Dear Editor,
Once again we have celebrated Remembrance Day. It’s always good when a community gets together to remember and honour those people who have given their lives as the price for freedom. It is an incredibly heavy price to pay, both for the ones who died and also for their families. For that reason they deserve our honour.
Unfortunately there are many who only pay lip service when it comes to Remembrance Day. This applies to many of our government officials, including our Prime Minister and Alberta’s Premier. Over the past years we have seen and are continuing to see, that some of our basic rights are being seriously eroded. These include our freedom of speech, freedom of religion and even freedom of movement.
Think for example of Bill 10, which removes freedom from independent schools such as those operated by Christians, Muslims and other, to implement what they believe regarding the issue of homosexuality. Bill 10 is not about bullying; it is bullying. I agree that homosexual people must be treated kindly and shouldn’t be bullied; but neither should anyone else be bullied into celebrating their lifestyle. That is what Bill 10 does. Homosexuals aren’t forced to celebrate the Christian lifestyle are they? Think of Pro-life people who have tried to set up educational displays about the horrors of abortion at public university and college campuses. Many of them have been unceremoniously kicked off and their displays damaged or ruined. Currently our own University of Alberta is in the courts for discrimination against the Go-Life Club which had displays and peaceful protests damaged and disrupted by screaming pro-abortionists with megaphones.
Think of those people who have been dragged before the quasi-courts called the Human Rights Commissions and bullied because their religious consciences would not allow them to render certain services to homosexuals because they felt doing so would compromise what they believe. The Human Rights Commissions have done a great job in limiting the freedoms of those who don’t quite see things their way.
Think of the “Bubble zones” around abortion clinics where people who wish to peacefully protest the evils of abortion are not even allowed to go. Then think of innocent people like Mary Wagner and Linda Gibbons; upstanding Canadian citizens who languished in prison as though they were common criminals because they protested within those “bubble zones”.
Think of Justin Trudeau not allowing pro-life people to run as candidates for the Liberal Party of Canada. He cannot even respect the freedom of conscience of other people. It’s his way or the highway.
Think of the City of Toronto not allowing a Christian choir to sing in its streets because they sing praises to the Lord God. Anyone is allowed to busk there . . . but not Christians.
Think of the many scientists who do not agree with the whole issue of climate change but don’t dare to speak out because they will lose their funding.
Think of the fact that many of your tax dollars are being spent to murder innocent human beings who are still in the womb. No matter how anyone tries to mask it; it is a fact that they are human beings. They are living human beings.
Many more examples could be given to describe the bullying that is being perpetrated by the “progressive (actually, regressive) left”.
This is bullying which removes the rights and freedoms that have been enjoyed by Canada’s people from the time of its birth. This bullying that demands that people celebrate and participate in things that go against their religious consciences and removes freedom of speech, religion and movement.
If we truly want to honour those who have died in the defense of freedom, we have to take up that fight for freedom.
Let’s remember the last verse of, “In Flanders Fields.”
Take up our quarrel with the foe;
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Not fighting for our freedom is insulting to all those brave men and women who fought for us.
Henry Stel
