This is a not an apology. It is avoidance and dishonesty. The cartoon clearly equate The Songhees and Equimalt First Nations with trees, wildlife, and bugs. It suggests the territorial acknowledgement, the subject of the piece, to be as much of a waste of time as the other three by the passing of time on the clock. It positions Indigenous peoples as impediments to progress. And those are just the facts of the cartoon. Then there is the fact of its publication and the implications of that. It is clear that the Times Colonist approves of this cartoon. It has published many other racist, anti-Indigenous articles in the past. This cartoon is a subtle reminder of who is in power. It is also part of the backlash against the recently elected mayor and five councilors who refused to swear allegiance to the queen. One reason given by the mayor and other members for their refusal was the unceded status of the territory here and how they want to proceed with the relationship with the local Nations. This cartoon is an extension of that conflict. It is saying their position on this issue is as much of waste of time and an impediment to progress as the First Nations people referenced. Two more things. One, I am an expert in is the detection of insincerity. I know when I am being lied to. I am very experienced with manipulative people who are clever enough to give their hurtful actions and words more than one possible meaning or intent, and then hide behind their chosen and always innocent explanation while passing the blame to you for perceiving it this way. It can be simplified to Im sorry you feel that way. It can be maddening to sit there and demand acknowledgment from people like this. They revel in their adolescent ability to manipulate and get away with anything because they put everything into the context of your word against mine. This is the refuge of scoundrels and liars who will never mature into responsibility for their actions and behaviour. Two, the behaviour I have just described is the wink wink nudge nudge language of waspy bigotry and they all know it. It is most common in old white men who never have to become responsible for their actions because of their position of privilege in the social hierarchy. And they know we know. That is why this apology is just another insult in an attempt to add to the intended injury. They also know they are above us in the hierarchy, and will not be held to account in any way that they actually stand to lose from. The only up side to this is that these types of people have had their day. Their way of being in the world, and in fact their beings themselves have become irrelevant, and the only reason they are still tolerated is because they own newspapers, governments, oil companies, armies, police, etc. But their time to be held to account approaches, and they will have to answer for themselves. And they know it, which is why they lash out like this. Its pathetic, and I can see right through it.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:40:24 +0000
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