I do admit to be utterly stunned by the horrific news of the mass grave – the genocide of at least 271 children ‘entrusted’ to the Roman Catholic Church for ‘education’. It is unfathomable – Definition of unfathomable: incapable of being fully explored or understood. Its suitable synonyms are: incomprehensible, enigmatic, incalculable, indecipherable, obscure, abstruse, puzzling, cryptic,, mystifying, baffling, secretive. ANTONYMS comprehensible, penetrable.
Not only are the atrocities of massive and unjustified murder of children baffling, mystifying, incalculable and incomprehensible but also the reactions (actually lack of reaction) of most of my ‘fellow’ Canadians. ‘Fellow” Canadians, as I was born in Canada and am a Canadian citizen. The horrors made even more reprehensible by the lack of anything resembling a humane reaction from the Roman Catholic Church – impenetrable and totally abstruse. I am speaking of all ranks of Canadian population – from the highest (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) to the lowest (the scum who perpetuate crimes and violence upon Indigenous women and girls).
What is an atrocity? It is an an extremely wicked or cruel act, typically one involving physical violence or injury. Synonyms are: act of barbarity, act of brutality, act of savagery, act of wickedness, cruelty, abomination, enormity, outrage, horror, monstrosity, obscenity, iniquity, violation, crime, transgression, wrong, wrongdoing, offense, injury, affront, scandal, injustice, abuse;.
I struggled internally trying to comprehend, to understand this act of barbarity, of savagery, of wickedness, this abomination. The sensible and caring people who surround me questioned
They: How could anyone do such a thing? How could it have been allowed to continue? And why is nothing being done on any level?
Me: I do not know!!! I am attempting to understand, on any level – looking to my extensive knowledge of psychology, human behavior, all religions, particularly my ‘new religion’ the Islamic faith and then threw in a little common sense to try to understand all of this. All religions would ‘explain’ this abomination and outrage by evoking the concept of evil finding that religions differ in what they teach about the origins of evil.
Some consider it to have been present in the world from the beginning as the work of evil forces.
Some believe it is part of God’s creation which may have a purpose that humans cannot understand.
Some consider it to be the outcome of ignorance and to have no beginning.
Most religions teach that moral evil should be opposed. Attempts should be made to minimize the impact of natural evil.
As to the Islamic faith most Muslims believe they have free will in the sense that they are responsible for everything they do in a particular situation. They must choose between right, using the guidance of Allah, and wrong. The Devil raises his ugly head in the case of wrong, tempting those of the faith to commit wrong. ‘Lazy’ Muslims, (as I call them) do not believe they have absolute free will, as Allah can intervene in their lives at any moment. The result of this lazy thinking is this – these folk do as they please but then discover on Judgment Day that they should have taken responsibility for their behavior and actions.
Most Muslims believe that suffering is caused by the selfishness and evil of human beings which leads to dreadful decisions, tragedy and death. Look at the on-going tragedy in Palestine as an example. Muslims do know that suffering can be overcome in both their lives and the lives of others by following Allah’s path. Conveniently, the path is laid out in the Qur’an and in the Sunnah. Tragically, the staff members, abusers and authorities of abused Aboriginal children were not of the Islamic faith but were instead of the Roman Catholic ‘faith’.
Came to the eventual conclusion that Evil was to blame for what took place in the Residential Schools in Canada but it is so difficult to look Evil in the eye. It is frightening and overwhelming, so Canadians have averted their eyes, not looked nor admitted to the force of Evil forces unfortunately that allows Evil to foster and to grow. That is exactly what happened and continues to prevail in Canada. Canadians are SO self righteous about the United States’ treatment of Blacks – but never acknowledge that their government has committed far worse atrocities – through Legislated Governmental Actions that caused the continued oppression of Indigenous peoples. It began with the first Prime Minister Sir John Alexander Macdonald GCB PC QC (1867–1873, 1878–1891) and continues until this day under the inept so-called leadership of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. You get this condensed version of Canadian history from Alexis McBride who was schooled in Canada prior to her move to the United States in 1967. However, the educational system of the day taught its students nothing about the wrongs perpetuated on those living in the vast country before the ‘settlers’ arrived. That was suppressed.
