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Focus group gives “ human rights” shrine the cold shoulder: Guess what? Canadians aren’t chomping at the bit to visit a cold, windy, out-of-the-way city in order to genuflect to the concept of  “human rights”. From the Globe and Mail:

OTTAWA — Canadians, particularly francophones, think Winnipeg is too cold, boring and far away, so they will probably view exhibits at the new $265-million Canadian Museum for Human Rights in the city online rather than in person, according to government research.

The negative view of the Manitoba capital surfaced in small focus group discussions conducted for the federal Department of Canadian Heritage.

"These [French-speaking] participants suggested that the city suffers from negative stereotypes such as: cold, nothing to do, far away, and not interesting to visit," according to an internal government report in April. "Very few of these participants would put the museum on their list of things to see given the distance."

Ottawa is giving $100-million for construction and $22-million annually for operating costs of what will be the country's first national museum built outside of the National Capital Region. Last week, the Conservative government in an effort to save money scrapped plans for a national portrait gallery that might have been built outside of Ottawa.

The fact that the human-rights museum will be located in Winnipeg was an issue in English focus groups as well, though it was described as "more of a minor inconvenience to these participants."

Overall, the location appears to be such a hindrance that the department has been told most people will visit the museum only online…

"Most Canadians do not have the opportunity to visit Winnipeg, so the website could provide them an opportunity to experience the museum from anywhere in the country or the world," the report says.

The 208 Canadians who took part in the detailed discussions about the museum were selected from demographics the government believes are most likely to visit. To qualify, the participants had to fit into at least one of five categories: teachers; youth 18-25; parents, visible minorities and new Canadians and aboriginal Canadians...

Although they had little inclination to visit this money pit (which “was originally scheduled to open in 2010, but…is on hold until the fundraising goal of $105-million from the private sector is met”), focus group members had some specific ideas of what should be on display:

Participants in the small focus groups said they would expect the museum to feature displays on a wide range of Canadian and international issues, including the Holocaust, religious rights, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Chinese head tax.

Meanwhile, the aboriginal Canadians had their own recommendations:

The aboriginals who took part indicated they would like the museum to include material on Indian residential schools, and that the material not take sides when describing the history of aboriginal contact with Europeans.

Had I been a member of the focus group, my objection to this edifice wouldn’t have been due to its location; it would have been due to its concept—one that has been so debased and devalued over the years that it has come to have the opposite of its original meaning. “Human rights” is the sledgehammer that’s being used to crush the world’s only Jewish state; the smokescreen behind which the most loathsome violators of human rights cower; the ethos that helps perpetuate the cult of the victim and PC and Islamist totalitarianism. If we don’t watch out, “human rights” will be the death of us. The fact that so much money has been squandered on this white elephant—and that still more money will be sunk into it—is more than outrageous; it is obscene.

Posted by: scaramouche at 13:08 | link | comments (5)

Comments:

#1  17 November 2008 - 14:23

 

Prediction: It will never be built.

Anonymous

#2  17 November 2008 - 15:41

 

You said white as in "white elephant" You are hateful hater.

BCF.

Anonymous

#3  17 November 2008 - 17:50

 

Wouldn't it be more "hateful" to call it a "black" elephant? ;)

scaramouche

#4  17 November 2008 - 22:19

 

Our bridge to nowhere.

Anonymous

#5  19 November 2008 - 01:09

 

I think the capital of Manitoba is a beautiful city. Still, I will NEVER visit the Human Rights Museum, because of the affronts to human decency, perpetrated upon decent Canadians under the so-called Human Rights Act.

El Cid

Anonymous

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