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Ignore Idle No More

Local resident takes exception to the Idle No More movement and recommends ignoring them

Editor:

This is an open letter to MP Dick Harris.

As a tax paying senior in your riding I am urging you and your government to virtually ignore the sudden media frenzy regarding First Nations.

Isn’t it ludicrous to you that somewhere between three and five per cent

of our total population has taken over the

mainstream media?

As I understand it, this group of our society gets somewhere around 17 per cent of our total federal budget as well as what they get from the provinces. I, for one, would like an audit done of each and every one of the 620 something  reserves in this land.

I want to know where my money is going.

We have some extremely well run businesses on reserve land here in B.C., like Chief Louie in Oliver.

You don’t see them blockading vital transportation routes, because they are too busy working !

Our local MLA Bob Simpson writes that protests are a right.

I would question you that if I and a group of seniors here in Quesnel blockaded Highway 97 North for four to five hours demanding better facilities for seniors or blockaded the  rail line to Prince Rupert demanding a meeting with the prime minister to resolve long standing issues we seniors have, it would not be very long before we would be forced to disband and move along by the local constabulary.

Why isn’t this happening with First Nations people that are doing the same thing ?

Before anybody thinks I am a racist I have worked on a reserve and have lived side by side with hard working First Nations.

I would also point out that my family has been in Canada since 1775, which is before some Bands of FN’s were driven out of the USA and settled on land north of the 49th and now claim as their traditional territory.

Thank you for your time and sorry if I ramble a bit but after all I am a senior.

Mike Wright

Quesnel