Environmental racism

[Hans]

I am lost. Someone explain to me what environmental racism is. Take as many words as you like. It is blowing my mind we are introducing a bill to address racism in the environment.

CANADA: Environmental racism bill one step closer to becoming law

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/...ng-law-3896243

[Official Cat of Soonet]

I am lost. Someone explain to me what environmental racism is. Take as many words as you like. It is blowing my mind we are introducing a bill to address racism in the environment.

CANADA: Environmental racism bill one step closer to becoming law

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/...ng-law-3896243

How many First Nation's don't have clean water? Would what happened in Flint MI ever happen in a predominately white town? Where do they put landfills and where does toxic waste get dumped?

I think that's the kind of things they are referring to.

[Hans]

That is not racism, but racialization.
"The process of social construction of race is called racialization: “the process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life.”"

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/racial-disc...ism-fact-sheet

You have to be very careful not to use a few examples like Flint MI etc... and generalize the issue, coming to the conclusion we have an issue of "environmental racism".

If you start thinking like that, you could even make the argument that the treaties are racist, because they only apply to natives and grant certain rights that non-native Canadians do not possess.
I am sure everybody would love to be tax exempt and fish and hunt as much as they like. However, those rights are only reserved for Natives.

I honestly think society needs to stop pushing everything towards the racism spectrum. These days everything negative seems to end up as somehow being racist.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

That is not racism, but racialization.
"The process of social construction of race is called racialization: “the process by which societies construct races as real, different and unequal in ways that matter to economic, political and social life.”"

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/racial-disc...ism-fact-sheet

You have to be very careful not to use a few examples like Flint MI etc... and generalize the issue, coming to the conclusion we have an issue of "environmental racism".

If you start thinking like that, you could even make the argument that the treaties are racist, because they only apply to natives and grant certain rights that non-native Canadians do not possess.
I am sure everybody would love to be tax-exempt and fish and hunt as much as they like. However, those rights are only reserved for Natives.

I honestly think society needs to stop pushing everything towards the racism spectrum. These days everything negative seems to end up as somehow being racist.

I honestly think society needs to stop focusing on semantics so much. If you don't have clean water based solely on race, and you can't say that's not what happened in Flint, then you have a problem that needs addressing. Call it racialization, call it racism, whatever you want, figure out a way to get them clean water.

As for your treaty thing, call it racist if you want but realize that you are saying that on a day that 751 bodies were discovered at a school meant to wipe the culture out of a group of people even if that means killing them to do it. This was not at isolated schools, this was done at the behest of the Crown. This takes generations to fix and won't be fixed if we complain that they get 8% off their goods and services while you have to pay 13%.

[Hans]

I honestly think society needs to stop focusing on semantics so much. If you don't have clean water based solely on race, and you can't say that's not what happened in Flint, then you have a problem that needs addressing. Call it racialization, call it racism, whatever you want, figure out a way to get them clean water.

As for your treaty thing, call it racist if you want but realize that you are saying that on a day that 751 bodies were discovered at a school meant to wipe the culture out of a group of people even if that means killing them to do it. This was not at isolated schools, this was done at the behest of the Crown. This takes generations to fix and won't be fixed if we complain that they get 8% off their goods and services while you have to pay 13%.

And that there is the problem with the way society is thinking these days. We should learn to remember, so this will not happen again, and stop feeling like we somehow are associated with those actions and are responsible for what others have done in the past.
Rewriting history is a bad idea, and sadly enough that is what is slowly happening all around us.
It will end up causing us to forget, and it will happen again.

It does not take generations to fix, because there is nothing to fix. It's part of history and we all have to learn to move on, forward and keep history alive so we do not make the same mistakes again.

That is why Holocaust survivors insist on remembering and keeping the memories alive, rather than keeping a country somehow responsible for past events.

