General Urban Cambridge Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

I'm sorry, this whole thing is....painful.

What I suggest is that we all read the TRC report and implement that, it seems like a good start.

Off the top of my head, we should probably refrain from suggesting that this particular minority is "trampling" "our" will, given how consistently we have trampled their entire culture.

But I think you are missing the point on that topic. The will of the majority absolutely SHOULD have a back seat to the rights of that minority. It is not in how many people want something, there are basic human rights which should not be violated, which we have absolutely violated for years. The tyranny of the majority is a real and ever present threat. Hell, we see this daily, the "majority" drivers don't want to compromise their travel times so that cyclists and pedestrians can get around safely, although the situations are merely analogous, not even remotely similar in scope and scale of harm.

Maybe you should stop and listen to what ac3r, an actual indigenous person, h ad to say, instead of speaking from your position of white privilege on how minorities should be treated. 

Minority rights are important absolutely, it's why they are literally written into our bill of rights and freedoms which is entrenched in our constitution. My comments on minority vs majority protest had nothing to do with race and ethnicity you inferred that. I was just saying as a general principle when it extends beyond peaceful protest to civil disobedience I think the time thats most acceptable is when a large portion, not 1 or 2% of people, support whatever is being protested about. 

Also an oil pipeline that was approved by the elected leaders of indigenous reserves has nothing to do with basic human rights, since that's the specific example we have been discussing. 

Despite being white, I've actually had the experience of being a minority and have had people be extremely racist towards me growing up in Asia. I am still incredibly privileged and recognize that, and I am in no way saying I have had the experience of minorities that have been oppressed for hundreds and thousands of years, but I do have just a sliver of an idea as to what it's like. 

If these were easy problems to discuss and fix then they wouldnt still be problems. Yes we cant allow the majority to trample on the minority, but as ac3r said, having a minority rule can be equally as problematic. Until your willing to acknowledge this there's no point in even having a discussion.

Edit: also define what on earth constitutes to a minority cuz I guess if 3% of canadians support an authoritarian government the 97% who support democracy should have their wills take a back seat. Yay authoritarianism (yes that's an extreme but it's the natural end result of your logical line of thinking)

Your edit is ridiculous...you absolutely know that's not what I said, it is not the result of my logical line of thinking, and I don't appreicate you saying it is.

If 3% of the population want to vote for an authoritarian party, they have that right, and they do in fact exercise that right, as much as I disagree with it.

Choosing your government is a right, choosing the government for someone else is a will.