A Pretty Poor Show

A little research confirms that aboriginal children continue to be in poor health.  Infants are 50 to 80 times more likely to be hospitalized than non-native infants.  50 to 80 times!

In the face of the latest extortion attempt by aboriginal interest groups to berate the government (read, get more money), charging that native kids were subjected to vitamin experiments in residential schools, I had a poke around the internet to see how much better off aboriginal children being raised by parents within their own communities are faring.  They aren't.

Research shows higher rates of injury, accidental injury and sudden infant death in aboriginal compared with non-aboriginal populations.  It also confirms they are at higher risk of chronic ear infection, respiratory tract infections, obesity, dental problems and tooth decay (five times higher) and hospitalization for asthma.  The study covered 131,000 on and off-reserve children, age zero to six.  Pretty comprehensive. 

The hypocrisy of the street protests about studies done 60 years ago -- most likely with the objective of improving the health of aboriginal children -- is breathtaking because many of today's aboriginal parents are evidently taking abysmal care of their offspring. 

So are many non-native parents, the proof of which jumps out and smacks you rudely in the brain during every trip to any grocery store.  Overweight parents, lugging fat kids around the aisles, carts piled high with junk, the kids stuffing their faces with more.  

Let's face it, parents raise and feed their kids, not "the government".  I'm sick of the never-ending sham protests.  The Herald carried a photo today of a group of native women, waving placards and drumming, as usual.  The young woman who gob-smacked me was she of the flaming-red fluorescent hair.  Mainstream job?  Guess not.  Any job?  Probably not.   Oh yeah, and she was grossly overweight.