LETTER: Bill C-51 nail in the coffin of Canadian’s rights

Reader says security bill reminds him of Germany in the 1930s.

LETTER: Bill C-51 nail in the coffin of Canadian’s rights

Re: Protesters rally against Bill C-51

The Canadian government has proposed Bill C-51, but why don’t we address the real problem — Islamic Jihadists. Instead, why not mark all Muslims with a special symbol, like a red triangle, and slowly round them up? We can put them in special housing and seeing as we are housing and feeding them, they can work for us… for free of course, but because of their disruptive nature and their potential for violence they will have to be under constant armed supervision.

And, since we already have this “special housing” we can also use it for other disruptive peoples, such as homosexuals, newspaper columnists, political dissidents, free speech advocates etc. I know it’s similar to what happened in Germany in 1930s and ‘40s, but that’s okay, because these are “potential terrorists.”

Bill C-51 is just one more nail in the coffin of Canadians’ rights and freedoms and it’s a slippery slope, one we have been slowly sliding down. For example, in a free speech ruling, Supreme Court Justice Rothstein actually wrote “not all truthful statements must be free from restriction”. If stating the truth can be illegal, than what isn’t? Do I agree with what everyone has written? No. Do I support their right to say it? Yes. Do I support the native protests of logging? No. Do I support their right to do it? Yes.

The arresting and jailing of citizens simply because they are a potential threat flies in the face of freedom and the real terrorists have already won. In fact, under C-51, just by writing this letter I could be singled out as a potential threat, arrested and held without being charged.

Who I associate with, what I write or say and where and what I choose to protest is my right, just as it is yours, and we should have the right to disagree without the fear of imprisonment or harassment.

Unfortunately, most Canadians are apathetic and their biggest political concern is who will be kicked off the island this week; but if we don’t wake up, if we don’t start exercising our rights, we might as well start practicing our “Heil Harper.”

Robert Leggett

Nelson

Nelson Star