I like the old saying "Ignorance is bliss" Because I think it must be.
I remember a story I heard when I was a kid when the owner of the sawmill and sent his son out from Winnipeg to be the general manager. He arrived, big education, big brand new car. Unfortunetaly he had several flaws along with these wonderful attributes, and what I heard was, from someone standing in his work clothes, watching this wonderful fellow, in the brand new car speed by,saying "There goes the educated fool".
I dont know why that stuck with me. It was totally contrary to my childish beliefs. The same as "People who run for political office must be totally honest" people who go into law, lawyers, policemen, judges, must be totally honest. Well that was when I was an
innocent child.I found out in the ensuing years how wrong I was about all this misguided thinking.
My observations now on the particular subject of "War".
This NHL season they got season ticket holders to give up thousands of seats to "The Brave men and women who are fighting for their country". The Grey Cup Game The CFL trotted out our countries finest soldiers "Who are willing to fight for our freedom." My oh my, our freedom, our war. I knew we could catch mumps but it astounds me how fast we can catch war.
In the USA they patrol the shopping malls with their Marines, signing up mostly blacks and hispanics.
Now all our best intentions are sighted on raiding the reserves to get those natives, who incidently the white race has stripped of all there human dignity, and now we are willing to dignify them, in The Canadian Armed Forces.
I say shame on the Canadian Government, and shame on the tribal chiefs. If this is the best, after all these years of money passing through different hands, that they can do for these young people then its a real shame.
I understand fully, it is not easy to work with many of the First Nations people because the white mans concience has tried to buy them with money. Do many of them have a
poor work ethic, I would say yes. But until I or anyone else can diagnose a problem, no matter what it is, we have to look at the root cause, which puts it right back in the whitemans lap.
I do not think I have ever met a First Nations person who couldn't take any old car apart and put it back together again. Many it seems are very mechanically inclined. So if they are going to be put into the armed forces I would hope they become mechanics or anything other than what the young, niave man said on the CTV broadcast (Reservation Soldiers) "I can hardly wait till I get my first CONFIRMED KILL"
Ray Strachan
