NOT SORRY: Why Don’t We All Just Leave?

“Something is deeply broken, not only in the community, but in how we allow business to operate as usual,” says writer Joseph Boyden

“Something is deeply broken, not only in the community, but in how we allow business to operate as usual,” says writer Joseph Boyden.

The community of Attawapiskat is in the news — again — as it faces a mental health crisis with 11 suicide attempts in a single day. In response, Parliament held an emergency debate to answer the question, what can we do? (Prime Minister Justin “prix fixe menu” Trudeau was at a fancy dinner.) Attawapiskat youth: here are some things you could do!

Within days, it was back to business as usual. Jean Chrétien was probably visiting his fluorescent portrait on the Hill when he accidentally said some colonialist sentiments into a microphone and cameras. For the people in the cheap seats, Christie Blatchford repeated the idea: why do you people live where we can’t see you? Indigenous people are so patient; the rest of Canada is like a hotel guest who won’t pay or leave but has the audacity to write a scathing one-star review on TripAdvisor.

The government has promised to revoke the permits to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia if the Kingdom does anything bad with them. They’ve made sure to sign off on the permits first just so they can keep this promise. You can’t let people down if you don’t build them up first. The government argues the deal is not only good for the economy, but that the “jeeps” will bring diversity and gender equality to Saudi Arabia. Light-armored vehicles do bring a softer feminine touch to human right violations.

Just a thought: I know they’re attached to the land — must remind them of a time when they were fishermen — but the solution might be for Newfoundlanders to move to a less remote province where they can pay lower taxes. Despite being a trained lawyer, Supriya Dwivedi doesn’t know how to evade her taxes. Maybe another lawyer can tell us how to evade the RCMP’s unconfirmed spying on all of us. If the Panama Papers have taught us anything, surely it’s that lawyers can get plates for much less than five hundred dollars.

Son of Métis man arrives late to court to find out he’s changed history. Son of Toronto, god among men, Drake among mallards, sells “glamour-swagger-soul” whiskey to terrified fans. Son of Pierre and country’s current top Trudeau, sends thank you note for hand-knit socks and makes mother proud. Son of Rich Chinese Businessman, known to police, inspires pity and compassion when he reveals he has to share his Lamborghini. Son of White Man given improbable platform; sun continues to rise in east, set in west.

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Not Sorry is written by Vicky Mochama who is announcing her run for the NDP leadership. Gonna stay reasonable and call it the Step Manifesto. To stop her, support CANADALAND via Patreon. Subscribe. @ Us.

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