Living in the Shadows

Franklin D. Roosevelt is credited with the saying “there is nothing to fear but fear itself”.   That statement was part of his inauguration speech in 1933.  And yet today we have a government that campaigns on fear and prejudice rather than good policy and the protection of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

And they do this by hiding it behind the argument of the #niqab, a face covering.  In reality what they are “covering” is their own dislike for the Charter both in and outside of Canada.  Jason Kenney is on record as blaming the UN Human Rights Convention as an impediment to stripping citizenship from others.

There is a certain irony in the timing of FDR’s quote regarding fear.  As I said it was during his inaugural speech in 1933, the same year the Republic of Germany introduced the “Malicious Practices Act“.  This piece of legislation also encouraged citizens to report on their neighbours.  The German government of the day used the Malicious Practices Act and a campaign of fear to whip the citizenry into a flurry of hate.   The introduction of this barbaric and racist piece of legislation was quickly followed up with a public relations campaign designed to demonize Jews, gays, communists and socialists.  Between March and April of that year over 10,000 victims were arrested, many of them just disappeared, after being reported by their neighbour.

Flash forward to Canada in 2015 and we now have our own “Barbaric Cultural Practices Act” while this government fans the flames of hate towards the Muslim community.  And yes a 1-800 number is on the way so we can also turn on each other.

Yes, I admit, there are some very barbaric cultural practices all around the world.  With that said until this government raised it I had not heard an ounce of concern over “barbaric cultural practices” being conducted in Canada.  Well let me back-up a bit on that one.  I guess if you followed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission you heard a lot about barbaric cultural practices in regards to our First Nations people.  Or we could revisit the “science of eugenics” (I detest referring to it as science but they do) and see what barbaric cultural practices were imposed on people with disabilities.

So yes I must admit that the fear of fear is really starting to scare the crap out of me.  And if you have any respect for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms you should be frightened as well.  Not frightened of a Muslim terrorist hiding in the shadows or of a women wearing a #niqab.  What is really frightening is a government who uses fear mongering and public relations to demonize any sector of Canada they feel will bring them some votes.  We were once a proud and tolerant nation but the definitive word there is “were”.

When we start accepting hate based legislation and policies we become hand puppets.  This is McCarthyism at its best and we don’t need to go back to that way of thinking.  Otherwise everybody will start living in the shadows again.  When someone else can tell you who and how to hate someone then we are no longer Canada.

FDR is also credited with the saying “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little“.  We won’t know if that quote is applicable until after October 19.  Until then I have no time left for haters, no patience for intolerance and I refuse to go back to hiding in the shadows full of fear.

Just one man’s opinion!