And Women As They Are Essay, Research Paper

` ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Democracy

and its efforts to alter people are frequently merely a nice manner for the bulk

to suppress a minority, by trying to alter them? for their ain good. ? When

thought of this inquiry, bad illustrations of efforts by a democracy to alter

and or change its citizens, or dependents frequently come to mind. The residential

school system in Canada was a manner for the Canadian authorities to seek to softly

transform and change the Native section of the Canadian population. Community

based theories in doctrine are theories that frequently about overthrowing the will

of the person, and single freedom of pick to the will of the bulk

in the involvements of a society, in that it is desired that everyone follow the

value norms of the bulk. When a democracy engages in efforts to transform

or change another group, it is frequently because the? Will of All? [ 1 ]

seeks to convey diverting members of society into line with the? Will of All. ?

It is for these and other grounds, that democracy should lodge to merely being an

exercising of the voice of All people, and non try to change or

transform its components. ? ? ? ? The

foremost and possibly most affecting illustration of a democracy? s effort to alter and

alter its components for the better can be found right here in Canadian

history, and you merely necessitate to travel back approximately five old ages to happen it. ? From the 1880s until 1996, when the last

school closed, about 100,000 native kids attended 100 or so residential

schools run by the chief Christian churches all over Canada. ? [ 2 ]

In the get downing the Canadian authorities set out to turn Native kids into

? productive and civilised? members of society. ? The schools & # 8217 ; aim

( originally, at least ) was to transform these “ barbarians ” into

“ civilized ” , productive citizens. ? [ 3 ]

While at first hearing this, one may presume that it is a baronial desire for a

authorities to want that all of its components be? productive and civilised?

anyone who is familiar with the history of the residential school system, and

the maltreatment of Native kids in that system, will hold less so positive

ideas towards the impression that Residential Schools were anything but barbarian

and barbaric in their intervention of Native kids. ? Children were taken from

their households and confined in remote establishments where they were ill fed

and clothed, indifferently taught, forced to work long hours and whipped if

they spoke their native languages. ? [ 4 ]

The consequences from these efforts to? transform and alter? Native kids for

their ain good, have caused no deficit of jobs for Native grownups

? graduated? from these residential schools, the Canadian authorities that funded

them, and least of all the churches that ran them. Native people are covering

with the radioactive dust from being? civilised? by these schools and it has left a grade

long and deep on the Native community. ? A batch of jobs that Native people

hold today came out of Residential School ; psychological jobs. And we

passed our jobs on to our kids? [ 5 ]

Natives have besides been working to reconstruct and reconstruct their civilization,

traditions, individualities and communities since the coming of residential schools

into their lives. ? ? There was besides an

onslaught on our civilization and individuality through the content taught in school and

the manner it was taught. ? [ 6 ]

The radioactive dust has besides been bad for the Canadian authorities, coercing them to

publish a public apology, something authoritiess ne’er like to make as it involves

taking duty for their actions and the consequences of those actions. ? To

those who suffered maltreatment? and who have carried this load believing that in

some manner they must be responsible, we wish to underscore that what you

experienced was non your mistake and should ne’er hold happened. To those of you

who suffered this calamity of residential schools, we are profoundly regretful? [ 7 ]

The churches being the 1s who ran the schools and administrations straight

responsible for many of the unfairnesss that were inflicted, are besides enduring

major effects from their effort to? educate the savages. ? ? ? The national office of the Anglican church,

which had overall charge of its schools, expects that legal costs will besides

ruin it some clip following twelvemonth. The Roman Catholic Church foresees the same

destiny for several of its spiritual orders, which ran about 60 % of the schools in

the system. ? [ 8 ] This chapter

in Canadian history is an first-class reminder as to what happens when a

democracy efforts to? transform and alter? people for their ain good, the

effects are frequently contrary to the end that was held in the first topographic point, and

contribute, in many instances to farther societal jobs. ? ? ? ? There is another illustration to be had in

scrutiny of an article rooted in moral doctrine. While moral doctrine

may look removed from this inquiry as it does non even fall under the pretense of

political scientific discipline, the inquiry of whether or non a democracy should seek to

? transform and alter? its people is in fact a moral inquiry. Community based

theories stress the importance of societal norms and traditions of the good.

