Opinion: “Stay Standing, Together”

Coercion is wrong, even if the government okays it.

With the recent vaccine mandates, we have taken an extreme departure from the solid ground this country has stood on, namely upholding freedom and individual autonomy.

Coercion is the compelling of someone to act in an involuntary manner by use of threats, including force.

Canadians are actually being threatened with loss of employment, the inability to watch their kids play sports and denial of services, mobility and entry into certain establishments if they do not comply with vaccine mandates. This is wrong. Period.

Many assumptions have been made about the very narrow percentage of the population that remains unvaccinated. They have been labelled with all sorts of derogatory terms and presumed to be ignorant, selfish, threats to society and anti-vaxxers. They have even been singled out by the Prime Minister as “those people.” Although there are likely some in this group who hold extreme or irrational views, I do not believe that is the case for the majority, nor do I think it justifies their ill-treatment or coerced injections.

To override the concerns that Canadians have and force them to do something under threat of punishment is not only inappropriate and disrespectful, but it is entirely inhumane. The practice is also completely incompatible with a free and democratic society.

We should be very careful about looking to the government to enforce our will onto our neighbours. It is unlikely that the government will limit this imposition of authority to the parameters of your will after that door has been opened. Once it has been given the go ahead to automatically restrict rights and freedoms by simply invoking “health and safety” as a justification, the enforcement can be virtually unrestrained and the end conveniently unquantifiable.

The cost of living in a free society is that people will do things you do not like or agree with. Of course, there are some limitations placed on freedom, but those restrictions prescribed by law must be demonstrably justified as is a requirement under section 1 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Even Justin Trudeau’s father, former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said, “If Canada is to survive, it can only survive in mutual respect and in love for one another.” This isn’t a call for rainbows and butterflies, it is the only way our nation stays strong and united. We must preserve mutual respect, even for those we disagree with.

The Trudeau government is issuing mandates that are figuratively and literally tearing Canadians apart. By sowing seeds of division, the Prime Minister is leading us down a very dangerous path of animosity and hate towards our fellow Canadians. He is not only sanctioning the ill-treatment of our neighbours, but he is encouraging it. This is a disastrous abuse of power and a complete abdication of true leadership.

Thomas Sowell put it so accurately when he said, “Freedom is unlikely to be lost all at once and openly. It is far more likely to be eroded away, bit by bit, amid glittering promises and expressions of noble ideals.”

We don’t just need to protect freedom for the sake of freedom, we need to protect individual freedom because it’s the only way this society functions in a way where the people hold the power, not the government. The alternative of course is tyranny.

My petition to you is this, let us remain united together so we can continue to stand strong and free.

(Photo credit: CityNews Toronto)