[Hans]

Prime example right here: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/25/us/jo...rnd/index.html

"A county in Iowa was named after a slave-holding vice president. Now, it's named after the first Black woman to earn a PhD from the University of Iowa."
"The move by Johnson County is just the latest in a surge of decisions to remove monuments or to rename longstanding institutions glorifying those complicit in racism or other forms of oppression. Earlier this week, the New York City Public Design Commission voted to remove a controversial statue of Theodore Roosevelt -- flanked by a Native American man on one side and an African man on the other -- from the entrance of the American Museum of Natural History.
And earlier this month, a Florida school board decided to rename six schools that were originally named after Confederate leaders."

It's a rewrite of history. Roosevelt was pivotal as President of the USA in ridding Europe from the Nazi regime and ending WWII. Now he's being portrayed as a racist or oppressor and his statutes are being removed.
To say Roosevelt was a racist or oppressor is ironic considering his WWII legacy.

[Hans]

It simply does not stop. Everything is racist now. The latest is "structural racism".
I am sure at some point they will have to tear down the Statue of Liberty and level the White House. Clearly those are racist under the "structural racism" tag.
I drive a white car, likely the last of it's kind, because I am sure that next will be "vehicle racism".

"The National Archives' task force on racism claimed in a little-noticed report to the U.S.’s top librarian that the Archives' own Rotunda – which houses the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights – is an example of "structural racism" and that the Founding Fathers and other White, historically impactful Americans are portrayed too positively.

The report categorized the National Archives' Rotunda as another example of "structural racism" as it "lauds wealthy White men in the nation's founding while marginalizing BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and other People of Color], women, and other communities."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nat...uctural-racism

How ironic that those who were directly involved in establishing the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights are considered racist. Those 3 documents were pivotal in ensuring any colonial racism or oppression would not be possible ever again, and all people could live free.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

And that there is the problem with the way society is thinking these days. We should learn to remember, so this will not happen again, and stop feeling like we somehow are associated with those actions and are responsible for what others have done in the past.
Rewriting history is a bad idea, and sadly enough that is what is slowly happening all around us.
It will end up causing us to forget, and it will happen again.

It does not take generations to fix, because there is nothing to fix. It's part of history and we all have to learn to move on, forward and keep history alive so we do not make the same mistakes again.

That is why Holocaust survivors insist on remembering and keeping the memories alive, rather than keeping a country somehow responsible for past events.

Hansy, it does take generations to fix. You can't have families ripped apart or treated the way they were and expect their offspring to not be affected especially with the amount of racism towards them still to this day. Most of this racism was passed down to them which is why we are in a cycle that will never be fixed. I have no solutions because it's such a complex issue.

I do agree with you about the erasing of history, I think it's a big mistake. Things like statues being toppled is such a waste of time and energy. Statues don't have to be a celebration of someone. We can look at them and say this is what they did right, this is what they did wrong and learn from that. Cancel culture is just the way of the world right now and I'm sure most people are annoyed by it and just aren't as vocal as the minority.

The problem too with all the different kinds of racism you pointed out is that it tried to paint everyone as a victim. Even people who are succeeding and happy in life have people saying, 'but you're a victim' and some people start believing it. Some people are victims but it shouldn't be an excuse to not try.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/...da-day-3906662

This article killed me.

“To be honest, we really hadn’t planned to do anything for Canada Day this year,” said White. “The things that we usually would plan to do don’t fit in with the pandemic requirements, especially with this last lockdown and last wave that we experienced.”

Then he throws this in LOL


"The uncovering of unmarked graves tied to Canada’s residential school system plays a factor as well."

It factored 0% into so just don't say it.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

https://www.sootoday.com/ontario-new...-mayor-3913567

More than 14,000 people signed a petition last year asking for the street to be renamed because its namesake, Henry Dundas, an 18th-century politician who played a key role in delaying Britain's abolition of the slave trade.

Thought you would like this Hans.

[Hans]

I saw that one yesterday. If you look up the history behind this you will notice he delayed it for a reason, with a 50/50 % split on if that was intentionally or made sense.
In the end, it's a street name.

[Hans]

Hansy, it does take generations to fix. You can't have families ripped apart or treated the way they were and expect their offspring to not be affected especially with the amount of racism towards them still to this day. Most of this racism was passed down to them which is why we are in a cycle that will never be fixed. I have no solutions because it's such a complex issue.

