What do you think would happen if you gave a drug addict $10,000? How about $20,00 to a self-destructive alcoholic?
What about those people who have never had money in their lives, and suddenly win the lottery? We all know how quickly and destructively they blow through that cash (disclosure: It took me 18 months to run through the “blood money” I got when my dad died). They didn’t earn it, so it means nothing to them. Every day is a party, till the funds run out.
First Nations in the Yukon want to know how many deaths followed the arrival of compensation payments to former students of native residential schools.
Aboriginal leaders have noticed a higher than usual number of funerals in communities across the territory in recent months, even prompting one chief to organize a territory-wide prayer circle next week.
No one can say for sure how many of those deaths are attributable to the thousands of dollars in common experience payments going to former students and the social problems, from alcohol and drug abuse to suicide, that can arise from such payments, combined with their recollections of the residential school experience.
So the Council of Yukon First Nations says it will conduct its own count to get some firm numbers.
A prayer circle? Yup, that’ll do it. Beat a few drums and burn some sweetgrass, and surely there will never be another problem in the community again.
Of course I saw this coming. That’s why I lobbied my MP to take the compensation funds and redirect them into rehabilitative schooling programs that would help these people help themselves. Their self-destructive urges would have disappeared quickly once the targeted aboriginal population had been isolated and subjected to this intensive therapy in a calming residential setting. No one listened to me and look what happened!
People simply can’t fix their own problems — that’s why we have social workers and grief counselors.
Ta.
The Scold
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What I am waiting for now is the inevitable cry that it is all “The White Man’s” fault and that he should pay compensation for the harm he has done to the culture.
It is time to extract the public purse teat from the grasping maw of the “First Nations” and allow them to grow up and become contributing members of society. The more we coddle them, the more damage we do. Let’s allow them to advance to the point where they can become self-reliant. Let’s stop the racist policies of paying people financial support based solely on their skin colour and geneological background.
Only more activists can stop this, imagine people with no skills in money management, blowing it all regardless of their health it must be Harpers fault.
What can you do when people get money though.
It was interesting when I got my inheritance, I bought a garage and a van paid in full. So technically I improved my finances as long as my van keeps running, I need one anyway and the garage builds equity. My siblings put down payments on things they will whine in a year they cannot afford or paid off some loans they should never have had in the first place. Then within a couple years they will be back up there.
Which is funny I have a smaller income and fewer debts, I’ll retire first too and my assets are worth more too.
It’s not just that they didn’t earn that money they have never had to worry they can’t fix up their house because “they” don’t have a house, I guess they could buy a car but If they are an alcoholic that might not be the best move,…
Similarly, if I donate $100 to USO, how can I be sure it won’t end up in the wrong hands? Behold:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Army and Marine Corps let 861 convicted felons join their ranks in 2007, an 88 percent jump over the previous year that helped meet recruiting goals in wartime, according to data released on Monday [April 21].
Crabgrass – Both sides of the Civil War used convicts in the fight. Should we not have freed the slaves?
And money to the USO will give soldiers’ families comfort, and send packages and entertainment over to war zones. No needle exchange!
RG
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