FI Recycled articles by Randy Hillier

[lethbridge_east]

Canada: lost on the road to freedom
written by Randy Hillier
February 24th 2003

I recently returned to Canada from a journey through the New England States, from Canada's Maritime Provinces. Although the journey through America was brief, the experience was refreshing, and awakening. It reminded me that often in life, you don't miss what has been forgotten, until it's too late. Seldom do people think of the car's spare tire, or jack, until they have a flat tire. It's not until the need arises that your misplaced and forgotten tools become important. The same is true of the freedoms, rights, and liberties our ancestors fought and died for, which many now take for granted. Until people feel the pain and experience the hurt of their loss of freedom directly, people believe freedom remains safely stowed away. Possibly still safely locked in the trunk, to be found in a moment's notice.

In Canada, freedoms and liberties have been misplaced; although many are unaware they are lost. Some people have yet to feel the pain of their unknown loss; others are accepting and apathetic of the pain and loss. Quietly their rights were traded or loaned away for something thought to be more important at the time. However, making our way through New Hampshire and Maine my heart began to feel the loss and experience the pain and hurt, as faded memories and emotions of earlier freer times in Canada filled the journey.

The last few decades have seen Canadians warmly embrace an uncaring government, and a Liberal party that coddles people with the expectation of a collective security blanket. Government policies disguised as safety concerns or the need for bureaucratic consistency, tolerance, and fairness is the patchwork of Canada's new quilt. People are hardly aware they're under the soft security blanket that is coddling them, ever tighter, in small increments. However, the blanket is now pulled over their face, breathing is difficult from the suffocating effects of big government, and the Liberal State of security.

The route through the New England States showed the subtle signs of difference between our countries and clearly marked the fork in our roads. New Hampshire law allows adults the choice to wear seat belts, compared to Canadian law, which seeks out people to charge and fine. The freedom of choice to wear a helmet while driving a motorcycle in Maine, while in Canada you must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle and even a bicycle. Lobstermen in Maine, stop fishing of their own accord when the lobsters begin to moult, compared to Canada's rigid bureaucracy that regulate and dictate seasons to fishermen, and often spell disaster and destruction to the fishery. People have the choice to smoke in small pubs or restaurants; in Canada the heavy hand of municipal lawmen remove this choice with the threat of another fine. Stores and trading posts sell firearms, ammo, Liquor, and smokes without the government's hand in the till. In Canada, it's become criminal to own a firearm, to hunt, or to sell cigarettes if your not licensed or registered. As these little subtle signs were tallied, the differences added up: Canada's road is now totally different. These differences are indeed significant, and Canada has become lost on the "road to freedom" we once proudly shared with our neighbours.

Although there are fewer rules and regulations in the New England States, we felt safe, unafraid, and rested from the burden of correctness we must endure and tolerate in Canada. It was an unexpected holiday from Canada's quest to have the perfect rules of bureaucracy, collective security, and unequalled tolerance

As we crested the last hill towards Canada, the land of the Thistle, Shamrock and Rose, was entwined with the new Customs of Canada. The view was saddening; the difference dramatic, as the new national I.D. card and travel registration programs gain acceptance, and looms on the horizon. Greeting us were the dark storm clouds of more new laws that further limits freedom of speech, new regulations on property owners, along with the long gun registry. Was it really worth the trade; privacy for correctness, liberty for bureaucracy, freedom for safety? Just as the original native's traded away their heritage of lands for colourful wampum and trinkets, we are now trading our heritage of freedom for more colourful plastic cards and regulations. Will the results be any different for us; has our reservation been made?

Although police need judicial warrants to enter private homes in Canada: every year more government inspectors are allowed to enter homes and seize private property, without judicial restraint. The list seems endless; firearms, zoning and environmental inspectors, tax assessors, property standards officers, and Revenue Canada to name a few. Police, not teachers now routinely patrol the halls of our children's schools: and breathalyser tests are commonplace at school dances. How do we reconcile individual freedom and privacy when we must justify our actions to the police or government inspector? Is it too late to unlock those most dear and precious rights we believe are in the trunk; are they still there to be found? The time to find them is upon us.

Looking back to where we had been, a licence to 'live free or Die" was clearly in focus. In front of me was home, the land of the Maple Leaf where we now need a licence to live. These New England States breathed new life and awareness into a northern neighbour; the freshness of freedom as clear, and breathtaking, as the mountains and seacoast in the background. Will America's torch of liberty remains bright and remain eternal: but what flame will re-ignite Canada's democracy, and inflame peoples passion for freedom. "Live free or die" are not only catchy words on a license plate; they now define our differences, and my hope.

