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Monday, August 11, 2008

Could youth riots happen here, too?

posted by Elsie Treize at 12h29

by Elspeth Dowell is a wife, parent, volunteer and a Secular Humanist.

We had a number of police cars vandalized in downtown Montreal during the 'hockey' riots. Now, a teenager has been killed by police in Montreal North, and there's been loads more violence this time. It's not just cars that were targeted. A number of stores have suffered serious violence, too.
Could this happen anywhere in and around Montreal?

Could St. Laurent and any part of the West Island be next?

Well, yes.

In Quebec, our youth are not getting a good all-round education. Whether young people join gangs or become police officers, they do not really understand equality, compassion and reason.
Schools have been teaching how wonderful it is to be Muslim, how wonderful it is to be Hindu, and so on. Schools have not taught the meaning of Agnosticism, Secular Humanism and Atheism. The new Morals and Religious Culture course will not explain the meaning of Atheism.
Many people, young, middle-aged or old, do not feel the presence of any gods. The schools must teach that polytheism, monotheism and atheism are all valid, compassionate forms of belief. Otherwise, we may end up with more tragic figures like Kimveer Gill, who said he hated god. He was seriously depressed, no doubt, but if he had understood Humanism, things might never have progressed to the level of murder and insanity.
We need to teach both theist and non-theists views in schools. Some young people can then go and join Humanist organizations, instead of youth gangs.