Canadians also deny that slavery existed within its borders, riding themselves for the rescue of slaves on the Freedom Train. I did not learn of slavery in Canada until my rapt attendance at a lecture at the British Museum while attending graduate school in London. In 2016. The saying:: Denial is not just a river in Egypt is most apt. Canadians deny and obfuscate consistently, constantly all through the years. The definition of obfuscate is render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Synonyms are obscure, confuse, make obscure/unclear, blur, muddle, jumble, complicate, garble, muddy, cloud, befog; muddy the waters, Canadians muddy the waters, muddle and make obscure. Obviously not all Canadians, but so, so many and for so, so many reasons. It is almost impossible to obtain press coverage of Canada in the United States and European countries. To make matters worse, there is no thorough investigative journalism except for the Globe and Mail – and even their coverage is tepid and spotty. Please do remember their refusal to publish the horrors of the Palestinian situation as annunciated in the blog of May 25, 2021.
It was necessary to read a New York Times article to learn the following: Geraldine Bob, a former student, told the commission that the staff members “would just start beating you and lose control and hurl you against the wall, throw you on the floor, kick you, punch you.”
That does answer, in some ways, the question posed by caring people.
They: Who would do such a thing to children? .
Me: I guess out of control staff members with no supervision or accountability – hired by sadists with no concern for the poor children.
I am angry, I am ashamed to be a Canadian. Two of the most admirable individuals in the world (as far as I am concerned) are Metis. Metis are peoples who are one half Indigenous and one half European. They get the advantages of neither. One individual is Jean Paul Langlois – an artist whose painting graces the wall of my California apartment. He also slaps paint on murals in fantastic fashion. I am promoting a mural to be painted upon the walls of my condo complex. I shall protect the privacy of the other individual admired so greatly. Her first name is Alicia, she attended University, became a lawyer and works for the Federal Government. A wonderful wife, mother and supportive of her entire extended family. She, of course, is proud of her heritage and does SO much work promoting the cause of her peoples. I am distantly related to her which why I was privileged to make her acquaintance. .
My other connection to the Residential Schools of Canada is most personal and shall be told at a later time on this blog. It is the story of a fine man and his wife. His name was Donald McBride, his wife Margaret McBride. They were saints, absolute saints. I was once married to their son – they treated all with incredible care and respect. Their son does not want his father’s story told, objecting to any mention on this blog. Well, too bad, so sad. It must be told. The son and I have been divorced for decades, but I retained his last name, which I love. Once laughingly said that I loved the name, more than the man. In those distant times a woman changed her last name by getting married. So I did. – it was my first marriage. When one becomes a Muslim your prior relationships are obviated – the word in the Qur’an – which means it did not take place at all. So at the ripe old age of 77 I became a Muslim Virgin. If I marry within the faith, it will be my first marriage. Unfortunately do not know any eligible Muslim men although there have been some prospects.
I do solemnly promise se to lighten up for a day or two. This blog is getting way too serious. Unfortunately for you, this Thursday I am scheduled to Zoom into a panel gathered by the Middle East Institute on “ Israeli Politics in the Post-Netanyahu Era”. So it is back to the atrocities committed in Palestine in a few days.
But my spirits remain upbeat as I am surrounded by the most wonderful people – all new friends and neighbors even though Marin County was my residence from 1973- 2014 – returning December 1, 2021.
Wise Man: Alexis, do not look back! You so skillfully live in the present – and your future looks so bright!
Me: Thank you! I owe so much of that to you!
Not everything in life is wonderful. The photograph was posted on Instagram with the following caption. “An utterly nonenforceable sign and rule in my condo complex. How in the world is anyone going to know if I have diarrhea in the last fourteen days??? Many more equally laughable ones to follow. Why have rules and signs that are unenforceable??” The other photo is my prized painting from Jean Paul Langlois who describes me as his favorite patron. So there! So There! So There!
