Whats wrong with wearing a bullseye?

On the news today there was an article about racial profiling and why it is wrong. Well let me tell you, if I find a half eaten chicken in my henhouse I am not going to question our budgie, I'm going looking for the dog. Now I don't see anything wrong by going looking for the dog because I know there's a higher level of probably he's the one doing the Colonel Saunders with an apron impersonation than the chickens first cousin budgie Bob.

And sorry, but if I'm getting on an airplane I'm going to check out anyone speaking Arabic and carrying a copy of the Koran clutched to his chest a little bit closer than the Granny settling in across the aisle. And you know what, I think thats reasonable. I don't think we should be applying comprehensive generalities to identifiable groups of people, but what the hell, lets use some common sense and discrimination in looking for suspects.



But I can appreciate it when someone feels they are being discriminated against because of their colour or nationality and I know it can do damage, but on the other hand some people revel in perceived slights and persecutions, they can use it as the "big excuse" for every failure in their fucked up lives. Its a great way to put the blame on society. I think the guy who just killed those 4 mounties fit right in there.

My dear old grandmother, who was an amazing woman, as an academic, musician and person once gave me some advice. I remember her saying to me "Jim you have to understand, the French are unable to govern themselves", now thats quite a statement and if I took it at face value I'd have quite a perception of the French. She told me as well, "never turn your back on a Russian, don't trust the Dutch, and the Germans like everything in order." It was said with the confident air of "everyone knows these things". She also passed words of wisdom on most other Europeans but I can't seem to recall them. But you know I have found that its a better policy to take people as you find them, the unfortunate is that some groups are found exactly as they are generally described.

But no less a person than James A. Michener once wrote "the Spanish are a strange people, they are the only race where a mans mistress is probably uglier than his wife". It must have been from an obscure essay as I don't recall any womens lib movement to string him up, and it was either accepted as fact in Spain or unreported because he visited the country many times and left with his testicles intact on each occaision. Maybe he's right maybe he's wrong.

But I think in the wave of political correctness the biggest discrimination I see is the reverse profiling done when someone makes what is a statement based on their observations, but have it twisted to become a racially derogative statement that was made and designed to hurt.

I grew up in Saskatchewan and in an area where there was a huge native population, now you can make a lot of general statements about Indians that would get you into hot water in the racial profiling arena. These would probably involve drink, work, promiscuity and even if you had observed behaviour over a long period of time you'de be setting of a bomb under your chair if you made these observations public.

One of the interesting passtimes we used do in the summer was go into Battleford about 10 o'clock on Saturday night to watch the Indians get arrested. And why were they getting arrested you ask, well because they get out of order when they drink. You could count on it, there'd be fights and fornication and guys pissing against your car, trust me the Indians wouldn't let you down. But I think it would be best nowadays for you to say "think I'll go into town and see if anythings happening"

Thats about as positive a statement as "the French can't govern themselves", now I don't know about the French, but I do know about Indians and know lots of them, they definitely get out of order when they get drunk, great people when they're sober but they go "Indian" when they're drunk, whoops there I go again. And if they want me to think differently it would be easy behave differently, but maybe thats to simple, but Michael was right when he said " if you want to be thin, stop fucking eating".

I also got some profiling from my Grandfathers, my grandfather MacKenzie once told me "Jimmy, never trust a Campbell and my grandfather Kinnee came out with "those MacKenzies, always looking around to see who they can do next."

I suppose that every statement I have made or retold was based on some personal experiences or observations, but in todays climate anything you say about the characteristics of any identified group of people is seen to be racist and once said you can't defend it. I'd say its the worst kind of discrimination and cuts right to the heart of freedom of speech. Even if its based on fact. So now we can't say the Japanese are short, that black people don't excel at swimming, that the Scotch are thrifty, the Irish have trouble with alcohol, that South Sea Islanders are laid back, that Jehovah Witnesses are intense, satanists evil, and lawyers - well if you make a general statement about them they'll take you to court. Which incidentally a lawyer in new York recently did to a man who was telling lawyer jokes outside the courtroom. So maybe its best to never say anything about anybody.

Theres a big difference about saying something for the expressed purpose to hurt somone and making a statement based on an interpretation of observations and facts. Now if you want to explore an example in detail look up the essay written by University of Colorado Professor Ward Churchill in which he uses the phrase "little Eichmanns" when referring to some of those killed in the 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Centres. Don't get me wrong I am not going to endorse what he said, but after reading the essay I could understand why he reasoned his way to including that statement. But as a result he will probably be tarred and feathered, lose his tenure, have his reputation left in tatters for simply making a statement that could be backed up by his observations and reasoning. When really all he was guilty of was, (and my kids all know whats coming next) "poor judgement"

My wife has often said that I'm just like my family and when she says it you can bet its not reflecting on our good looks, honesty, wisdom or charity but I guess its how she sees me. I might not agree with it but theres no law I'm aware of that states we all have to think alike.

But then I have noticed sometimes when I am looking in the mirror its my father and grandfather looking back.