“We as Canadians have a special vocation, a special responsibility, to speak truth to power. To be a voice for the voiceless,...” [1]
Jason Kenney quoted in The Record of April 23, 2011.
Gee, that really sounds nice, “a voice for the voiceless,” except that Mr. Kenney’s boss says this about the little voiceless innocents slaughtered by abortion: “As long as I am prime minister we are not opening the abortion debate…” (Stephen Harper quoted in Globe and Mail, April 21, 2011). But hey, who cares about human life when there are votes to be gained by making promises to people who will hopefully be converted to the Conservative cause. The Conservatives have promised they will open up an “office of religious freedom” if re-elected. Why did they not do it before, one might ask, as they have been in power for years? But hey, this kind of talk is always good for a number of standing ovations from the faithful ones at their election rallies and good for getting votes. Even though promises can be broken, and the question must be asked can politicians be trusted?
“…voters are never supposed to give absolute trust to anybody,…” [2] Stephen Harper quoted in the Globe and Mail of April 24, 2011.
Meanwhile, some religious people and organizations, such as Knights of Columbus (Kof C), Catholic Insight Magazine, Pastor Stephen Boisson, Chris Kempling, to name but a few have been persecuted and dragged before human rights commissions for daring to exercise their right to free speech and free expression. There is no “office” promised for them.Their freedoms have been attacked and they have suffered financial loss fighting these unelected human rights commissars. Sadly, Harper’s Conservative government talks the talk, but does not walk the walk, as the saying goes, when it comes to freedom. They have intervened against free speech along with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and others:
“The Attorney General of Canada, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Canadian Jewish Congress, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and B'nai Brith Canada will be intervening in the Lemire case in support of Section 13, arguing that it is a reasonable restriction on freedom of speech” (Canadian Constitution Foundation Letter of April 28, 2008).
There is an old saying: “by their actions you will know them,” and the quote above puts it into perspective just where Harper’s government stands on freedom of speech. But hey, we live in a Harper “democracy.” He will keep us safe. He will keep the country strong and watch over us all. He will decide what can be debated! He will tax us on just about everything that moves with the HST. He is the guy who gave the Liberal governments of B.C. and Ontario billions of the peoples’ tax dollars to bring in the Hammer the Serfs Tax (HST). Yet, he is on record as saying, “I don’t believe any taxes are good taxes.” [3]
Still, I guess the true believers love being plundered and pillaged to fill his governments coffers with their own money. What more could they ask for? After all, he has hopes of a majority government and might get it.
The system works like this: First you get all their promises, then once they get elected, you get punished for being a true believer. And that is the “truth” about the “power” that will govern you, then you really will be “voiceless.”
Stephen J. Gray
April 25, 2011.
Endnotes:
[1]http://www.therecord.com/news/elections/article/521237--cheering-conservative-partisans-shield-harper-from-awkward-terrorism-questions
[2] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/article1996853.ece
[3] http://blog.canadianbusiness.com/no-taxes-are-good-taxes-harper/
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