Big news in Canada last week. A poll by Leger showed that almost 80% of Canadians don’t believe we are “responsible” for what happened to the First Nations children in the residential schools and for the other harms caused by the policies of colonialism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
And this makes us sound unfeeling and prejudiced, right?
Wrong, although a lot of people with axes to grind are using the data to whip up sentiment for their arguments. This poll and the Post article about it are irresponsible in intent, faulty in scientific execution and guilty of sensational journalism because they did not make their terms clear.
A Matter of Definition
There are two main meanings for the word “responsible:”
- being the primary cause of something and so able to be blamed or credited for it
- having an obligation to do something about it.
These are two very different situations, and while they often they coincide, in this case they don’t.
The first definition is based on the concept of cause. If someone tries to persuade you that you were the primary cause of something terrible that happened before you were born, you will quite rightfully tell them they’re off their rocker.
However, if someone tells you that there is a situation causing other people pain and harm, and you could and should do something to solve the situation, that is a completely different matter.
Public Relations
Those trying to force the Caucasian population of Canada to feel guilty about what our ancestors did are making a large mistake. They are playing straight into the hands of those who are still guilty of the same prejudicial and biased attitudes. They are driving the unsure people, the undecided voters, away from doing the right thing. They are starting a different argument that allows people to duck their real responsibility as citizens: to right the wrongs that have been committed, and to help the victims rejoin our society as equals.
Learn from the Past, then Forget It.
I hate to quote an old saw, but today is the first day in the rest of our lives. Admit the wrongs that happened in the last century and set them aside as the responsibility of another generation. Our task is to decide what to do in the coming days to make sure our fellow citizens are treated equally and given equal opportunities to succeed.
Different Solutions for Different Stakeholders
Establishing the guilt of former generations is part of the healing process for the victims because it validates their pain. Trying to use that guilt to influence the action of the populace is specious arguing and counterproductive. Building bridges is a far better activity than driving wedges.
The Bottom Line
Am I personally the cause of the bad treatment of the First Nations Children in the residential schools? No, I am not, and anybody who goes around asking that question is doing a disservice to our nation and the First Nations that are part of it.
Am I responsible for making this situation better? Damn right I am. Any time we see suffering in this world, we must ask ourselves, “What’s the best way to fix this?” Then we should come up with a solution and make it happen. Not because we feel guilty about what our ancestors did, but because it makes us good citizens who deserve the bounty that this country has provided for us.
That’s why I’m writing this post: to persuade you to look for ways to make today’s society more equal for everyone. Stop agonizing about who did what back then. Build a better Canada for tomorrow.
1 comment for “Two Meanings for “Responsibility.””