2010 Olympic Medals - You're Killing Me

The official medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics were unveiled today in Vancouver, featuring original West Coast aboriginal designs of an orca and a raven.

Here we go again.

More pandering to the fragile sensitivities of the aboriginals. Heaven forbid we grow a set and not conform. What a bunch of politically correct cowards.

First the mascots, then the hockey sweaters and now the medals. How much money has the native community given to these games? No wonder the rest of the world thinks we live in the 1800's. Believe it or not, there's a lot of beauty and culture in Canada besides the aboriginals...although they'd argue that I'm sure.

Also for the first time, the medals are not flat. Instead, they have an undulating surface intended to represent the West Coast landscape of mountains and waves and drifting snow.

I'm not saying we don't include the aboriginal people of Canada but going overboard just to keep them happy at the expense of everyone else is ridiculous but not surprising in the least.

I can hardly wait to see the Opening Ceremonies. I'm sure I'll be throwing a brick at my TV before it's hardly begun.

Canadian Olympic Hockey Logo Irritates Me

Why does it seem like everything related to any big event held in Canada has to pander to the First Nations People? Heaven forbid we upset the natives.

Once again we have to make special reference to the native people of Canada in relation to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The first item that really set me off was the design and names of the Olympic Mascots for the games. I wrote my feelings about that in a story called Are Olympic Mascots Canadian?

Now the Canadian Olympic Committee and First Nations people have found an ally in Hockey Canada. Yesterday the newly designed Men's and Women's Hockey and Paralympic Sledge Hockey jersey's were unveiled at a ceremony in Vancouver.

From a distance I think the new hockey jersey's look pretty good and somewhat traditional. I love the red and white, although I could do without the corporate Nike Swoosh logo on the front (I thought there wasn't supposed to be any corporate logos...that's why we had to change the sweaters in the first place).

Overall it is a simple design and people world wide identify Canada with the Maple Leaf.

What I don't like about the design is the artwork within the maple leaf crest. Sure it's creative and from a distance you won't be able to decipher it but even though it's a subtle addition, I think it speaks volumes to how the politically correct individuals running things felt the need to include the native people in the process...again.

In fact, native artist Debra Sparrow designed the art inside the crest. There is a thunderbird and an eagle, two symbols important in First Nation culture included in the design. Sparrow says, "It's designed from history that reflects our First Nations people." That's right...when I think of Canada and our National sport of Hockey, I immediately think of thunderbirds and eagles. I just shake my head in disbelief.

When is "MY Canada" going to be represented. I was born in Canada so doesn't that make me a native Canadian. Why isn't my culture represented? I'm surprised Hockey Canada didn't totally commit to the Native and Aboriginal theme and make the sweaters out of seal skin.

I'm not anti-native but it just seems every time we turn around we're going out of our way to cater to them and having Native art shoved down our throats. Visitors to our Olympic games are going to leave with the impression that we're all Natives and speak nothing but french. Yes, they are a part of our Canadian heritage and history but there's a lot more to Canada than the native people.

Hell, the dinosaurs were here before all of us, so maybe we should include a T-Rex in the Canadian logos and opening ceremonies.

I don't know, perhaps I'm especially bitter because I've had to deal with native protesters first hand in recent years and put up with their blockades and other bullsh&t. Any way, I can hardly wait to see the opening ceremonies. I'm sure I'll be gagging and moaning the whole way through it.

Ipperwash My Hands To Protesters

Yesterday all over the Canadian news was the story about the release of the study into the death of Native Canadian Dudley George at Ipperwash, Ontario in 1995.

As I understand it, the blame for the death has been squarely placed on the government of former Ontario premier Mike Harris, Ottawa and the OPP. Commissioner Sidney Linden found Harris did not order provincial police into Ipperwash Provincial Park to remove unarmed aboriginal protesters, but he could have "urged patience, rather than speed" at resolving the dispute.

"The federal government, the provincial government and the OPP must all assume some responsibility for decisions or failures that increased the risk of violence and make a tragic confrontation more likely," Linden said.

Ok, I can agree with that. Nobody ever likes to see people die needlessly and I am sure those involved in the shooting wish it had never happened. George, 38, was killed by a police sniper's bullet as Ontario Provincial Police moved in on the occupation by unarmed protesters at the park on the shores of Lake Huron on Sept. 6, 1995.

So if I understand the report correctly, the natives themselves are completely innocent. This balanced report puts 100% of the blame on the government and not one bit of responsibility on the natives. Ya, that sounds about as balanced as I expected. Just blame the government because they have big shoulders and this will keep the natives happy...until they decide to do something else.

Now before you start calling me a "racist" or "anti-native rights", I will be honest and admit I get upset when I see natives in Tyendinaga, Oka or Caledoina blocking roads, railroad tracks or bridges to prove a point and be noticed. But it's not the people who are doing it but the manner in which they are protesting.

I have nothing against the native people and have had several Mohawk friends. I also have nothing against public protests and am glad that we, as Canadians, have the right to protest any injustice in an organized and peaceful manner. However the problem is, most people will take their protests to the Ontario Legislature, Parliament Buildings, government office or a public building and picket on the lawn or sidewalk. They get their point across without disturbing the peace or others. We don't build large fires in the middle of a road and move big steel hydro towers or buses across the streets to inconvenience others in our own community.

If the natives, or anyone for that matter, feel they are being wronged, then by all means let your voices be heard. However, don't pull the stunts you have been by being a public nuisance, wasting taxpayers money and hurting industry. If you really want the support from those of us who might have a sympathetic ear, then don't go out of your way to piss us off.

When the natives throw up a blockade and go into "stand-off mode" it angers me. I think what angers me most is that they're allowed to get away with it. If that was me and a group of my neighbours erecting a roadblock of some kind, the cops would swoop in and arrest us immediately. But they can't do that with the natives because it would look bad politically and the natives would cry foul. Watching television coverage of past standoffs I was able to see many laws being broken by protesters yet I can say with all certainty that charges were never laid against them.

Going back to the Ipperwash situation, I am sorry that someone died but had the natives not put themselves in that situation in the first place and used diplomatic measures to try and achieve results, Mr. George never would have been shot. As long as situations like these are allowed to continue there will always be bad blood between natives and non- natives and there will remain the potential for more bloodshed when tensions rise and people feel threatened. They can release all of the studies they want but until both sides learn to use their heads instead of beating their chests, nothing will change.