Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Good Lord! Everyone's saying $o $incerely, $pecially $orry

Another $orry in Canada! The apology is for residential schools, where aboriginal children were sent.

There will be "token" payments to demonstrate the sincerity of the apology.
At $2-billion-plus, that's some "token". And that doesn't include the $60-million to launch a five-year search for tragic recollections by the truth and reconciliation commission or the $400-million total for aboriginal healing approved in 1998 and 2005.
However:

There are whispers the Harper Cabinet is sick of saying it's sorry for ancient events and feels if it starts saying it often enough, apologies will be debased to the point there's no compensation liability or political risk attached.

That might explain why the Conservatives unexpectedly supported an official apology for turning away 376 Sikh passengers aboard the steamer Komagata Maru in 1914, pushed through by Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla last month.

One fed-up Liberal MP is quietly musing about proposing a Day of Apology so MPs can rise in the House to seek forgiveness from the victim of their choice.
(Hat tip minicapt)

4 comments:

stackja1945 said...

Why do not all children receive compensation for the trauma of early school after being taken from the security of home?
I was happy at home and the state forced me to go to school.

Minicapt said...

Before 1998, the list of the abused may have been 5% of the total school population. Now anyone who has proof of residential school attendance is lining up for the cash payout.

It's a Victim Industry at the moment.

Cheers
JMH

Egg said...

The wages of $pin ...?
As in the apparently elastic 'stolen' status of Lois O'Donoghue?

kae said...

Hi Egg
Love your avatar thingy. Cute!
I think that the magic of Cha-Ching works wonders for the memories and histories of some people.