Residential Schools

[furrowtickler]

Politicians in power at the time are as much or more to blame as the church ..... PET
As prof from that above

[Blaithin]

Another question is why were these boarding schools? Why did indian kids have to live at them away from their family? Where did that asinine policy come from? I doubt the church thought it up. Sounds like govt to me.

There are no dumb questions but those come awfully close.

They were trying to wipe out the culture. Of course the Church would do it. Christian religions have tried to steal, burn, torture, usurp and do anything necessary to get heretic religions to disappear practically since it’s origin. (Not saying Christianity is the only religion to use this practice.)

You can’t eradicate a culture if you let the kids go home and live in it. You need to remove them from it. You need to take the culture away. You need to make them dependent on the new religion. Think the Jesuit’s who arrived even before there was a country were all nice and friendly and never tried to convert Indigenous people? Can’t blame Trudeaus for them.

Government or church, neither is innocent and neither is worse than the other.

If reconciliation in the form of apologies and payments is wanted then where’s the Pope? He fronts the other half of this.

[agstar77]

Politicians in power at the time are as much or more to blame as the church ..... PET
As prof from that above

The priests and Nuns were forced to be cruel by the Government? The churchs had a great deal of power at one time. They were not forced to get rid of the grave markers, which is a criminal offence.

[Taiga]

Great, everyone agrees this is the churches fault/problem/responsibility, lobby the govt to seize their assets and keep your hands out of my pockets.

[ajl]

Have heard from more than one aboriginal person that the residential schools were how they acquired a basic education and allowed them to move forward. Sure there was abuses but there was also good news stories as well which are not part of the official narrative. That narrative is of course being used to foment a Hitleresque anti Christian hate which seems to be working. As somebody pointed out on another site: why don't they go looking for unmarked graves on the sites of government run institutions such as asylums, and TB hospitals as well from the 50's and 60's.

[sumdumguy]

Every headline on every paper same thing. Over a hundred years I am sure some people died. Isn’t it possible that the schools were unable to contact families to come and take the corpse?

[Blaithin]

Ever met someone who was medically experimented on at a residential school?

I have.

Who removes children from home and submits them to medical experiments and tries to hide it behind “well we gave them a basic education so we’re good”.

If your child was taken from your home and medically experimented on and there was nothing you could do.... how would you feel? Your grandchildren?

[burnt]

Ever met someone who was medically experimented on at a residential school?

I have.

Who removes children from home and submits them to medical experiments and tries to hide it behind “well we gave them a basic education so we’re good”.

If your child was taken from your home and medically experimented on and there was nothing you could do.... how would you feel? Your grandchildren?

Just reading that makes me sick to my stomach and rage at the same time.

It's very easy to criticize past actions.

What is a bit more challenging is to forge a way forward.

Does Western society today have any legitimate claim to moral or ethical superiority?

[Blaithin]

Just reading that makes me sick to my stomach and rage at the same time.

It's very easy to criticize past actions.

What is a bit more challenging is to forge a way forward.

Does Western society today have any legitimate claim to moral or ethical superiority?

I think if the internet wasn’t what it is there would be much less moral or ethical superiority than there is. The chance of exposure keeps people more accountable.

That said, many people working within these schools probably thought they were morally and ethically superior and thusly could do what they did. Just because someone feels superior or justified, does not mean their actions are that way to others.

[makar]

Time for a reckoning . The Catholic church is one of the main architects. They have not apologized or made full compensation. Time every church property in Canada should be sold off and used to heal the wounds. Anyone who goes to these churchs should demand a reckoning.

Posted this before where is my check from polish clergy beating on my dad in eastern Europe. Same crap, do I want something no, move on.

[dalek]

Yrs ago there was a department of Indian affairs.
Didn't they check on anything?
When I was in school that car with Indian affairs on it was at our school often..

Yes, they did. A lot of the inspectors used the schools as their own personal playgrounds, the rest mostly just didn’t care. More than one MP way back made personal “inspections” of the girls (and sometimes boys) dormitories because it was safer than going to hookers or having an affair with a secretary.

I’ll never forget reading the story of a 12 year old girl giving birth alone with the priest in his room, then watching him throw his own newborn son alive into the wood stove so he wouldn’t have to explain how she had a half-white baby when he was the only white man around

[burnt]

I think if the internet wasn’t what it is there would be much less moral or ethical superiority than there is. The chance of exposure keeps people more accountable.

That said, many people working within these schools probably thought they were morally and ethically superior and thusly could do what they did. Just because someone feels superior or justified, does not mean their actions are that way to others.

Are you serious, or did you mean this as a bitter joke?

It's hard to read sarcasm, if that's what you meant.

But in case you were serious, how do you explain the swinish illegal actions of a certain prime minister who has more ethics violations, corruption dealings and procedural malfeasance than all the others put together?

Is it because he has no internet exposure?

Or does he enjoy immunity because he is morally and ethically superior, as you say?

As far as that goes, as much as organized religion needs to be accountable for its wrongs, why is there not an equal outpouring of broad condemnation for politicians, for corrupt scientists, etc?

Make those pigs pay for their own screw ups. Don't hand me the bill.