These same societal norms and traditions are frequently what a democracy will seek to

instil, or change its curie

tizens excessively so that they enshrine the norms and

traditions of the general society as their ain. ? Some community based theoreticians

bend to traditional beginnings to joint the content of societal norms and the

form of relationships endorsed by the community. Others stress a committedness by

the society to prosecute the common good instead so a government of wholly private,

single choices. ? [ 9 ]

These same community based theoreticians are frequently the 1s who believe that a

democracy should non seek to let or allow any relationship that is based on

the feeling that an person has the right to take their ain way or manner

of life, within a free democracy. ? Where contract based theories would press

freedom for persons to encompass their ain values under a province impersonal about

all values except single? s freedom to contract, community based theories

respect it as neither possible nor desirable? that the province should forbear from

coercive public opinions about what constitutes the good life for

persons? . ? [ 10 ] The

important characteristics of this corporate community based theory that one should

choice out are the footings ; coercive, public judgements ( corporate? democratic?

opinions ) , and single freedom. Within the kingdom of the community based

theoretician, whose desire for corporate determinations of the community to impost the

proper values upon members of that wish to exert their single freedom to

do as they please, the desire to enforce one? s ain positions upon another is readily

apparent. ? ? ? ? To convey this illustration into the footings and

conditions of the present universe and present inquiries of relevancy in our

democratic society let us see the inquiry of same sex matrimonies and how

the community based theoretician would see the provinces need to step in and be a

portion of the argument, for the good of continuing the values, norms, and traditions

of society. ? Because there is great societal value in continuing the household as an

establishment? framed within a skyline of intergenerationality, ? a restrictive

ideal of sexual and intimate dealingss is desirable. ? [ 11 ]

This mindedness of the advocators of community based theory, or the function of the

province in forming and upholding moral norms in the name of the good of society,

can to be an extent viewed in the same visible radiation as the old place of

society on Native peoples, Native peoples beliefs and values did non conform to

the ideals of general society and should be changed to suit with society, so excessively

should the ideals and norms of non traditional relationships. It is for this

ground that community based theoreticians? have to face deep divisions about

policy picks and the values implicated by them. ? [ 12 ]

What frequently consequences nevertheless is a instance in which? community-based theoreticians

proceed alternatively with the position that one manner of life is to be preferred or some

are to be disfavoured. Not merely does this position run counter to the autonomy and

tolerance normally advocated in pluralist societies, it besides invites potentially

irresolvable and intense struggles about what should and should non be

preferred. ? [ 13 ] ? ? ? ? We now return to the original averment

that? democracy should ever seek to go forth work forces and adult females as they are instead

so effort to alter or transform them. This averment is the best averment

as a society that seeks to change and transform its citizens is frequently running

policies that run counter to the principals of single freedom, one of the

base pillars of democracy itself. While it is possible that citizens will be

changed for the better by engagement in democracy, and that this will in

fact alter and transform them, it will be out of a citizen? s ain pick and

misdemeanor to make so. When a democracy attempts to model and determine groups within

its ain people, frequently times against the will the group being changed the

democracy knocks out its ain foundation. The cardinal principal of democracy

is the free pick of a elector to do his or her ain determination. When a democracy

attempts to alter a citizen against his or her ain will that determination is taken

off from the group, or minority in inquiry, and freedom is lost. Bibliography & A ; References Anonymous. ? The Americas: Tales out of school. ? The

Economist. London. Oct 28, 2000. Vol. 357. Issue. 8194Carmichael, Pocklington, Pyrcz. ? Democracy, Rights,

and Well-Being in Canada. ? Harcourt Canada Ltd. Toronto. Canada. 2000.Kondro,

Wayne. ? Canada apologises to native people who suffered maltreatment? The Lancet.

London. Jan 17, 1998. Vol. 351. Issue: 9097Hookimaw-Witt, J. ?

? Any alterations since residential school? ? Canadian Journal of Native

Education. Edmonton. 1998. Vol. 22. Issue: ?

2Hookimaw-Witt, J. ? Keenabonanoh Keemoshominook

Kaeshe Peemishishik Odaskiwakh [ We stand on the Gravess of our ascendants ] . ?

Native Interpretations of Treaty # 9. Trent University. Kells & A ; Associates.

( 1995 ) .Minow, Martha, & A ; Lyndon, Shanley. ? Relational

Rights and Duties: Revisioning 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. [ 10 ] Ibid. [ 11 ] Ibid. [ 12 ] Ibid. [ 13 ] Ibid.