Trouble brews for Winnipeg's shrine to identity politics...
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is set to tackle the thorny issue of whose story to include and whose to leave out -- a process that is causing controversy before it's even begun.
Construction of the $265-million project in Winnipeg is now underway and the museum will soon announce a cross-country "story gathering process."
"We will be talking to community groups, individuals, academics and researchers, to really start identifying what the stories are, and who the storytellers are as well," said museum spokeswoman Angela Cassie.
But some groups are already raising concerns their stories will be excluded.
[...]
"It needs to be inclusive and equitable. If it focuses disproportionate attention to some cases over other cases, then what it is actually teaching us is that there is a hierarchy of human suffering, and that some human suffering is more important than other cases of human suffering; and on that basis, the museum would not be teaching us anything about human rights, it would be teaching us about racism," Kafieh said.
Here's hoping they tear each other apart.
Maybe they can have a section which explains why Canadians don't have any right to their own private property.
Or maybe a section that explains why you aren't within your rights to repel deadly force with a firearm.
$265 million???? Seriously???
Is this a museum or are they putting a dome over Winterpeg?
Can I demand that my portion of tax dollars goes to the oppressed members of al Queada?
/sarc
Will it have trans-gendered washrooms?
I'm guessing the "story-gathering process" will eat through most of their budget.
Ezra should get his own wing.
Shouldn't the "story gathering process" be replaced by looking through history books?
I guess 265mm is the cost of buying good press from CanWest.
At 265mm, you could BUY CanWest...
If you want human rights victims for this ruddy museum, put in a shrine to the fallen: Common Sense, Fiscal Prudence and Western Civilization. They've all be brutally murdered.
I'll see your partially lobotomized transgendered dwarf and raise you one genetically mutated dyslexic conjoined twin set with aversion to green frogs.
Seriously though, why can't all these people just get along. I mean, it is the straight white christian male that is obviously the cause of all human rights violations. So why not simply say everyone but them gets to tell their story.
Then, when they all gather to do so, one of Kate's strategically placed asteroids just happens along......
/truly serious - I wouldn't wish death by asteroid on anyone. I'm just not that kind of guy! There are many better ways to go...
So many victims, so little time.
Perhaps they can set up some sort of commission to sort all this out... ;>)
"The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is set to tackle the thorny issue of whose story to include and whose to leave out"
-----------------------------------
Make no mistake about it,every story will no doubt find some way to blame (White) Western Civilization for whatever "ills" are being displayed in this "Human Rights" museum.
...and charged the people a dollar and a half just to see them...
166,666,666 visitors will just about recoup the construction costs!
I want to see a whole wing on the aboriginal slave industry that existed in pre-contact history. especially on the west coast where it was really big business.
I can't wait to not go there!
I feel bad for the thousands of school kids who'll be forced to trudge through there every year.
I would like to see a wing for you guys because apparently you are the victims of the world.
Cathy
The taxpayer is the victim of the world. You'd know that if you paid any.
Victim lottery!! Submit the most outrageous indignity inflicted on you!! Be the first on your block to get in the museum!! Minority groups 20% off!! Seperate viewing times for hate groups that do not co-mingle!! Folks the people in the industry do not have the time to edumacate all of you so this is your own space you can berate yourself at your leisure.
Cathy should get her own wing, because she is oppressed by us mean old Conservatives whining about paying for her toothpaste.
Shut up and get back to work, Warwick. How are you going to make your tax quota today if you're posting on SDA all the time? Cathy needs a big screen tv!
I've been to a human rights museum - it's called the National Archives in DC where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are on display.
Stories of "his grandpa was mean to my grandpa" just can't compare.
You mean old Conservatives decided to pay for this mess.
...and they charged the sheeple a dollar and a half to see'em!...
I've got this sardonic smirk on right now watching neo-com identity politics play out just as they were genetically programmed to do...create cultural and societal chaos.
I wonder if Izzy had any idea as to how quickly his dream of a "Human Rights" Museum would morph into an "Identity Politics Grievance Industry" Museum. The transformation of the "Human Rights" Commissions happened at glacial pace, compared to what is going on here.
As a 'Peg dweller, living only a kilometre or so from the site, I suspect I will be able to see this thing from my back deck, as I violate the PETA-given rights of the good ole Interlake beef on my barbecue.
How can we hope to get the current government to take necessary steps to dismantle or scale back the Commissions when they are committed to long term funding of their clients' high altar?
Shouldn't the "story gathering process" be replaced by looking through history books?
Grok,
That can't happen because the history books are always written by the winners of whatever period (or war) is being presented.
This is a monument to the losers!
And I hope it's water proof, being in 'watertoba'.
There is indeed a hierarchy to human suffering.
Gassing and burning millions of people, raping and pillaging entire villages and wholesale slaughtering of an entire population is much worse than being called a fag or a dyke.
Of course that's just me.
"And I hope it's water proof, being in 'watertoba'.'
...and I hope the opposite!
set you free - Your one line statement was the best. "So many victims, so little time". Heh. Perfect.
Kathryn - yes, the National Archives, with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - that is indeed the only Human Rights Museum one needs.
I'd include other documents - Magna Carta, and some books by such as Aristotle, Locke..etc.
I'll predict that this new museum will never get off the ground; the bickering will continue for ever.
Over a year ago I read (here I believe) the case of a man from Canada who spent all his money and spent all his time on a mission to warn Canada of the looming Nazi threat posed by Germany just before the second world war.
