Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Recently I attended a citizen’s protest in Owen Sound against the passing of Bill C- 51, “An Act to enact the Security of Canada Information Sharing Act and the Secure Air Travel Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.” as detailed by the House of Commons.
There are slow and insidious changes happening in Canadian law that are deeply disturbing; the erosion of our civil liberties. Some changes seem to happen quickly like a coup d’état. Other changes happen gradually like a continuous stream of water eroding a rock. In this case, C-51’s erosion of our democratic rights and freedoms.
After researching seven fascist regimes: Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Chile, Indonesia and Germany, Laurence W. Britt compiled a list of seven common early warning signs that paved the way for the tragedies that followed; signs which were possibly missed or dismissed as an overreaction to the economic and political climate of the day.
Early Warning Signs:
· Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
· Disdain for Human Rights
· Identification of Enemies as a Unifying Cause
· Supremacy of the Military
· Rampant Sexism
· Controlled Mass Media
· Obsession with National Security
· Religion and Government Intertwined
· Corporate Power Protected
· Labour Power Suppressed
· Distain for Intellectuals & the Arts
· Obsession with Crime and Punishment
· Rampant Cronyism & Corruption
· Fraudulent Elections
Does any of this sound familiar? Do you feel the need to educate yourself on this critical omnibus bill?
Two Canadian law professors, Forceseand Roach have written a legal critique of Bill C-51. It is written for the layperson. https://cdnantiterrorismlawaudit.wordpress.com/
Their credentials indicate that Craig Forcese is a law professor teaching national security law at the University of Ottawa and is a participant in the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society.
Kent Roachteaches at the University of Toronto law faculty and worked with both the Arar and Air India commissions.
Don’t be a bystander in your own country. Check all of this out yourself and make good decisions for your loved ones and future grand-kids.
Lindy Iversen, Meaford
