For Canadians and People Everywhere After the recent killing of Canadian soldier Nathan Cirillo on October 22, and Patrice Vincent on October 20, there is a discussion taking place across much of Canada on how to respond. Many Canadians have responded by showing mourning and sadness for those killed, while recognising that the answer to violence is not itself more violence and militarism. Transforming a tragedy into political opportunism, however, the current regime of Stephen Harper is seeking to exploit Nathan Cirillo and Patrice Vincents deaths to forward their own agenda of increased state surveillance in Canada and continuing of Canadas participation in military aggression abroad. Notably, the earlier killing this year of three Mounties (RCMP) and injuring of two more in Moncton by a disaffected white man, Justin Bourque, who professed right-wing rather than islamic ideologies, brought not such response. In both cases, escalation of military budgets, increased police presence, increased surveillance, will in no way address the actual conditions, context and drivers in which these attacks took place. The killing on October 22 is said to have been carried out by a man with mental illnesses. Ensuring early prevention and positive support to those with mental illness will do far more to prevent acts of violence than further engagement with US wars abroad. The response to the killins on October 22 cannot be left in the hands of politicians willing to abuse and take advantage of a human beings death to promote their own militarist agendas. Canadians need to proactively engage, to discuss together, in families, schools, with friends, and nationally, how we wish to move forward. Many Canadians - from citizens across the country to some of our most well known journalists and political leaders - have shown calm, respect, deep caring and human empathy, sadness, and wisdom. This is what we must bring forward, not increased violence and war. The attacks on October 22 cannot change Canada. Only we can do that. The question is: do we wish to change it to bring back and bring forward even more vibrantly the richness of Canadian society, the celebration of diversity, the strengthening of a country and communities guaranteed to the well-being of every individual and society as a whole, or to a narrow interest-group agenda to further militarisation and Canadian participation in aggressive wars abroad? Which truly is the greater attack on and attempt to change Canada? Those in political office should be clearly called upon to offer responsible leadership, not to attempt to increase fear and use the death of Canadians to promote their own interest agendas. Globally today we are seeing a clear and stark contrast between two choices of how to address conflicts - the policies of Harper, Obama, Bush, IS/ISIS, Al Quaeda, and the killings on Oct 20 and 22, or real, authentic leadership and responses which address the actual drivers, contexts and conditions of violence, and which help us as communities and globally to transcend and transform conflicts effectively and intelligently, rather than fuelling further war and aggression. This choice is so important that it cannot be left simply to politicians in power. Like human rights movements, the civil rights movement, the anti-apartheid movement, the womens movement, the environmental movement and so many more, it demands and calls upon us as citizens, as human beings, to stand up and become involved, and not to sit back passively as rights and values our societies are founded upon are transformed and removed - not by the acts of individual gunmen, but by elected officials. macleans.ca/news/canada/we-need-less-security-not-more/
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 09:38:57 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015