Native Children For Their Own Good example essay topic

' Democracy and its attempts to change people are often simply a nice way for the majority to oppress a minority, by attempting to change them for their own good. When thinking of this question, bad examples of attempts by a democracy to change and or alter its citizens, or dependants often come to mind. The residential school system in Canada was a way for the Canadian government to try to quietly transform and alter the Native segment of the Canadian population. Community based theories in philosophy are theories that often about subverting the will of the individual, and individual freedom of choice to the will of the majority in the interests of a society, in that it is desired that everyone follow the value norms of the majority. When a democracy engages in attempts to transform or alter another group, it is often because the Will of All [1] seeks to bring deviating members of society into line with the Will of All. It is for these and other reasons, that democracy should stick to just being an exercise of the voice of All people, and not attempt to alter or transform its constituents.

The first and perhaps most poignant example of a democracy attempt to change and alter its constituents for the better can be found right here in Canadian history, and you only need to go back about five years to find it. From the 1880's until 1996, when the last school closed, about 100,000 native children attended 100 or so residential schools run by the main Christian churches all over Canada. [2] In the beginning the Canadian government set out to turn Native children into productive and civilised members of society. The schools' purpose (originally, at least) was to transform these "savages" into "civilised", productive citizens. [3] While at first hearing this, one may assume that it is a noble desire for a government to desire that all of its constituents be productive and civilised anyone who is familiar with the history of the residential school system, and the abuse of Native children in that system, will have less then positive thoughts towards the notion that Residential Schools were anything but uncivilised and barbaric in their treatment of Native children. Children were taken from their families and confined in remote institutions where they were poorly fed and clothed, indifferently taught, forced to work long hours and whipped if they spoke their native languages.

[4] The results from these attempts to transform and alter Native children for their own good, have caused no shortage of problems for Native adults graduated from these residential schools, the Canadian government that funded them, and least of all the churches that ran them. Native people are dealing with the fallout from being civilised by these schools and it has left a mark long and deep on the Native community. A lot of problems that Native people have today came out of Residential School; psychological problems. And we passed our problems on to our children [5] Natives have also been working to rebuild and restore their culture, traditions, identities and communities since the advent of residential schools into their lives. There was also an onslaught on our culture and identity through the content taught in school and the way it was taught. [6] The fallout has also been bad for the Canadian government, forcing them to issue a public apology, something governments never like to do as it involves taking responsibility for their actions and the results of those actions.

To those who suffered abuse and who have carried this burden believing that in some way they must be responsible, we wish to emphasise that what you experienced was not your fault and should never have happened. To those of you who suffered this tragedy of residential schools, we are deeply sorry [7] The churches being the ones who ran the schools and organisations directly responsible for many of the injustices that were inflicted, are also suffering major consequences from their attempt to civilize the savages. The national office of the Anglican church, which had overall charge of its schools, expects that legal costs will also bankrupt it some time next year. The Roman Catholic Church foresees the same fate for several of its religious orders, which ran about 60% of the schools in the system. [8] This chapter in Canadian history is an excellent reminder as to what happens when a democracy attempts to transform and alter people for their own good, the effects are often contrary to the goal that was held in the first place, and contribute, in many cases to further social problems.

There is another example to be had in examination of an article rooted in moral philosophy. While moral philosophy may seem removed from this question as it does not even fall under the guise of political science, the question of whether or not a democracy should seek to transform and alter its people is in fact a moral question. Community based theories stress the importance of social norms and traditions of the good. These same social norms and traditions are often what a democracy will seek to instil, or alter its citizens too so that they enshrine the norms and traditions of the general society as their own.

Some community based theorists turn to traditional sources to articulate the content of social norms and the shape of relationships endorsed by the community. Others stress a commitment by the society to pursue the common good rather then a regime of entirely private, individual choices. [9] These same community based theorists are often the ones who believe that a democracy should not seek to allow or permit any relationship that is based on the feeling that an individual has the right to choose their own path or mode of living, within a free democracy. Where contract based theories would urge freedom for individuals to embrace their own values under a state neutral about all values except individuals freedom to contract, community based theories regard it as neither possible nor desirable that the state should refrain from coercive public judgements about what constitutes the good life for individuals. [10] The significant features of this collective community based theory that one should pick out are the terms; coercive, public judgments (collective democratic judgements), and individual freedom. Within the realm of the community based theorist, whose desire for collective decisions of the community to impost the proper values upon members of that wish to exercise their individual freedom to do as they please, the desire to impose ones own views upon another is readily apparent.

To bring this example into the terms and conditions of the present world and present questions of relevance in our democratic society let us consider the question of same sex marriages and how the community based theorist would view the states need to step in and be a part of the debate, for the good of upholding the values, norms, and traditions of society. Because there is great social value in preserving the family as an institution framed within a horizon of intergenerational ity, a restrictive ideal of sexual and intimate relations is desirable. [11] This mindedness of the advocates of community based theory, or the role of the state in forming and upholding moral norms in the name of the good of society, can to be an extent viewed in the same light as the previous position of society on Native peoples, Native peoples beliefs and values did not conform to the ideals of general society and should be changed to fit with society, so too should the ideals and norms of non traditional relationships. It is for this reason that community based theorists have to confront deep divisions about policy choices and the values implicated by them. [12] What often results however is a case in which community-based theorists proceed instead with the view that one way of life is to be preferred or some are to be disfavour ed.

Not only does this view run counter to the liberty and tolerance usually advocated in pluralist societies, it also invites potentially irresolvable and intense conflicts about what should and should not be preferred. [13] We now return to the original assertion that democracy should always seek to leave men and women as they are rather then attempt to alter or transform them. This assertion is the best assertion as a society that seeks to alter and transform its citizens is often running policies that run counter to the principals of individual freedom, one of the base pillars of democracy itself. While it is possible that citizens will be changed for the better by participation in democracy, and that this will in fact alter and transform them, it will be out of a citizens own choice and violation to do so. When a democracy attempts to mould and shape groups within its own citizenry, often times against the will the group being changed the democracy knocks out its own foundation. The fundamental principal of democracy is the free choice of a voter to make his or her own decision.

When a democracy tries to change a citizen against his or her own will that decision is taken away from the group, or minority in question, and freedom is lost. Bibliography &

Bibliography

Anonymous. The Americas: Tales out of school. The Economist. London. Oct 28, 2000.
Vol. 357. Issue. 8194 Carmichael, Pocklington, Pyr cz. Democracy, Rights, and Well-Being in Canada. Harcourt Canada Ltd. Toronto. Canada. 2000.
Kondro, Wayne. Canada apologises to native people who suffered abuse The Lancet. London. Jan 17, 1998.
Vol. 351. Issue: 9097 Hookimaw-Witt, J. Any changes since residential school Canadian Journal of Native Education. Edmonton. 1998.
Vol. 22. Issue: 2 Hookimaw-Witt, J. Keenabonanoh Keemoshominook Kae she Peemishishik Odaskiwakh [We stand on the graves of our ancestors]. Native Interpretations of Treaty #9. Trent University. Kells & Associates. (1995).
Minow, Martha, & Lyndon, Shanley. Relational Rights and Responsibilities: Re visioning the Family in Liberal Political Theory and Law. Hypatia. 1996.
Vol. 11. Issue. 1. [1] Carmichael et all. 2000.
2] Anonymous. 2000.
3] Ibid. [4] Ibid. [5] Hookimaw-Witt, 1998.
6] Anonymous. 2000.
7] Kondro. 1998.
8] Anonymous. 2000.
9] Minow. 1996.