Cheryl MacDonald (Opinion Letter to Hamilton Spectator opposing Militia)

http://www.thespec.com/Opinions/article/587156


Don't call them militia

June 22, 2009

Cheryl Macdonald
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 22, 2009)

Caledonia-area resident Doug Fleming recently suggested the formation of a Caledonia "militia" to "ensure the Criminal Code is upheld in Haldimand county." A meeting on the idea is scheduled for tomorrow.

The idea is an insult to anyone who ever served with the militia, as well as to their spiritual descendants, those serving with military reserves.

Fleming has admitted that militia was probably not the best choice of words, but continues to use the term.

So do journalists and politicians responding to it, even though Community Safety Minister Rick Bartolucci called it a "dumb idea" and Premier Dalton McGuinty termed it "unhelpful."

No one seems to be challenging the use of the word militia, which a reporter wrote "may conjure images of rifle-toting men."

Fleming describes the proposed group as something like the Guardian Angels, a "citizen crime patrol organization" that started in New York in 1979. He also says members will be unarmed and work within the law.

Evoking the Guardian Angels certainly weakens that assertion. They have been controversial from the beginning. Unlike other citizens groups concerned with crime prevention, they train their members to make citizen's arrests and tend not to work closely in contact with law enforcement agencies. Some have compared them to legalized gangs. Others use a stronger word -- vigilantes.

Now that's a word that conjures up images of rifle-toting men, riding hard in the American West. Or in the South, where they're likely to be wearing white robes and burning crosses. And don't think for a moment that this can never happen here. The Ku Klux Klan has been active in Canada in the past, as recently as the 1980s. In 1925, there were more than 1,000 members in Ontario alone. In February 1930, a group of 75 Klansmen swarmed into Oakville, paraded through the streets, set a cross ablaze then took a white girl out of a house occupied by a black family and warned them if their son and the girl were ever seen together the Klan would deal with the man.

While burning crosses are not likely to make an appearance in Caledonia in the near future, it is vital to keep in mind that the town's troubles are partly fuelled by racism. It is also important to realize that among the Klansmen who visited Oakville in 1930 were several businessmen and a clergyman. Presumably they were respected in their communities. But they were also committed to taking the law into their own hands to enforce what they believed to be right.

That's the essence of vigilantism, and it has absolutely nothing to do with militia, its traditions, and its long history in Canada.

When Upper Canada came into being, legislation was enacted that allowed for the defence of the province. Every able-bodied man between 16 and 60 was obliged to report for training once a year, and was also likely to be called upon to defend the province in times of danger. Occasionally, at the request of appropriate authorities, they also carried out policing duties.

Haldimand militiamen answered the call to arms in the War of 1812, during the Fenian Invasion of 1866, during the South African or Boer War, and on other occasions. Militia from Caledonia were among those who served at the Battle of Ridgeway in June 1866. And, when the First World War broke out in 1914, militia members were among the first to volunteer.

Some of them died, and applying the term militia to this proposed group dishonours their sacrifice.

In the past, militia membership was as much about socializing as it was about defence. A couple of years back, when I edited The Civilian Soldier, Bob Blakeley's history of the Norfolk Militia, it became clear that many community leaders spent at least a few years in the militia.

They weren't always angels. Like military men throughout history, they always had time for drinking, storytelling and silly pranks. But they also absorbed a great deal of military culture, including discipline, respect for authority, and the ability to work within a chain of command that extended all the way to Ottawa. They might not always have been happy with red tape and bureaucratic delays, but most were dedicated to supporting the existing system.

Fleming's proposed organization bears no resemblance whatever to our historic militia and should not be dignified with its name any more than a street gang should be described as soldiers.

Consider this. The most dramatic image connected to native protests comes from the 1990 Oka standoff, where a young soldier, Patrick Cloutier, is nose to nose with a masked warrior. Neither was prepared to back down -- but Cloutier's military training most certainly kept a dangerous situation from escalating.

What if something similar happens in Caledonia? What if some member of the proposed "militia," lacking training, discipline and appreciation of military tradition, comes face to face with an angry protester from Six Nations? Would the outcome be the same?

I think not.

Cheryl MacDonald is a Nanticoke author who has written extensively on the history of Haldimand.

www.heronwoodent.ca