Can’t judge Macdonald based on modern values
Re Sir John nay: Teachers union wants schools stripped of first PM’s name,
Aug. 25 I am extremely disappointed that the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, whose members teach history to our children, would suggest the actions of Sir John A. Macdonald more than 100 years ago should be judged based of the societal values and norms of today.
Anyone who teaches history should know that societal values and norms evolve over time and will continue to evolve in the future. For all we know, Macdonald may have been considered progressive on this issue at the time.
I assume these teachers will be happy to have their actions today vilified in the future, based on values and norms of that time. Scott Heaslip, Stouffville Political correctness runs amok! ESPN re-assigns a sportscaster of Asian heritage to another football game because it is in the south and his name happens to be Robert Lee.
U.S. President Donald Trump makes a rare relevant point when he says removing statues of southern civil war heroes, such as Robert E. Lee, is removing history. Removing names and statues cannot change history. We should not be trying to obscure history, we should be using it as a learning opportunity.
When students ask who Sir John A. Macdonald was, they can then be informed of the positives and negatives of the man who was our first prime minister.
The fact that his government was instrumental in establishing residential schools, as well as other legislation that was a detriment to the Indigenous peoples, can be highlighted as a major negative.
If his name is removed, students may never learn of his nefarious contributions to Canadian history. Warren Dalton, Scarborough Sir John A. Macdonald: Architect of genocide or Canada’s founding father?
Both, obviously. Time for the ETFO to get back to teaching history instead of trying to rewrite it. Paul Collier, Toronto Surely the appropriate place to name after Sir John A. Macdonald is the Distillery District. Harry Shannon, Dundas, Ont.