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I don't feel much empathy for a guy who not only resorts to name calling with a stranger online, but goes out of his way to do so. Because that poster has opinions he doesn't like -- in the thread he chose to start.
I'll bet he wouldn't dare pull that with a guy, and certainly not IRL. Women, otoh, are safe targets.
Yes, a comment like that is not the right thing, which the giver probably knows. I think people have knee jerk reactions to things that really matter to them.
But as far as the graves are concerned, from what I've read about the government not returning bodies because of the cost, based on what we know so far, I'd lay the blame at the government's feet.
But I'm not that nice of a person If I had had happen to me or had happened to my children what happened to so many in the residential schools, there is at least a 55% chance I'd be burning down churches.
Yes, a comment like that is not the right thing, which the giver probably knows. I think people have knee jerk reactions to things that really matter to them.
But as far as the graves are concerned, from what I've read about the government not returning bodies because of the cost, based on what we know so far, I'd lay the blame at the government's feet.
But I'm not that nice of a person If I had had happen to me or had happened to my children what happened to so many in the residential schools, there is at least a 55% chance I'd be burning down churches.
No kidding!
In keeping with the topic of the thread; the point being glossed over though; is the fact I offered early on in this thread that MOST if not all churches (religions) were somewhat involved to varying degrees and ALL share some sort of responsibility for , if not actually taking an active part, being completely silent on what all knew were the abhorrent practices of the day.
Given the "competition" that the two dominant religions engaged in routinely, I find it more than simply confusing as to why ONE of the majority "faiths" didn't use the opportunity to scathingly castigate the other for it's involvement in what could only be described as a "most un-Christian of practices". The answer can only be one of; they were all complicit to some degree.
The various Provincial governments were more than active partners in that they provided the impetus and the oversight, even quite probably with some funding, that gave license for this tragedy to occur unfettered.
This nonsense went on for many decades with barely a ripple of repugnance.
Just so everybody knows, publicly-funded Catholic and Protestant (today, known as public) schools are constitutionally-mandated, but only in Ontario and Quebec. From our constitution:
Translated from the 19th century legalese, this means that Catholic schools in Ontario will be funded by Catholic taxpayers, and Protestant (public) schools in Quebec will be funded by Protestant (and any non-Catholic) taxpayers. The rest of s. 93 basically leaves it to current and future provinces as to whether they want separate but parallel Catholic and public education systems. Some did, some didn't, as history shows.
Remember, at the time of Confederation, Ontario was controlled by a Protestant ruling class; and while Quebec may have had English-speaking Protestants in positions of political and business power, the vast majority of French-speaking ordinary people were Catholic, and would have objected to sending their children to publicly-funded Protestant schools, while there were no Catholic schools (at least, none that came without extra cost above their forced Protestant school taxes). This provision was a compromise: Quebecers could attend taxpayer-funded Catholic schools in Quebec, and Ontarians could attend taxpayer-funded Protestant schools in Ontario; but more importantly, it allowed Catholics to attend publicly-funded Catholic schools in Ontario, and Protestants to attend publicly-funded public schools in Quebec.
In short, Ontario and Quebec have publicly-funded Catholic and public school systems because it is constitutionally-mandated, and rooted in our history. Other provinces may have the same, but that's because their people want it, and so, their legislatures allow it. But in Ontario and Quebec--two originally religiously-based school systems (the public system got rid of religion maybe fifty years ago) are constitutionally-mandated.
Yes, but for Quebec this provision of the Constitution was changed in 1997 or 1998. As I mentioned in my other post, our boards are simply French or English now, and have no religious affiliation.
Ontario still retains the old system though, with a fully funded (by the government) Catholic system existing alongside a secular public system with no religion, but which was originally the "Protestant" system.
I agree with you, NDG. The problem is that it will take a constitutional convention to change it. We haven't had much luck with those, as two so far (Meech Lake and Charlottetown) have failed, for reasons unrelated to religious schools.
Sadly, given those, which involved huge changes to our constitution, Canada and Canadians are now at the point where any constitutional convention, over whatever issue, is something to be regarded warily. Because of that, I doubt we'll see a constitutional convention over religious schools any time soon. "It don't seem to be broke, so why fix it?" seems to be the prevailing attitude.
The reason it's never been changed is politics and political will in the province of Ontario. A province can ask the feds to change something like this that only affects that specific province.
There is nothing preventing Ontario from changing this on its own. The other provinces don't need to be involved.
That's what Quebec did 25 years when it changed a virtually identical constitutional provision that applied to its schools.
Those Catholic schools aren’t all that Catholic anymore. I doubt you could tell any difference between them and secular schools, except Catholic schools may have a crucifix here and there.
They're not fire and brimstone but those Ontario Catholic schools are more Catholic than you might think.
There have been run-ins between Catholic schools and the Ontario government (that funds them!) on a number of things like homosexuality, abortion, etc.
Things have been fairly quiet in recent years as both sides try their best not to rock the boat with the other. The Catholic schools don't deliberately try and provoke the government, and Ontario cuts them a bit of slack on certain things.
Believe it or not, a publicly-funded Ontario Catholic school is still generally a more religious place than most Catholic private schools in Quebec (often still owned and-or run by religious orders).
I know for a fact as my kids attended the latter, and my nieces-nephews and the kids of many friends attended the former.
They're not fire and brimstone but those Ontario Catholic schools are more Catholic than you might think.
There have been run-ins between Catholic schools and the Ontario government (that funds them!) on a number of things like homosexuality, abortion, etc.
Things have been fairly quiet in recent years as both sides try their best not to rock the boat with the other. The Catholic schools don't deliberately try and provoke the government, and Ontario cuts them a bit of slack on certain things.
Believe it or not, a publicly-funded Ontario Catholic school is still generally a more religious place than most Catholic private schools in Quebec (often still owned and-or run by religious orders).
I know for a fact as my kids attended the latter, and my nieces-nephews and the kids of many friends attended the former.
At a relatively advanced age, and having been raised in early years in Anglican Church of St. James which is as close to Catholic as is possible to get in any Protestant faith, I would have no reservations in agreeing with your assessment of religious schools of all faiths in Ontario.
I apologize for all of my intemperate outbursts, public and private.
What intemperate outbursts?
That's a very Catholic thing - feeling guilty for something you didn't even do!
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If I had had happen to me or had happened to my children what happened to so many in the residential schools, there is at least a 55% chance I'd be burning down churches.