[lethbridge_east]

Canada's Lost Treasures
written by Randy Hillier

For the past twenty years Canada's immigration system has been failing our expectations. Originally immigration was a strategy to achieve an objective and was clearly understood as necessary to Canada's development. The goals to develop Canada's vast natural resources, lay claim to new territories, defend the country's sovereignty, and create new markets were obvious and clearly stated.

But what are the objectives and goals of Canada's immigration policy today? Does anyone know; or has re-populating Canada become an objective of its own? Approximately 300,000 immigrants and refugees arrive on Canada's shore each and every year. The effects of this wave on society are seldom discussed. However, the floodgates remain open, as the fear of political correctness and racism has gripped the bureaucracy, and politicians are paralysed to react.

There are many ingredients that go into a great nation: however, the most basic needs are common interests, respect, and morality. The result of Canada's immigration policies and the lack of common interest became clear to me as we left our summer camp, and started back to the urban city.

We had camped approximately 150 kilometres from Canada's capital city of Ottawa, in a pristine and beautiful forested wilderness area of North Frontenac County. This wilderness setting is hidden from view, and found down old logging roads about one hour from the nearest village. For many years we have traveled to the clear, cold lakes in this forested area, to enjoy the fine trout fishing in the many lakes; to swim, hike and camp, away from others and to enjoy the splendour of unspoiled nature. Our favourite lake in this wilderness area was Granite Lake. This area is not what some may expect; this is not an organized campground, or provincial park. There are no showers, washrooms, running water, or electricity, much like how the first settlers would have found Canada.

The first day at camp was as expected, there were no neighbours for as far you could see, or hear: no noise, no rules or structure. The ultimate freedom and liberty of fishing, canoeing, or lazing with a good book was ours to enjoy. All activities, schedules, and meals were easily agreed too, as consensus among like-minded people is easy to find. A camp with common interests, passions, principals and desires; ensures harmony, peacefulness, happiness, and is a treasure for all to enjoy.

The next day more campers began to arrive and a trickle of discontent arrived along with the newcomers. By the end of the day, four new campsites were pitched close to our camp. However, the campsite next to ours pitched eight tents, and had ten ATV's and dirt bikes. Our spacious, quiet camp was beginning to feel crowded and without privacy, much like the city we had taken a vacation from.

The neighbour's uncontrolled dogs were soon running through the camp; snarling, fighting, and barking replaced the peace and quiet. Powerboats drowned out the call of the loons; the scream and howl of dirt bikes and ATV's went from morning to night. Broken beer bottles, litter, and loud music had invaded the wilderness camp.

It was apparent the lack of rules with the newcomers was a recipe for failure. Initially we thought to contact the police and lodge a complaint, but how could we impose standards and expectations on others, without their rules applying to us? If we restricted their loud music, ATV's, and drag races; then surely we must lose our freedom to play games of capture the flag, and target shooting. The realisation that the newcomers had come for the same reasons as we, set in: although for different activities and interests. These people had come to enjoy freedom from rules, to escape the burden of regulations, and to enjoy unobstructed liberty.

I began to compare Canada's growing urban cities with Granite Lake. The similarities between our once free, open, and vast country compared to our present multicultural and dense urban society, with many newcomers and uncommon interests came into focus. The paradox became clear: as the beauty and freedom of a land becomes known, more people are encouraged to come and share the treasure chest of liberty. As more people enjoy the treasure, the faster freedoms are removed. More rules and security are imposed to protect the dwindling treasure, destroying the essence and beauty they are trying to protect. Finally, as rules overtake freedom, people begin to leave, and seek new treasures elsewhere. The treasure chest becomes empty, and lost under the grains of apathy and mounds of disrespect.

Although, immigration helped forge and create wealth during Canada's early years; the immigrants shared a common history, culture, principals and respect. The principals of privacy, independence, and self-interest were common to all, and ensured a peaceful, productive society. However, the very people who made this country great are now leaving for greener, more free and prosperous western provinces or American fields. The collective importance of tolerance is replacing and suffocating the individual's importance, as governments try to manage the flood of newcomers with more rules: instead of closing the gates. Collective hate crimes, limits on free speech, racial profiling, urban gang wars, affirmative action, gun registries, government surveillance, and behaviour crimes have all invaded our peaceful country, as rules have overtaken freedom.

There is a price we pay to enjoy the benefits of multiculturalism, urbanisation, and absolute cultural tolerance. The price is individual liberty, freedom, and responsibility. Unless Canadians restrain the intrusive hand of government, our treasure chest of freedoms will continue to sink under the heavy seas of a paralysed bureaucracy buoyed with layers of correctness and political fears.