I do agree with you about the erasing of history, I think it's a big mistake. Things like statues being toppled is such a waste of time and energy. Statues don't have to be a celebration of someone. We can look at them and say this is what they did right, this is what they did wrong and learn from that. Cancel culture is just the way of the world right now and I'm sure most people are annoyed by it and just aren't as vocal as the minority.

The problem too with all the different kinds of racism you pointed out is that it tried to paint everyone as a victim. Even people who are succeeding and happy in life have people saying, 'but you're a victim' and some people start believing it. Some people are victims but it shouldn't be an excuse to not try.

It does not take generations to fix. Go interview 100 random natives and ask them to give you the year their great grandparents passed away.
For that matter, go view 100 non natives and ask them that same question.

I bet you most will not have a clue.
Why?

Because in reality nobody knows about their great grandparents. And that makes sense, because that's long time ago and people move forward.
People have to stop living in the past and move on.

If they truly want to fix it, they would rip up the treaties and move on. True warriors don't need treaties.

[Hans]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/they...l-perpetrators.

“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has put forward significant calls to action that will allow for a proper understanding of what happened, of documenting, of giving families opportunities to grieve to heal, and that is something we are supporting full heartedly,” said Trudeau.

Indigenous communities have also been asking for a formal apology from the Catholic Church, as the majority operator of the 139 residential schools in Canada.

"Chief Cadmus Delorme of the Cowessess First Nation said an apology from the Pope would bring peace to some of the mental and emotional suffering that’s been re-triggered over the last several weeks."


I don't understand why they need to keep playing the victim over and over again. It's 700. The question is, if 700 are missing and nowhere to be found, it's likely they passed away somehow.
I am sure they were all already mourned when they never returned many years ago. There's no need to mourn them all over again all these years later.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

It does not take generations to fix. Go interview 100 random natives and ask them to give you the year their great grandparents passed away.
For that matter, go view 100 non natives and ask them that same question.

I bet you most will not have a clue.
Why?

Because in reality nobody knows about their great grandparents. And that makes sense, because that's long time ago and people move forward.
People have to stop living in the past and move on.

If they truly want to fix it, they would rip up the treaties and move on. True warriors don't need treaties.

If you have a bunch of people taken away from their family on a reserve with third-world conditions, the chances of passing that lifestyle onto your kids will be high. It doesn't matter what you know about your grandparents. If you are racist, you're going to teach your kids to be racist whether by words or actions, and thats why it can take generations to fix. That's what I mean, not about knowing your grandparent's birthdate. We can do things to help that along or we can drag it out. Things such as education, clean water, medical can help break the cycle.

The thing is that sort of stuff creates resentment which I can see with you and that makes things even worse for everyone so it's a no-win situation.

[Hans]

How systemic racism in Northern Ontario may affect the economy.

“Racism exists everywhere, but I think in Northern Ontario, it’s easier to see because it’s harder to hide. The diversity just isn’t here like it is in southern Ontario or elsewhere,” said Hediyeh Karimian, co-founder of ULU and developer of an e-learning platform called The Woke Age Project.
The north needs a community-engaged model, she added, to make opportunities more accessible to newcomers and to educate individuals about their role in dismantling systemic racism.

Other barriers include access to culturally informed healthcare, mental health resources, childcare services and community supports like food banks.

BIPOC and immigrant workers also need supportive environments and employment that give them the chance to grow and progress in their roles.

“Microaggressions are probably far worse than overt, explicit forms of racism and discrimination that we face on a daily basis because it’s like a thousand cuts chipping away at your mental health, self-worth, and sense of belonging,” said Rimaz Abakar, an associate with Black Northern Consulting in Sault Ste. Marie.

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/...conomy-3922163

Being an immigrant to this country myself, these people do not know what they are talking about. Stop making it look like immigrants are helpless and are being discriminated against, because that is totally not true. It's the opposite, and they will often bring skills and knowledge to the table that makes them diverse and adaptive.

Also, making a statement that racism exists everywhere is just ridiculous. That is called generalizing, and that is dangerous. Thanks for calling the Soo a racist community I guess.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

I can't stand sociology.

