Indians / minorities – while at the same time throwing up blocks (sometimes just flat out saying “no”) to others – whites. “Equality” my ass.
Currently, if you’re a white man living in Canada, you belong to the most openly discriminated-against group of any. Fact. The government has laws in place to make sure everyone, including women, get ahead in line ahead of you. Was it necessary? I don’t know. Probably. But if you walk into any office today, it’s obvious that it no longer is.
Not saying that there aren’t assholes in companies that wouldn’t refuse people jobs because they’re women, native, or whatever, but there’s recourse. You can take it to the Human Rights Tribunal and you’ll probably have a good case. When the government tells me I can’t have a job because I’m a white man (responsible for oppressing everything around me, it seems), what recourse do I have? And when, by 2050, white people become an actual minority, will I be given special status? With there being fewer men than women, in general, will white men get even more consideration because they’re now a minority within a minority – visible by any standard? Yeah, right.
And then I get called all sort of names on the street by lazy alcoholic Indians. I’m told I stole their land (I immigrated here when I was six!), and that I owe them. Although not filled with the same array of expletives, many non-lazy, non-alcoholic natives echo that same sentiment, despite the fact that they have advantages that I don’t. Many upstanding Indians have taken those advantages and done something with them, let’s be clear. I’ve worked alongside them / under them, and see that they’re just as capable of doing the job as me. Sometimes more so. Which is why I find it so absurd that those very same people would be saying that they’re oppressed, and even more absurd that the government, and society in general, seem to agree with them.
Open your eyes: white is the new nigger.
Filed under: Why I'm Right
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April 29th, 2010 4:15 pm
true dat!
Read more from Grace at: http://contrariness.blogspot.comApril 29th, 2010 8:05 pm
You know it, Grace. So I did a little research after I wrote this — wanted to make sure I wasn’t just being stupid. So according to Canadian law, there are four groups against which it is illegal to discriminate:
1. women
2. Aboriginal peoples
3. persons with disabilities
4. members of visible minorities (non-Caucasian, non-white)
Therefore, under Canadian law, discrimination against able-bodied white men is legal. I tried to find out how many people this would affect but I didn’t get very far on Stats Can. “Caucasian Population” and “white population” return nothing, and I can’t seem to find any stats on the population of Caucasians in Canada anywhere else. If I was a conspiracy nut… (or maybe had more patience
)
April 30th, 2010 3:31 am
Amen to all that! This sort of shit is exactly why I left the west, it’s all bollox. Utter. I once worked in a place where if you were a black female you practically owned the place. They called it ‘positive discrimination’. What a crock.
I don’t care what color a person is, as long as you’re the best person for the job, then you’re hired is my opinion. It’s about time people stopped ‘being sorry’ for what our forefathers did and get on with being sensible.
Wooo. Sorry, once you start it’s hard to stop on this topic isn’t it?!
Read more from Chinaren at: http://www.ChinarensBlog.comApril 30th, 2010 3:32 am
Oh, forgot to add:
Ironically, if you’re white in China, you’re usually at the front of the queue! lol.
Read more from Chinaren at: http://www.ChinarensBlog.comApril 30th, 2010 3:24 pm
You said it, Chinaren. Chung-guoperson.
Equality, that’s all. I don’t like being called names and I don’t don’t think people in rural communities (was it Caledonia?) should be allowed to be pushed around. And you know what? When I read about the natives’ grievances, I actually supported them for a while. Sometimes they’re promised something by the government and it never comes through (like, decades later). But then the guerrilla tactics started and that was the end of my support.
Don’t you think they’d make a bigger splash if they just bussed a bunch of people to a major metropolitan center (wink wink), and canvassed everything they could find? And I know there are more than a few urban-based groups that would gleefully join in the campaign / rally. And then a nice Monday of protesting in front of Queen’s Park, Nathan Phillips Square, Waterfront, whatever. I think it’s okay to shout out what you want, wave placards, hand out leaflets, and invite dialogue. The idea is to put pressure on the government, and that means rallying *as many* people behind you as possible, not alienating them.
Why not trust that people will understand the situation? Sign a petition to fix a schoolhouse that was flooded by a government-subsidized plant? Fuck yeah, I want my tax dollars going there. No wonder you’re so vocal about it! But roughing up villagers and setting shit on fire, c’mon. You want this shit fixed or do you just want to play rebel soldiers?
Anyhow, your second point about being bumped ahead is something I’ve also experienced. Can’t say it made me feel comfortable, but my face-saving “out” was always having forgotten something in the scooter. Sorry, guess you’ll have to serve that Thai labourer first.
May 1st, 2010 6:11 pm
I agree with you 100%. It is beyond normal thinking where these native people get the guts to claim the land, all the privileges and benefits they are getting from the government. And even biger stupidity that government buy it all, and scared agree with everything and yet appologize for not doing more. What makes those people think that they are entitled for all of this? When you go deep into the history, they really are not native here at all. It is historicaly proven that they imigrated from India via Asia and northern countries. They actually discovered Canada just like any other imigrants lately. They were not lucky enough to use sealiners or airplanes, they traveled on land so it took them much longer to come here. The only advantage when they invaded Canada and north America was that there was not many people living here yet and therefore they could spread freely anywhere they wished. Now there is a question – what during all those years being here they ever did to keep Canada prosperous? As for now nothing really much, if we omit their cigaret and alcohol smugling, damaging other people’s property or stoping trafic on the highways, all those things I wouldn’t consider productive. It is really funny how do they feel about their status. My family came from European country which from 12 to 14 century was most powerful country in Europe. Dominating almost whole Europe and today???? Nobody get one f… idea to claim all the past privileges and land back. It is just ridiculous and unthinkable. Time is going ahead, everything is changing, how the hell somebody can take advantage of few century old agreement? Those could go to the museum and should not be accepted today. If all those people comming from intire world wouldn’t bring their knowledge and experience where all the native people would be? Would they drive fancy cars, have TV, telephons, ATV, snowmobiles etc? I don’t think so, they should be grateful they dont’t have to live like few hundred years ago, they would die from inability to support themselves, and not claim every stupid thing which came into their mind. They for sure have nice tradition which we can admire on their POW WOW’s but so far that’s all.
Read more from Stanya at:May 3rd, 2010 11:19 am
Eliminate differences in skin color, let us together build the world.
Read more from Kinong at: http://healthypro.org/May 3rd, 2010 12:27 pm
I’m with you, Kinong. I’m all for the hard-earned rights that almost everyone in this country enjoys. I just thing everyone should enjoy them.
May 3rd, 2010 12:41 pm
You make a number of good points, Stanya. However, regarding alcohol and cigarettes, I believe that natives are legally allowed to sell these on their lands. Produce them too, unless I’m mistaken. They can also gamble openly — I know of one reservation in Quebec that used this to become the online gambling “world certification authority”, and they run a number of very lucrative online casinos from there on behalf of clients (they basically just watch the boxes). Secure data centres are a lot cheaper to construct than casinos (quieter too), and can be expanded as the money starts to roll in. If corruption can be kept to a minimum, that kind of thing could uplift an entire community almost overnight. And it’s just a bunch of guarded computers running in some bunker — not exactly a horrible industry, morality aside.
All of this quasi-militia stuff is so unnecessary.