The Ethics of Courage
To start, I would like to quote the Introduction of "Politics of Ethnicity" it read "Ethnicity and race are not 'real' but are socially constructed" (255). which is a very interesting statement, and a very important one to remember.
Two main topics seem to be coming up constantly in almost everything I read: Bullying and Violence; which tend to correlate. In the article "The Ethics of Courage" by Taiaiake Alfred, settlers bully the indigenous communities off there native land, which amounts to violence. Settlers had the mind set that laws and regulations were everything, making then arrogant and greedy when it comes to property and individual wealth; similar to North Americans in today's society. It is a natural reaction to want to fight for what belongs to you, to get emotional and angry when something is being taken right out from under your feet. It has always been frustrating to read about how settlers came to Canada and claimed great areas of land, that had already been claimed.
Onkwehonwe looks to psychological, philosophical and political theories on how to use these emotions, such as angry, it a productive way. The sad truth is, violence is unavoidable. These attacks or "stand-offs" seem to occur constantly because people are not willing to compromise and so "we must be prepared to accept violence and deal with it" (258). This article goes against the classic saying 'violence isn't the answer', although it does go into great detail about how to be strategic and verbal instead of physically aggressive. Infact, today's society is a lot less physical and much more verbal. This makes targetted attacks very difficult, and therefore we are forced to oppress our anger and this is where I wonder, how are we releasing it? Alfred mentions that some take it out in forms such as: alcohol, drugs, junk food, etc. If only we could be more proactive in the way we release our stored up energy through exercise or volunteer, we could start to force a positive change in our society. Leaning more towards the ways of anarchism, "taking action to force change" (256) even though, "change necessitates conflict" (263)... it seems to be a never ending cycle, but the difference is, that in anarchism, the sense of community and doing things for the good of others even if you are not directly effected is there.
Breaking down the title according to definitions given throughout the article would be something like, the socially constructed questions of willpower and determination. When is it the appropriate time to speak out, act in self-defense and control your aggression. Many questions can be asked after reading this article: Will we ever live in a world without violence? Can anarchism become realistic instead of just idealistic? And the question asked by the author himself, "How much guts does it take to say what you are thinking and to be who you are? (266).