What a relief that Canadians made the right decision in last week’s federal election. Now we’ll have to see how the Liberals repair the damage wrought by Stephen Harper and his Conservatives.
We were told repeatedly that Canada is in danger from unnamed (fill in the blank) extremists. The Conservative message told us that only they could protect us.
We were subsequently divided into “old stock” Canadians and the rest. The underlying message: if you aren’t an “old stock” Canadian, perhaps you aren’t completely trustworthy.
I am not “old stock.” I can fool most people because my skin is reasonably light and I can’t be easily separated into another group.
I actually emigrated from Germany when I was a year old. I did marry my “old stock” Canadian sweetie. So what does this make my children? But I digress.
We were told our freedom and safety were in peril. Hence bills C-51 (the so-called Anti-terrorism Act) and S-7 (the Zero Tolerance for Barbaric Cultural Practices Act). We weren’t told that we are fully protected under existing laws.
History is clear about some of the methods leaders use to attain or maintain political power, even if they were democratically elected.
One stratagem is to divert attention from real issues. First, get an identifiable group. In the past, Armenians have been handy. Or Jews. Or Tutsis. Or other beliefs.
Then vilify them. Tell the populace this group is at the root of all your troubles. That they are dangerous and shouldn’t even be in your country.
The message from the Conservatives under Mr. Harper was well received in some circles but appeared to be at odds with many Canadians: we respect each other’s cultures, enjoy freedom of all beliefs and benefit from this diversity.
We have now passed a critical point in our history, but work remains to be done.
From the newly elected government side, bills C-51 and S-7 need to be repealed. From our side, we all need to think hard about the issues raised by the Conservatives during this election campaign.
We all have to remain perpetually vigilant so that the spectre of racism, in all its forms, never raises its ugly head in our country. Remember Benjamin Franklin’s quote: “Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither.”
Thomas Heine is a retired geologist living in Flin Flon.
In your words is your opportunity to have a say on issues affecting you, your family, your work and your community. To submit a column for publication email Jonathon at [email protected]
