One of our greatest frustrations, and a contributing factor to the continuing injustices in the past two years, has been the complete failure by most media outlets to expose the truth about what has been happening in Caledonia. Some media outlets have avoided the topic because it would harm their Liberal friends while most simply refused to present the truth out of fear of being called racists.
The National Post was the first national media outlet that tried to systematically speak out on difficult and sensitive issues related to landclaim lawlessness. Our combined readership is approximately 25,000 households across Canada. Our sole goal has been to get the truth about Caledonia and Ipperwash out to all Canadians, so we were pleased that the National Post asked us in early 2008 to promote a special offer for their newspaper, an offer which expired at the end of June 2008.
Unfortunately, the Post never scrutinized the OPP civil rights violations, including how the force maliciously targetted non-native activists with outright lies, slander and arrests, and it has gone pretty much silent on race-based policing since their initial burst of enthusiasm for the subject. There were a hundred stories they could have written - available just for the asking – that went untold because the paper’s big guns went silent. We hope the Post will one day find its voice again but, until then, you can still read some of their past great stories below.
Read the Post’s groundbreaking ‘RETHINKING THE RESERVE’ series
- Rethinking the Reserve: Week 1: ‘Real warriors hold jobs’
- Rethinking the Reserve: Week 2: Property rights; shackled by red tape
- Rethinking the Reserve: Week 3: Problems of governance
- Rethinking the Reserve: Week 4: Are private schools the answer for Canada’s struggling native kids?
- Rethinking the Reserve: Week 5: Rolling the dice on native casinos
- Kevin Libin speaks to Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl
- Q&A with Native American studies professor
- Comment: Jean Allard’s Big Bear solution
The Post speaks out for Caledonians
- Mar 25/08 – Jonathan Kay on the feistiness of Caledonians, and the native lawlessness they won’t let us ignore
- Mar 25/08 – Ontario Minister mocked onYouTube
- Mar 03/08 – Caledonia Residents Picket Home Of OPP Chief
- Feb 13/08 – Police ignoring native violence, MPP alleges
- Jan 30/08 – ‘Sacrificial lambs at the altar of Ipperwash’
- Jan 24/08 – Rethinking native protests
- Jan 22/08 – At Caledonia, the rule of law must be upheld
- Jan 21/08 – McGuinty, Fontaine and Caledonia
- Jan 21/08 – Caledonia’s pain –in our readers’ words
- Jan 19/08 – The coward at Queen’s Park
- Jan 17/08 – Caledonia redux
1 response so far ↓
Lily // August 2, 2008 at 9:24 am |
It’s unfortunate the true ignorance not only of native rights issues, but of plain land issues in general. Without the knowledge of process that must and should take place regarding all development let alone the umpteen zoning meetings and such, that the everyday citizen might actual come to realize how misinformed they are.
It’s important even though these land claim issues are specifically Native, that the broader picture come to light and that the abuses and lack of proprietary on the part of all levels of Government come to light.
Fight the good fight!!! Peacefully with dignity and if need be to educate all the people or what rights should exist for all.
VoC REPLY: Thanks for writing, Lily. You know, I don’t have a real problem with people using acts of non-violent civil disobedience so long as they don’t victimize others or infringe greatly their rights. The courts recognize that it is a legitimate use of protest so long as you are willing to pay whatever price society demands to protect the rule of law.
Native extremists could learn a lot from Dr. King. He said that when one breaks the law in order to arouse the conscience of the nation, one must do it lovingly and be willing to accept the consequences. Never with the thought of using violence.
Yes, indeed, let’s all fight peacefully, with dignity. When that begins to happen, I can get back to my ‘other’ life. Regards, Mark