When good intentions go bad (1 Viewer)

[Grant B]

I was reading an article on the movie rabbit-proof fence and was stuck by a comment by the reviewer.
(BTW I did not put this in the movie section since it is more about the review than the movie that inspired this thread)

The film focuses on Australia's "stolen generations." Beginning in the late 1800s, it was decreed that "half-caste" aboriginal children should be taken from their families and raised as white. After two or three generations, the do-gooders believed, the aboriginal heritage would be bred out and the offspring would be "white." Children were matter-of-factly taken away, never to see their parents again. Government officials, like the one played by Kenneth Branagh here, couldn't understand why the Aborigines didn't see that this was being done for their own good.

What got me was the Sub-headline to the story

True story of racism in Australia will get parents and kids talking

Now what happen, with hindsite, is easy to judge and I am not questioning the wrongness of it. What gets me is applying the term 'racism' to an action,no matter how misguided, was done with good intentions. To me the nature of racism is a truly negative action / idea that is taken against a segment of the population to benefit some other segment.
Granted, the prejudice that allowed them to think they knew better, but it was done to help and not hurt and to me that is not racism.
I know this is a touchy subject but I have always been amazed by the insightful answers on this board and I hope this is not an exception
Grant

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

But by that definition an extermination of people (Genocide) might be considered non-racist... if the people committing the act truely believed they were doing a good thing by ending that race, and doing them a favor? The overseers in Rabbit Proof Fence felt the native population to be "lower" in level than the whites, and sought to "save" those who's white blood had been somehow infected with native blood by stealing them from their families and mating them with "pure" individuals in hopes of purifying their offspring.

If that's not racist, I don't know what is.

 

[Grant B]

Well you have a little more knowledge into the movie than what I read and I dont disagree in what you are saying. But, hindsight is easy and so I try to put things into the context of the times. During that period of time there was the idea of progress. Many felt, and rightly so, that humanity had progressed great in most areas. There was more food, better medicene etc etc. and humanity would progress towards a sort of perfection. They saw themselves as farther along on that line and they were doing them a favor.I am not saying it was correct or anything good about the practice. I am just trying to put that strange practice into the context of history.

But by that definition an extermination of people (Genocide) might be considered non-racist

True, but from what I have known from history. Those acts generally have a true racist origin; but to satisfy the population a pseudo scientific reason is made up to mask the horror.
Thanks for thoughtful post. It's a hard subject but at times I think to myself, in a 100 years is there something we are doing today that we think is right and just - and they will think of it the same way as we do of that practice.

 

[John Watson]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The relatively massive homelessness in North America in recent decades stems in part from liberating mental patients from institutional repression, and raising building standards so high that the stock of low cost housing (and low quality) housing has declined or can't be afforded by the people who sleep in the subways.

Judging the past by present standards is an elementary error in justice. When present standards are corrupt, or hypocritical, we compound the injustice.

Grant, I think your point is well taken. Progress is a dubious concept, when it comes to human nature.

Perhaps the bigger concern is that we (I mean our successors) won't be around in a 100 years to have an awareness of the dangers of our present madness.

 

[Grant B]

Perhaps the bigger concern is that we (I mean our successors) won't be around in a 100 years

John
That went through my head when I was writing it but that issue would have complicated things further.
There is a PBS show called The Western Tradition that I watch all the time. The professor is incredible and I probably learned more from that show then in all the history classes I sat through in college.
Instead of facts we really connects events together and makes it clear why they happened.
Until he mentioned that great strides in medicene and infant mortality in most of the world in the 70s and 80s caused the increase of starvation thereafter, I never thought of the connection
I guess what I am getting at, unlike what the soundbites try to say, it's a very complicated issue that is many shades of grey. Thanks I needed some other points of view

 

[Edwin-S]

Any lengthy response to this would quickly devolve into a discussion on the political landscape of North America, which has led to the present problem of dislocation and suffering; however, such discussion is not allowed here. Suffice it to say I, personally, think the above quote is, for the most part, a load of tripe. Sorry.

 

[Ricardo C]

True, but from what I have known from history. Those acts generally have a true racist origin; but to satisfy the population a pseudo scientific reason is made up to mask the horror.

The forceful displacement of mixed-race children in order to "purify" the bloodline is the direct result of racist thinking. Not only is this shown in the fact that the aborigine parents were powerless to stop the situation, but also in the fact that it was seen as necessary that the aborigine blood be supressed via selective mating. Why do this, unless there was a belief in the inferiority of aborigines?

 

[Grant B]

Yes, if it was for that reason but I was unclear what was meant by , " raised as white".
The other thing it could mean was giving the children the 'better' life, at least as they saw it.
I was hoping someone familiar with the story could fill in the blank. Also many movies are not exactly historically accurate and the belief of the director can change an event drastically; JFK being a good example.

 

[Ricardo C]

nevermind, will repost later

 

[Holadem]

Yes, if it was for that reason but I was unclear what was meant by , " raised as white".

Does it matter what was meant?

--
Holadem