Dear family and friends
I was at college when the War Measures Act was enacted during the October Crisis in 1970. This was a response to the kidnapping of James Cross and the murder of Pierre Laporte. Many of you will recall the vigorous debate in the Old Dining Hall (ODH) at Glendon College. I remember the argument that the purpose of human rights and liberties was to protect minorities, not the majority. As some of you know, I became a lifelong fan of Tommy Douglas for the courage he showed when he opposed the legislation in the House of Commons on behalf of the New Democratic Party. The latest attempt to reduce our rights and freedoms is being debated in the House and I wanted to relate a different approach to Bill C51.
In his book ‘The Almost Nearly Perfect People – the Truth about the Nordic Miracle’ Michael Booth discusses the Norwegian reaction to the Breivik massacre in 2011 (in Norway it is referred to as 22/7). He comments on the speech the then Prime Minister made at the memorial service. “(He)…gave one of the most courageous speeches in defence of public freedom I have heard. Jens Stoltenberg had called for ‘more openness, more democracy’, at a time when most politicians elsewhere in the world would have used an attack of that nature to pledge revenge, exploit the anxieties of the electorate, garner greater authority and power, and then compromise civil liberties.” (Pages 172-173) Later in the book he again quotes Stoltenberg “One of the things 22 July showed us was how important it is not to judge and brand people just because they belong to a certain group. These kinds of words and expressions can only lead to more hatred and conflict” (Page 215)
In addition, the Norwegian response to Breivik’s denunciation of the song “Children of the Rainbow” (based on Pete Seeger’s earlier tune “My Rainbow Race”) was brilliant. Over 40,000 people came out in the rain to sing the song near the court house where Breivik’s trial was being held. Again the response was tempered but clearly showed the distaste the Norwegians had for Breivik and his beliefs.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2012/0426/Breivik-slam-on-Rainbow-song-an-insult-too-far-for-Norwegians-video
Based on what I have seen to date, the ‘perpetrators of terror’ that we have seen in Canada have not been linked to any organized terror network but rather appear to be the actions of mentally disturbed individuals who have adopted an ideology that reflects their alienation with our broader society. And where there has been apparent collusion (the VIA railway suspects and the Canada Day bombers in Victoria), our intelligence and law enforcement authorities have been able to deal with them under existing legislation. The same comment was made on the most recent arrest of the suspect in Ontario who is expected to be deported. If you have the opportunity there are two articles in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives March 2015 newsletter (CCPA) worth reading. One by Clayton Ruby discusses the draconian nature of C51 and the implications for our civil liberties. The other by Glendon’s Paul Weinberg documents the infamous RCMP activities against Praxis, a think tank in Toronto. The Praxis building was broken into and set on fire by ‘people unknown’ but clearly in the employ of the Mounties. This incident was one of the reasons for the creation of the MacDonald Commission which ultimately led to the removal of spy activities from the RCMP and the creation of CSIS.
And I am reminded of Sir Thomas More’s speech about the Devil “Yes I give the Devil the benefit of law for my own safety’s sake” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDBiLT3LASk
In my mind it would be a tragedy if we allow our government to curtail our civil rights when there appears to be no immediate crisis to warrant these actions. And it is certainly even more problematic when the government argues that there is no need for any further oversight despite the protests of many notable Canadians. I will finish with Tommy Douglas – he was monitored by the RCMP as a ‘perceived’ threat’ from the 1930’s until after his retirement as a MP in 1979. I would argue that if we had proper oversight back in the day, this type of surveillance would not have been allowed to occur. Or one can only hope that that would be the case. http://www.dennisgruending.ca/2013/04/rcmp-spied-on-tommy-douglas/ It is easy to understand the concern of First Nations and other advocacy groups about this law, especially when we saw some of the Conservative MPs reactions during committee hearings last week. http://www.ipolitics.ca/2015/03/17/worried-about-c-51-youre-probably-a-terrorist/
For those of you who don’t agree with me, thank goodness we still have the right to agree to disagree openly. Balancing liberties with security is never easy but Bill C51 is not the answer.
Best regards
David Moulton
902 – 209 Carnarvon Street
New Westminster BC V3L 1B7
604-522-8182 Office
778-384-6684 Cellular