Write a critical summary of 700-750 words on the following: Schade, Daniel. “A Militia History of the Occupation of the Vancouver Island Coalfields, August 1913.” BC Studies 182 (2014): 11-44. Academic Search Complete. Web.

Answer

Introduction

Although militias are the ultimate choice of restoring normalcy in an area whose peace is in shambles, Nanaimo’s chief constable, Charles Cox is of a different opinion. Cox claims that militias should always be a government’s last resort should there be no other better alternatives (Bowen, 2014). In Daniel Schade’s book about the Vancouver’s army, it is lucid that John Shaw’s decision to order mercenaries from BC is baseless and irrational (Candace Kenyon, D. Keith Murray, 2015). Literary, mere thoughts of countering unarmed protesters with over a thousand well-trained armed forces are in themselves, inhumane.

To begin with, coal miners in Vancouver Island worked under deleterious conditions beneath the colliery bosses for many decades (Candace Kenyon, D. Keith Murray, 2015). In reward for their toil, the company decides to hire new employees to replace them. In return, the employees demonstrate to seek justice and redeployment of the replacement workers back to their countries. A move that was intended to bring sanity and order to the employees and their employer was misinterpreted by the government resulting in the mass killing of the helpless workers.

The government’s decision to use war as a way of solving the problem creates more harm than good. Through conflicts, people lost lives; there is also the massive destruction of property, and destabilization of the economy (Bowen, 2014). Instead, the government should have solved the disputes by using appropriate alternatives such as arbitration, using a mediator to analyze and understand the basis of the demonstration, and negotiation.

Secondly, prominent politicians like Jack Kavanagh and popular poetic arts such as the “Bowser’s-Twa” exaggerate the miners’ demonstration and favor the militia. In his opinion, Jack claims that: “No reptile ever evolved from the slime of ages resembles the spawn of filth now on Vancouver Island and known as the militia” (Muise and McIntosh, 2014). In his poem, R.W. Smith applauds the bravery acts of the troops in handling the miners. For the record, three hundred and seventy-three employees succumbed to death during the battle.

However, besides Alex McKinnon who only lost his arm, there is no record showing neither a single replacement employee’s death nor injury to the soldiers. In such situations where people in positions of influence put more emphasis on wealth at the expense of noble human lives, they literary degrade the moral fabric and social coherence that value the dignity of a live soul. According to Candace Kenyon, D. Keith Murray (2015), Richard McBride (the acting premier) refutes the claim that the government is reaching out for assistance from the militia:

There is no truth in the report that the provincial government has given orders for the calling out of the army. Such a thing is entirely beyond our powers. The law says that the militia can be requested by two local magistrates and by them alone. The provincial government has nothing whatever to do with the calling out of the army, should it be deemed necessary.¹⁶

Nonetheless, within a short period, Bowser releases an entirely contradicting message that supports calling the militia for backup. In matters national security, all the responsible bodies in the government have to coordinate appropriately and work in unison to provide an all-inclusive amicable solution that must bear a fruitful end-result. It is apparent that the regime was using threats to survive. For instance, an element of intimidation occurs when a famous poet with R.W. Smith’s caliber decides to narrate a poem to praise a militia at the expense of condemning the merciless killing of innocent civilians (Gettler, 2014).

Besides, however much the government looks to have used excessive force to counter the rowdy miners; it was one of the only available solutions to solve a problem that had already gone overboard (Gettler, 2014). Managing and restoring sanity in more than four hundred rowdy people cannot be an easy task. Furthermore, when the whole crew converges to Temperance Hotel to siphon out a handful of replacement employees while throwing in rounds of ammunition; using alternative forms of dispute resolutions could not have been the best option.

In summary, companies and governments should prioritize their employees and citizens respectively before implementing their decisions to prevent landing themselves in tragedies. Leadership must learn to counter actions that are prone to cause revolts early enough before it is too late to retract the outcome (Norton, 2015). Last but not least, employees must learn to use reasonable alternatives to channel their woes other than violence.

 

References         

Bowen, L. (2014). The Coal Tyee Society presents Three dollar dreams. 7th ed. Lantzville, B.C.: Oolichan Books.

Candace Kenyon, D. Keith Murray (2015). Coal-Bed Methane Potential of Vancouver Island Coalfields: ABSTRACT. AAPG Bulletin, 74, pp.11-44.

Gettler, B. (2014). Recent Publications Relating to Canada. Canadian Historical Review, 95(4), pp.675-686.

Muise, D. and McIntosh, R. (2014). Coal mining in Canada. 7th ed. London: The University Press.

Norton, W. (2015). Fernie at war, 1914-1919. New York: University Press.