Alberta Government Treats People Like They're 12 Going on 13

I bet you didn't know that the province of Alberta has something called--and I'm not making this up--a "Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit." And, further, I bet you didn't know that said ministry--which sounds to me like one of George Orwell's bad jokes--has  come up with 34, count 'em, 34 ways Albertans can "improve" their attitude toward others. Here are the first five:

Take a look at yourself


1.How much do you know about your own culture? How does it affect your beliefs, attitudes, customs and behaviour? In what ways is your culture different from the culture of other people you know? Even if you do not have an easy label to describe your cultural background, which may be quite a blend of cultures, it is an important part of who you are.

2.In addition to culture, what other characteristics influence your point of view? How do they affect your beliefs, attitudes, customs and behaviour? How do they interact with your cultural background to affect your beliefs and actions? How do these factors affect the customs and behaviour of people around you? The blend of many factors such as gender, culture and disabilities influences who we are.

3.Don’t make assumptions about people. Give people a chance to demonstrate what they are really like. Stereotypes are assumptions that classify people in a narrow way, based on very little information. Catch yourself stereotyping people: jumping to conclusions or making assumptions about people based on their skin colour, gender, dress, accent, disability, lifestyle or other factor. Recognize that first impressions are often based on stereotypes or past experiences and therefore may not be correct.

4.Remember that your views are simply one “take” or perspective on a subject. Realize that other people have different perspectives. Try to find common ground instead of assuming that you or the other person will have to give in.

5.Talk with family and friends about prejudice, gender stereotyping, discrimination and racism. Encourage acceptance of differences. Help others learn how to respond to prejudice.

Oh gawd! It's like Miss Manners crossed with Jen Lynch, Queen Censor, crossed with Dr. Phil crossed with a High School guidance counsellor. Talk about turning the populace into a bunch of errant adolescents.