For over a year he warned Canada about the extermination of Jews in Europe which had already started at the time.
He was mocked and in the end nobody of consequence listened , he went broke and the war began exactly as he warned.
I can find anything on this man's life.
I can't remember his name, does anyone remember this post, or remember who he was?
I would like to submit his story.
ET,
If the Canadian war museum can make our airmen look like evil baby-killing warmongers in a fight against the f'ing NAZIS(!!) then this will be something big in the history of total idiocy...
Duoh, Slicksdexia nervosa rears it's ugly head, again.
"I CAN"T find anything on this man's life."
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what rights you've got
Till their gone
They paved Portage & Main
To put all their crap in one spot
Oh, the humanity of it all. Unfortunately, putting a stop to this taxpayer boondongle would tar and feather whomever was associated with the decision. And of course there's the United Nations Human Rights Council letter of condemnation that all Canadians would have to bear the stigma attached.
First one to deal a hand of "Victimhood poker" in the lobby wins.
http://dicklist.blogspot.com/2006/07/tdl-gaming-world-series-of-victimhood.html
"And I hope it's water proof, being in 'watertoba'.'
Notwithstanding its location on the banks of the cruel Red River, not far from the confluence with the Assiniboine, this building is in the City and will, therefore, be protected against a 700 year flood by the enlarged Winnipeg Floodway.
"Watertoba" will swirl all around it and its protection like the protection of the overall city means higher water to the south. The picture shown in yesterday's "Watertoba" post was taken south of the City.
Sorry, Warwick!
Ezra should get his own wing. Posted by: Blair
Good idea actually. In all seriousness, the debacle of the HRCs, including the history of their formation, their evolution/mutation, their de-normalization and (hopefully) their demise is certainly worthy of chronicling. What venue could be more appropriate?
Stories are not 'history' and I would be doubtful the museum will be big on fact checking. That could put a damper on the 'stories'. Balance, Factual, Reality based, are likely not in their mandate.
Do they actually have educated staff to set this thing up or just members of the usual victim groups appointed to the board?
Hello Asteroid!!!
Izzy Asper would be rolling in his grave if he knew that his holocaust shrine is being turned into a suffering succotash.
Just wait until the Muslims launch a Hunman rights challenge against the Human rights musieum claiming that it unjustly focusses on Jewish suffering at the expense of all others.
It's sort of sad to watch the jewish commuity get beat to a pulp by the very institutions that they helped build to protect them.
Why don't they use the money to put up a statue of Pierre Trudeau in every town in Canada and be done with it (not).
I KNEW this would happen.
"Someone will lose an eye", I said. "It will end in tears".
"They Took All The Rights, Put 'Em In A Rights Museum"
Careful Kate, the Aspers are engaged in at least one lawsuit against an individual who dared make fun of their precious Not Just A Holocaust Museum.
This must be one of those "unintended consequences" that stupid ideas generate. Not to worry - they'll solve it with another stupid idea.
Felis, you lucky Corpse.
Living so close to the museum is like saying your guests will never have to worry about parking!
felis corpulentis
Sigh. Oh, well. I can always hope for a sinkhole, ice storm or wayward meteor.
Barring that, I can hope the flood control barriers were engineered by the same people who worked on New Orleans... lol.
ET - The Magna Carta is on display as well at the Archives. It's in a different section than the other documents (it's on loan and it's not as important, America-wise) but it's there. It's an awe-inspiring collection.
These things sum up all the individual rights anyone needs but, as we all (should) know, human rights have nothing to do with individuals and everything to do with groups.
I guess 265mm is the cost of buying good press from CanWest.
At 265mm, you could BUY CanWest...
If you want human rights victims for this ruddy museum, put in a shrine to the fallen: Common Sense, Fiscal Prudence and Western Civilization. They've all be brutally murdered.
Posted by: Warwick at April 17, 2009 10:13 AM
I think something close to 265mm might be able to solve all of the problems, but we don't have a gun big enough to fire the shell.
Warwick said:
"Barring that, I can hope the flood control barriers were engineered by the same people who worked on New Orleans... lol."
We used to live in St. Boniface.
Actually my father, a hydro-electric engineer, worked on the flood control way back in '62-'68 and as you know we were once the HUNS!
German engineering is usually pretty good.
So ironically if it weren't for the HUNS the Museum of Human Rights would be under water!
So all those "Waterpeggers" can thank the HUNS that they aren't drowning.
Cheers
Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group "True North"
Kathryn
That copy of the Magna Carta is a very slightly later copy which was owned by Ross Perot who sold it a few years ago. I'm not sure, but I think it was purchased by the museum or someone who then donated it back to the museum.
If memory serves...
kathryn - yes, you are absolutely right.
The only rights that can exist are those for individuals. Group rights are an anomaly and actually infringe on those individual rights.
Zip, we could borrow the battleship Iowa. There's enough water to float her, I bet. 406mm should do it, eh? That's 16 inches in the forbidden Imperial measure.
Mao Stlong say, thlee foltune cookies sent to HL Museum, for display, with seclet messages incruded on lice papel.
Rooster loves crow. Crow eats rooster. Human lights cheap.
...-
"Human Rights in China
By this effort, we hope to promote progress in the human rights situation in China, and bring about the peaceful transformation in society, in order that ...
www.hrichina.org/public/index"
His name was Paul Ausborn, richfisher -
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/002435.html
This would be funny if we, the tax payers, were not being forced to pay for Asper's project. If the Asper family, or any other family, want to use their own money to fund useless rubbish, so be it.