Toronto Sun Reporter's opinion of McHale's presence : raises tensions

When citizens feel their voices are being ignored, they're tempted to step beyond the law

By MARIANNE MEED WARD


I suspect there are more than a few non-native residents in the 905 who would like to occupy land because they disagree with what's being built there. Many of them would claim a sense of community ownership, if not legal title, to said land. They don't want their neighbourhoods destroyed by monster homes, big box stores and towering apartment buildings, where greenspace or single family homes once stood. But these residents don't erect blockades, beat up developers or charge fees to do business on their "claimed" property, as some natives in Caledonia and Brantford have done to protest construction on land they say is theirs. Instead, the usual course of action is to call the local city councillor, voice concerns at city hall meetings, gather petitions and occasionally organize a symbolic march through town. They follow the established -- and legal -- protocols of protest. And quite often they lose. The Wal-Mart comes to town anyway. The condo development goes up next door. The highway through pastoral land is approved. Once-engaged citizens -- the backbone of our democracy because they vote, they volunteer and they get involved -- become disillusioned and occasionally bitter. "What's the point in speaking out?" I've heard said more than a few times. Then these citizens look at what's happening in Caledonia and Brantford. They begin to wonder whether they should have tried some of the tactics natives in those communities are using -- tactics that may or may not be legal but are certainly effective -- at least in the short term. Construction has stopped. Negotiations are underway. The feds have offered millions in compensation to settle land claims (so far rejected). New questions emerge: What's the point of following the rules? Is there one law for natives, another for the rest of us who would surely land our butts in jail if we behaved the same way? Into this frustration come people like Gary McHale, a whale of a man with an appetite for rabble rousing to match. He proposes to stand up for residents against law-breaking natives, but more often than not he simply raises tensions rather than alternatives, something that got him banned from entering Caledonia. Most recently, he filed 33 private charges against eight people last week, including terrorism, mischief, intimidation and extortion. Interesting, given he himself was charged with counselling mischief. The only thing McHale has done is add fuel to an already raging fire, and helped entrench positions, rather than foster a willingness to negotiate. And that's unfortunate, because we need cool heads, and a commitment to respectful debate. (But I'm not holding my breath, given how we "debate" abortion and other contentious matters - through name-calling rather than articulating thoughtful positions.) A neighbour of mine once gave me a postcard titled "How to Build Community." Some of the tips: Mediate a conflict. Seek to understand. Learn from new and uncomfortable angles. How can we apply that to this situation? NO ACCOUNTABILITY First, let's acknowledge the damage inflicted on natives, by trying to annihilate their culture, then by segregating them on often sub-standard remote land, and further by handing over billions of dollars to assuage our guilt without demanding some accountability or results. This harms natives most, but also undermines the confidence and good will of taxpayers. Second, let's insist on good-faith negotiation, which means ending blockades and insisting all sides make reasonable attempts to come to a realistic settlement. Finally, let's view the situation from an "uncomfortable angle," namely, should we continue to support the reserve system at all? It's a view worth debating. When will we have the moral courage to say this segregation should not continue? Our goal should be one standard for all Canadians. That doesn't, by the way, mean assimilating unique cultures, be they racial, religious, political, or geographic. Rather, it means fostering difference within a shared responsibility to work for the good of the entire community. It's time we started functioning as a community, instead of as islands of individual rights within a sea of discontent. Let's give all our residents a voice -- native and non -- but try to find a tune we can all sing together.

http://www.torontosun.com/Lifestyle/Colu....pf-6209016.html