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'Cultural genocide'

Like many Canadians, I am pleased to see the Chief Justice speaking out strongly about the prolonged – some would say ongoing – attempt to transform this nation's indigenous people into something other than what they were before the arrival of European colonizers (McLachlin: A History Of 'Cultural Genocide' – May 29).

But her deliberate use of the term "cultural genocide" is ill-advised. Although labelling this part of Canada's history as "genocide" – even with the modifying word "cultural" – helps emphasize the sweep and destructive effects of non-aboriginal attempts to "solve the Indian problem," employing the term to describe any serious attack on a particular group broadens its application, and there is a danger that, like other once-powerful words debased by ill-considered usage, the term "genocide" will lose its power to horrify and produce revulsion.

While an objective examination of how Canada's indigenous people have been treated over the past 300 years certainly reveals self-serving, callous chapters in that history, one also finds well-intended policies and actions aimed at preventing the total destruction of those people. And the most concerted attempts to eliminate aboriginal culture were made before the importance of traditional culture for a community's survival were recognized.

That such a mixed history should be equated in common parlance with the language of the Holocaust – the horrific reason for that 1948 UN Resolution – reveals a failure of deep thought.

Mark DeWolf, Halifax

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The Chief Justice was making an important comment on Canada's history, but she was not accusing Canada of a crime under international law. That her metaphor led to an examination of the law on genocide in the article wrongly implied otherwise and did her a disservice.

Zoltan Ambrus, Toronto

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Good for the Chief Justice for speaking the truth about Canadian history. My only critique would be when she states "at the time of colonization." I hadn't realized that period had ended.

Marc Spooner, Regina

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Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin's comment that residential schools perpetrated "cultural genocide" is hyperbole and one-sided.

John A. Macdonald's phrase "take the Indian out of the child" had more to do with teaching the child our ways so that the child could advance in modern society, I suggest, than it did with "cultural genocide" as claimed by the Chief Justice. There was nothing to prevent the parents of the child from teaching Indian traditions and language when the child had holidays or graduated from school. Certainly many immigrant groups in Canada have done just that, and were grateful that their children received a free education in Canadian schools.

Brian Purdy, Calgary

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"Genocide" is a powerful word, one to be used only when speaking truth to power. In this case, the power is ours, through our government, to work together with aboriginals to correct the horrendous conditions so often still found on reserves.

It is to our great shame that these conditions persist – and that we tolerate a government that refuses even to call an inquiry into the fate of 1,200 missing and murdered aboriginal women.

"Cultural genocide" indeed.

Jemma Saunders, Winnipeg

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Males: a theory

Here we go again, bashing men.

If it isn't the otherwise eminently clear-headed Margaret Wente giving us "male idiot theory" (Why Men Behave Badly – May 23), it's Leah McLaren writing about the idea that men have an "essential biological mandate to dominate and destroy" (My Son Loves Zombies, So We Roll With It – May 29). What?

How about the innate male biological drive to protect women and children (as some of them actually do)?

How about "male idiot theory" having less to do with stupidity and more to do with an adventurousness that has advanced the human race in manifold ways?

Could we please start sending the pendulum back to centre?

Catherine Sinclair, Thornbury, Ont.

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Pols' family business

According to David Shribman, former Florida governor Jeb Bush "has married an 'I'm-my-own-man' approach with an expression of family loyalty" in answering questions about the presidency of his brother, George W. Bush (Family Ties That Bind Politically – May 28).

Jeb Bush has put together a team of foreign-policy advisers drawn to a large extent from George W. Bush's administration. Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of the Iraq war, and Stephen Hadley, Dubya's national security adviser, have Jeb Bush's ear. So do two of Dubya's secretaries of homeland security, his ambassador to the UN and to Iraq, and his attorney-general. It is thus hardly surprising that the spectre of the war in Iraq haunts Jeb Bush. Similarly, Rand Paul is steeped in the same conspiratorial and racist worldview as his father, Ron.

Mr. Shribman is right to suggest that grilling Justin Trudeau about his father's handling of the FLQ crisis in 1970 would be silly. The same cannot be said, though, for asking questions about the overt connections that link Jeb Bush and Rand Paul to their families' politics in the very recent past.

Anthony Cantor, Toronto

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FIFA's world

So Scotiabank is "deeply disturbed by these allegations involving CONCACAF officials" (Scotiabank To Review Involvement With CONCACAF – Report on Business, May 28). Even a cursory level of due diligence carried out in the past 10 years would have shown that these allegations have been readily available to Scotiabank, and to the major sponsors of FIFA such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Visa.

In 2005, FIFA attempted, unsuccessfully, to prevent publication of Andrew Jennings's book, Foul!: The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals, in which Jack Warner, then president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (known as CONCACAF) figured prominently. The evidence of corruption has only increased over the past 10 years.

This raises the question of why, given the risks, Scotiabank signed on in 2014 with an organization that, it was widely known, was under FBI investigation?

Perhaps the risks seem worthwhile given that, as Norm O'Reilly, a professor of sport marketing at Ohio University notes, these "mega properties are really successful for sponsors."

One can only assume that the sponsors' public relations damage control systems were ready to roll last week. Their indignation seems naive, but perhaps that is part of the equation.

Peter Donnelly, director, Centre for Sport Policy Studies, University of Toronto

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First, the United States declared war on terror. Now, the Obama administration has declared war on corruption in international soccer. One thinks that the former will be more easily accomplished.

Geoff Smith, Kingston

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