Democracy Should Always Seek To Leave Men

And Women As They Are Essay, Research Paper

`........... Democracy

and its attempts to change people are often simply a nice way for the majority

to oppress a minority, by attempting to change them .for their own good.. When

thinking of this question, bad examples of attempts by a democracy to change

and or alter its citizens, or dependants often come to mind. The residential

school system in Canada was a way for the Canadian government to try to quietly

transform and alter the Native segment of the Canadian population. Community

based theories in philosophy are theories that often about subverting the will

of the individual, and individual freedom of choice to the will of the majority

in the interests of a society, in that it is desired that everyone follow the

value norms of the majority. When a democracy engages in attempts to transform

or alter another group, it is often because the .Will of All.[1]

seeks to bring deviating members of society into line with the .Will of All..

It is for these and other reasons, that democracy should stick to just being an

exercise of the voice of All people, and not attempt to alter or

transform its constituents. .... The

first and perhaps most poignant example of a democracy.s attempt to change and

alter its constituents for the better can be found right here in Canadian

history, and you only need to go back about five years to find it. .From the 1880s until 1996, when the last

school closed, about 100,000 native children attended 100 or so residential

schools run by the main Christian churches all over Canada..[2]

In the beginning the Canadian government set out to turn Native children into

.productive and civilised. members of society. .The schools’ purpose

(originally, at least) was to transform these "savages" into

"civilised", productive citizens..[3]

While at first hearing this, one may assume that it is a noble desire for a

government to desire that all of its constituents be .productive and civilised.

anyone who is familiar with the history of the residential school system, and

the abuse of Native children in that system, will have less then positive

thoughts towards the notion that Residential Schools were anything but uncivilised

and barbaric in their treatment of Native children. .Children were taken from

their families and confined in remote institutions where they were poorly fed

and clothed, indifferently taught, forced to work long hours and whipped if

they spoke their native languages..[4]

The results from these attempts to .transform and alter. Native children for

their own good, have caused no shortage of problems for Native adults

.graduated. from these residential schools, the Canadian government that funded

them, and least of all the churches that ran them. Native people are dealing

with the fallout from being .civilised. by these schools and it has left a mark

long and deep on the Native community. .A lot of problems that Native people

have today came out of Residential School; psychological problems. And we

passed our problems on to our children.[5]

Natives have also been working to rebuild and restore their culture,

traditions, identities and communities since the advent of residential schools

into their lives.. .There was also an

onslaught on our culture and identity through the content taught in school and

the way it was taught..[6]

The fallout has also been bad for the Canadian government, forcing them to

issue a public apology, something governments never like to do as it involves

taking responsibility for their actions and the results of those actions. .To

those who suffered abuse .and who have carried this burden believing that in

some way they must be responsible, we wish to emphasise that what you

experienced was not your fault and should never have happened. To those of you

who suffered this tragedy of residential schools, we are deeply sorry.[7]

The churches being the ones who ran the schools and organisations directly

responsible for many of the injustices that were inflicted, are also suffering

major consequences from their attempt to .civilize the savages... .The national office of the Anglican church,

which had overall charge of its schools, expects that legal costs will also

bankrupt it some time next year. The Roman Catholic Church foresees the same

fate for several of its religious orders, which ran about 60% of the schools in

the system..[8] This chapter

in Canadian history is an excellent reminder as to what happens when a

democracy attempts to .transform and alter. people for their own good, the

effects are often contrary to the goal that was held in the first place, and

contribute, in many cases to further social problems. .... There is another example to be had in

examination of an article rooted in moral philosophy. While moral philosophy

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