Community-based models and woke projects.... no

[Hans]

Ethel Brooks, raised in a Romani community in New Hampshire, grew up with other kids telling her to stay away from "gypsy moths."

Brooks didn't understand the connection between her Romani community -- for which the word "gypsy" has been used as a pejorative -- and a destructive, invasive insect species that "poses a danger to North American forests."
In 2020, a complaint to the Entomological Society of America initiated efforts to stop use of the derogatory term. Last month, the society's governing board voted to remove "gypsy moth" and "gypsy ant" from a list of common names used to refer to insects.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/12/us/gy...rnd/index.html

Next on the agenda:

- Whitefish
- Black fly
- Asian longhorn beetle

Actually, this person had the gypsy moth figured out a while ago and keeps a spread sheet of racist insect and animal names: https://www.theblaze.com/news/insect...e-for-a-change
I figured somebody would already have done all the legwork on this most important task.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

Ethel Brooks, raised in a Romani community in New Hampshire, grew up with other kids telling her to stay away from "gypsy moths."

Brooks didn't understand the connection between her Romani community -- for which the word "gypsy" has been used as a pejorative -- and a destructive, invasive insect species that "poses a danger to North American forests."
In 2020, a complaint to the Entomological Society of America initiated efforts to stop use of the derogatory term. Last month, the society's governing board voted to remove "gypsy moth" and "gypsy ant" from a list of common names used to refer to insects.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/12/us/gy...rnd/index.html

Next on the agenda:

- Whitefish
- Black fly
- Asian longhorn beetle

Actually, this person had the gypsy moth figured out a while ago and keeps a spread sheet of racist insect and animal names: https://www.theblaze.com/news/insect...e-for-a-change
I figured somebody would already have done all the legwork on this most important task.

Imagine all the things you could do to make race relations better and this is what you choose, changing the name of bugs.

We know this isn't about racist bugs though, it's about canceling things just for the sake of canceling. It's like the brother who likes tattle on you. There is some sort of positive stimulus some people get from this behavior. Someone should look into it.

[Hans]

The scary part is that some of these people are scientists and other academic people. Makes you wonder how much money is wasted each year on these projects.

It just get's worse and worse: https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/c...ance-donations

Democratic legislators in New York are opposing plans to open Chick-fil-A restaurants at rest stops in the state, citing the fast-food chain’s past donations to groups accused of opposing same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A has often come under fire from liberals for donations to Christian groups accused of anti-LGBTQ views, such as the Salvation Army and Christian Athletes. The company announced a donation policy shift in 2019 to focus on initiatives assisting in "the areas of education, homelessness and hunger."

Donations to the Salvation Army are bad now. I guess you could make the argument that any donation to the Roman Catholic Church is also bad since they also oppose same sex marriage.
I can't believe legislators who are elected officials don't understand the Constitution they are supposed to uphold. Last time I checked it is full of freedoms, and you definitely can donate to whatever legal organization you want.

[Official Cat of Soonet]

The scary part is that some of these people are scientists and other academic people. Makes you wonder how much money is wasted each year on these projects.

It just get's worse and worse: https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/c...ance-donations

Democratic legislators in New York are opposing plans to open Chick-fil-A restaurants at rest stops in the state, citing the fast-food chain’s past donations to groups accused of opposing same-sex marriage.
Chick-fil-A has often come under fire from liberals for donations to Christian groups accused of anti-LGBTQ views, such as the Salvation Army and Christian Athletes. The company announced a donation policy shift in 2019 to focus on initiatives assisting in "the areas of education, homelessness and hunger."

Donations to the Salvation Army are bad now. I guess you could make the argument that any donation to the Roman Catholic Church is also bad since they also oppose same sex marriage.
I can't believe legislators who are elected officials don't understand the Constitution they are supposed to uphold. Last time I checked it is full of freedoms, and you definitely can donate to whatever legal organization you want.

I have an idea, let them open up the Chick-Fil-A's. If enough people don't go, they will have to close. If enough people go to stay operating, then maybe nobody actually cares who they donate to.