armychick2009 said:
nd, congrats on sending your card back. I'm Algonquin, Mohawk and M'qMaq, but I will never accept a treaty card. Treaty cards essentially are a symbol (and proof) that you are a ward of the Crown and government property. But as I briefly hinted at in my first post, this isn't to cover that political side of things. I'm perfectly happy and content being a non-status aboriginal.
I'm sending it back because I don't want or need any breaks off the backs of taxpayers. Too often did I see households in Fort McMurray with one "native" bringing in over 350k-400k a year, and not paying taxes, and their kids getting free post-secondary education etc because somehow, taxpayers owed it to them. What's even worse is, there IS aboriginal people, their "brothers and sisters," that need that money, and rather than paying taxes that they can more than afford to pay, they're actually taking food off the tables of their "brothers and sisters." I'll have no part of that...
If I didn't want to be government property I wouldn't have joined the military...
But back to the discussion at hand:
You seem to be set on telling us how good of soldiers Aboriginals will make. I don't doubt this for a second, and apparently neither does anybody here. I would guess it's for much the same reason that Newfoundlanders traditionally do well at soldiering.
You've also mentioned countless times how much people have benefited from this program. I don't doubt that either, and I doubt anybody here does. OF COURSE they will benefit from the program. The question is, who couldn't benefit from it? And since there is no one that couldn't benefit from this, why should one group be offered it and not the other.
What I question, is the fairness, and obviously, since you're course mates all echoed my statements and questions, you (they) must realize that there IS an issue with the fairness of offering this to Aboriginals and only Aboriginals. THAT is where the whole debate started, and still I see nothing to support that it's fair to offer this to Aboriginals and not the many many other different demographics that you could justify offering this to if you're going to offer it to Aboriginals (or another demographic).
My opinion is simple. If you can't do it fairly, don't do it at all. Either find a new and creative way, or use the money for something else.
Loachmen: "Just because we cannot help/include all does not mean that we should not help/include some."
But it could be offered to all living poverty, and only awarded to the most competitive candidates within those parameters. That's fair
ER, ensures we get quality candidates, and is not "creating differences."
armychick2009: "Next, the problem with Indian Affairs paying the $1200. Well, then I wouldn't be allowed to go. Indian affairs only cares for status, treaty natives. I am not a status, treaty native. I'm *just* a non-status, meaning well... how much more clear can I get on that? Indian Affairs doesn't care about us, trust me. So, then the program only is available for those who are status and who may already have access to other programs that the non-status/Metis, etc. do not have access to."
This comment is so full of irony its unreal.
So you're upset because this is unfair, but how is this any different than the military offering it to only Aboriginals? I'm sure somewhere there's someone living in poverty saying the same things. "The military only cares about Aboriginals in poverty." What's different between an (Aboriginal in poverty vs anybody living in Poverty) and (Status Indian vs. Non-Status Indian)? None...
armychick2009: The DND does actually sort of have a program that recruits the smart people. It's called the RMC? Paid salary plus free education? Damn, why didn't I consider this years ago before I doled out $60 000 in education ($20K I managed to pay as I went)... (And yes, I know they have to give a minimum amount of years in exchange, but still they get paid a salary while I didn't... sounds like a bonus to me!)
ROTP is offered to *EVERYBODY* and is awarded based on how competitive of an applicant you are. It is FAIR and it is EARNED. So in that aspect it's VERY irrelevant from what we're talking about here.
However, whether it's a "bonus" or not is debatable. For me, since I was joining the military anyway, yes, it is a bonus.
For others, not so much:
A lot of my friends say to me that I've got it made because I'm getting paid to go to school and it's all free... Guess what, it ain't free. I usually tell them to "sign your life on the dotted line, and if you're good enough, you'll get the same 'bonus'" and they are quick to stop complaining.