Cringing Realities
I am a proud Canadian. With good reason. This is a country that upholds human rights, not only in this great sprawling geography that is Canada, but a country that is also proud to stand upright in international forums to declare that we will not sit idly by without protest in the reality of other countries' dreadful abuses of their citizens.
Within Canada, we are safeguarded, individually and collectively by the assurance of our Constitution, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our independent judiciary, our press that hovers vigilant to report any instances of misadventure by government so we can all hold the scoundrels accountable.
This country, which recognizes the oneness of humankind, which guarantees freedom of expression, freedom to practise one's religion, ethology, gender orientation, is recognized internationally as a truly decent place to live. We celebrate equality for all, and live proudly with diversity of origins within our citizenry.
Where children are exposed to an excellent education system throughout the provinces, where medical conditions can be treated through the auspices of a universal health/medical strategy guaranteeing access to all, regardless of income. And where opportunities to seek employment, extended education, careers are all possible.
This is a country that welcomes prospective immigrants from all corners of the world. Canadians have learned to be open-minded and open-hearted about accepting other cultures, languages and traditions into their midst. We're far from perfect, in that there will always be a proportion of the population who balk at what they see as an invasion from abroad threatening the comfort of ethnic homogeneity; old-guard Canadians who chafe at changes.
And we haven't always been as welcoming as we contend we are, in recognizing professional capabilities and certification of immigrants, permitting them to pick up where they left off in their countries of origin, but we're working on it. We're so nice, we often give ourselves big hugs of contentment and self-congratulations. Yet, in some ways we're flaming hypocrites, and for this we should cringe in embarrassment.
One such example of our lack of responsibility as a nation is the active and ongoing attempts by this government to sell the utility of the use of asbestos abroad. While the use of asbestos in building and in consumer products is generally recognized as dangerous - for asbestos has been implicated as a human carcinogen - because asbestos is mined in Quebec, Canadian politicians at the federal level consent to assist the industry in establishing its presence and selling its wares in third-world countries.
Within Canada, large sums of money are expended in removing asbestos from public buildings, including within the confines of our own buildings of Parliament. When a home owner undertakes to place their home on the market the sales agent whom they employ asks a number of questions; most notably, whether there is any asbestos in the house. A feature, if it exists, which will prove to be inimical to the sale of the house, for no one would wish to live in a house where there will be exposure to the deadly effects of asbestos.
Asbestos workers have succumbed to asbestosis, a deadly condition affecting the lungs; a cruel and painful way to die. Yet Quebec remains anxious and determined to preserve its industry, and the federal government is complicit in permitting it to continue peddling its deadly product abroad. Insisting that the type of asbestos mined in Canada is of a type that is relatively innocuous, and as such is a useful material, not associated with health problems.
An outright lie. Asbestos promotion under the auspices of both the federal and the Quebec government continue unabated. This reprehensible practise damns this country for its determination to continue marketing this deadly scourge, exporting the potential for cancer and human misery to countries incautious enough to believe the lies we tell them.
So much for our vaunted commitment to moral values and standing up in the world as a force for good. Where is the moral responsibility, the justice in this government agreeing to drown our ethics in the backwash of Quebec's asbestos industry?
Within Canada, we are safeguarded, individually and collectively by the assurance of our Constitution, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our independent judiciary, our press that hovers vigilant to report any instances of misadventure by government so we can all hold the scoundrels accountable.
This country, which recognizes the oneness of humankind, which guarantees freedom of expression, freedom to practise one's religion, ethology, gender orientation, is recognized internationally as a truly decent place to live. We celebrate equality for all, and live proudly with diversity of origins within our citizenry.
Where children are exposed to an excellent education system throughout the provinces, where medical conditions can be treated through the auspices of a universal health/medical strategy guaranteeing access to all, regardless of income. And where opportunities to seek employment, extended education, careers are all possible.
This is a country that welcomes prospective immigrants from all corners of the world. Canadians have learned to be open-minded and open-hearted about accepting other cultures, languages and traditions into their midst. We're far from perfect, in that there will always be a proportion of the population who balk at what they see as an invasion from abroad threatening the comfort of ethnic homogeneity; old-guard Canadians who chafe at changes.
And we haven't always been as welcoming as we contend we are, in recognizing professional capabilities and certification of immigrants, permitting them to pick up where they left off in their countries of origin, but we're working on it. We're so nice, we often give ourselves big hugs of contentment and self-congratulations. Yet, in some ways we're flaming hypocrites, and for this we should cringe in embarrassment.
One such example of our lack of responsibility as a nation is the active and ongoing attempts by this government to sell the utility of the use of asbestos abroad. While the use of asbestos in building and in consumer products is generally recognized as dangerous - for asbestos has been implicated as a human carcinogen - because asbestos is mined in Quebec, Canadian politicians at the federal level consent to assist the industry in establishing its presence and selling its wares in third-world countries.
Within Canada, large sums of money are expended in removing asbestos from public buildings, including within the confines of our own buildings of Parliament. When a home owner undertakes to place their home on the market the sales agent whom they employ asks a number of questions; most notably, whether there is any asbestos in the house. A feature, if it exists, which will prove to be inimical to the sale of the house, for no one would wish to live in a house where there will be exposure to the deadly effects of asbestos.
Asbestos workers have succumbed to asbestosis, a deadly condition affecting the lungs; a cruel and painful way to die. Yet Quebec remains anxious and determined to preserve its industry, and the federal government is complicit in permitting it to continue peddling its deadly product abroad. Insisting that the type of asbestos mined in Canada is of a type that is relatively innocuous, and as such is a useful material, not associated with health problems.
An outright lie. Asbestos promotion under the auspices of both the federal and the Quebec government continue unabated. This reprehensible practise damns this country for its determination to continue marketing this deadly scourge, exporting the potential for cancer and human misery to countries incautious enough to believe the lies we tell them.
So much for our vaunted commitment to moral values and standing up in the world as a force for good. Where is the moral responsibility, the justice in this government agreeing to drown our ethics in the backwash of Quebec's asbestos industry?
Labels: Environment, Government of Canada, Politics of Convenience, Realities
posted by Pieface | 5:07 PM
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