Quote:
Originally Posted by kwoldtimer
Co-opted by whom?
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A general note here that I'm not using coopt in a negative way; I'm suggesting that one can get another person/community/government/business to help you achieve your goal but it cause it/they believe they are achieving their own goal at the same time.
In that context, I'm talking about getting communities which may not be particularly enthusiastic about causes which assist/help First Nations to back those things because it works out well for them to do so.
You do that shifting how you 'sell' an idea.
The new hospital with in-patient addiction/mental health supports is no longer about helping First Nations, its about helping locals; and reducing crime.
If, in point of fact its the same damned service which still helps those who need it, who cares how you sell it?
Get the locals and the power structure to back something for their own reasons that just happens to do good things for a different group at the same time.
This isn't unique to issues of ethnicity/culture; but applies when you change the argument about environmental sustainability to one that saves money by way of energy efficiency, water efficiency or less waste to be disposed of.
Same damn thing....but instead of arguing moral merit, you argue self-interest of the group who you need to support change.
Let me offer an on-point one to this discussion.
Cash-bail is a serious problem in Ontario (and elsewhere), in that it penalizes, indeed jails people before they've been convicted of anything; not on the basis of being a danger to society, but on the basis of poverty.
This happens to disproportionately penalize First Nations members.
But if you make the argument for reform centred on race, you bait a response about 'special treatment'; if you make it about 'poverty' you risk the same; but if you point out how much the state would save in money......that argument will reach a lot of people; so will the idea of focusing detention resources on those who ARE a danger to society, convicted, violent offenders.
Make the argument that appeals to your audience and get them to support the right thing; not for the wrong reason, but for a right reason that works for them.