EnMasse

[voice of the damned]

Dan Gardner of the Ottawa Citizen argues that the August 1st civic holiday should be re-named Emancipation Day, after August 1st 1837, the day slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.

[al-Qa'bong]

Well, "Emancipation Day" certainly addresses 21st-century white liberal politically-correct guilt, but wouldn't a name with more of a Canadian resonance, such as "Louis Riel Day," "Laura Secord Day" or "Paul Henderson Day" carry more emotional weight with Canadians?
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"The purpose of government is to protect the weak from the powerful" Hammurabi

"We can't all be Sam the Sham; some of us have to be Pharoahs" Larry, brother of Darrel, and his other brother Daryl

[al-Qa'bong]

What about "Decoration Day"?
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"The purpose of government is to protect the weak from the powerful" Hammurabi

"We can't all be Sam the Sham; some of us have to be Pharoahs" Larry, brother of Darrel, and his other brother Daryl

[voice of the damned]

[anne cameron]

Didn't it used to be "August bank holiday"?

[Rufus Polson]

I wouldn't mind a holiday from banks.

[al-Qa'bong]

Yeah, a holiday to celebrate being freed from banks; let's call it "Emancipation Day."
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"The purpose of government is to protect the weak from the powerful" Hammurabi

"We can't all be Sam the Sham; some of us have to be Pharoahs" Larry, brother of Darrel, and his other brother Daryl

[Tehanu]

[TS.]

In my first year law school course on contracts, we had a lecture on slavery contracts and looking at the history of slavery in Nova Scotia through contracts for the purchase and sale of slaves. I think for a lot of people it was a real eye-opener.
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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

[Timebandit]

And long after the slavery of people of colour had ended, Canada continued to import indentured child servants (a form of slavery) from the UK, paying about $2 a head through the federal Department of Agriculture to the various "charity" homes who "sheltered" them.

[voice of the damned]

CBC has a historical timeline of slavery in Canada.

And, while the CBC doesn't mention it(probably because it's not directly related to slavery in Canada), Canada's role in the US Civil War makes for interesting history.

[Slumberjack]

Visibility I believe should be the key motivator behind any such initiative to set aside a day of observance, or to rename an existing day of observance such as Victoria Day or the August Civic Holiday. The motivation should come from decedents of the historically affected people, who are in fact the very same affected communities today. It's quite clear that many Canadians are blissfully ignorant when it comes to the history of oppression in this country. The legacy of racially based ignorance and marginalization here in Nova Scotia for example is an unknown void to many people. The name Viola Desmond likely wouldn't register much beyond a blank stare in the consciousness of the average citizen in these parts.
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At its zero-level, ideology could thus be understood as a system of beliefs which enable us to sustain our position within liberal-democratic capitalism.

[Sibjyn]

We should maybe wait until there's true emancipation in the country before we pat ourselves on the back and declare a holiday in honour of our victory in the fight against racism and colonialism.

[The Evil Twin]

While I did originally think VOTD's idea was interesting, we have to consider the ideological worldview of the current government and how they may use such a day to score cheap political points. For those who think Harper wouldn't stoop so low, look what he has done with the term "anti-Semitism". Consider also his well documented (especially by the Globe's Simpson and Star's Siddiqui) attempts to attract certain ethnic and religious groups (Christian conservatives, Hindus, Jews, Chinese etc.) at the expense of others (Arabs, Pakistanis, Iranians, Turks - seeing a pattern here?). I'm pretty sure many of you (especially those of you familiar with the names Mark Steyn, Robert Spencer or Geert Wilders) can see where I'm going with this.

So let's say, Harper and co. proclaim an "Emancipation Day", what will they use it to do? Will it be:

1) Use it to discuss and educate on historical slavery in the Christian world directed at Africans, Native Americans (North and South), Australian and Tasmanian aboriginals. Will Harper and co. discuss Timebandit's point about the indentured servitude of white Europeans? What about thralls and serfs? Will Harper, Kenny and Baird discuss the disgusting human sex traffickers operating in Russia, Eastern Europe and Israel that often force women and children into the sex trade?

OR

2) Will Harper's crowd use this to bash Sudan, Mauritania, the Gulf Arabs and Pakistan (of course while ignoring that the type of indentured labour widespread in Pakistan is also practiced by Hindus in India and Buddhists in Sri Lanka)? I think anyone familiar with modern neo-conservative thought (an oxymoron I know) realizes what option Harper's team will use to score cheap points and exploit genuine tragedies.
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I can't support bike lanes. Roads are built for buses, cars, and trucks. My heart bleeds when someone gets killed, but it's their own fault at the end of the day. - Assclown Rob Ford

[bshmr]

A BBC Magazine piece mix of informative and opinion on an exhibit in Paris. I would like to see it here (world-wide tour).

Human zoos: When real people were exhibits
By Hugh Schofield BBC News, Paris; 27 December 2011 Last updated at 04:10 ET

[anne cameron]

Dr. Bernardo's "street arabs", and the "home children" were brought by the hundreds to Canada and placed with families, mainly farmers, to be a source of cheap labour. There are sadly many stories of kids sleeping in the hayloft of the barn, fed left-overs, beaten, treated miserably by these good Christian folk... sexual abuse was common, and if the girls got pregnant it was just more proof, if more was needed, of how sinful and "less than" they were.

But we don't deal with any part of it. There is SO much in this country we just don't deal with, as if pretending it never happened will undo the damage caused.

My New Years gift to all of you is that I will not cut loose with a rant against that son of a bun Harpoon who is turning this nation into an unrecognizeable mess.

Have a good Hagmenai, and lang may your lum reek wi' ither folks' coal...

[Timebandit]

Barnardos was the biggest and most prominent of the charities to bring over British Home Children, but the Anglican and catholic churches also had charities and there was Middlemore Homes and Quarriers (out of Scotland). I knew one BHC who sued Barnardos and was paid out, with a gag order included. I've always thought he should have included the government of Canada in the suit.

[6079_Smith_W]