So-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ protesters don’t understand what ‘freedom’ means
So, let me get this straight: when the next pandemic rolls around, government officials should mind their own business and let us fend for ourselves.
Seriously? If that’s the desired new definition of “freedom,” I’m terrified.
If the people participating in the so-called “Freedom Convoys” feel their rights and freedoms are being denied by life-saving vaccine mandates and measures to control the spread of COVID-19, they should try holding their protests in a non-democratic country and see how far they get. A country such as North Korea, which is ruled with an iron fist, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has never had a transparent government and has been in civil war since its independence, would show these protesters quickly where their individual rights begin and end. These countries may call themselves democratic but all of their actions are the opposite of what democracy actually means.
Canadians are free to hold peaceful demonstrations, speak their minds, vote and make choices in many aspects of daily life — all of which, to the best of my understanding, is the opposite to what enemies of freedom and democracy preach.
Freedom can not be preached by people waving Swastika and Confederate flags, as history has proven those flags represent brutal and repressive political forces.
With all of the noise coming from Ottawa and other cities across the country these past few weeks, people who truly love freedom must not allow it to be tampered with, misused and misplaced.
Trucks are vital for the healthy economic activities of our society and most drivers are hardworking, good citizens like anybody else. But the trucks they drive are not political weapons. They are ruled by traffic laws and regulations for their safety and for the safety of others. What we witnessed in the last few weeks has not been peaceful protest, it has been a determined effort to halt businesses and the economy.
Consider what would happen if other professions participated in similar acts of defiance.
Airplane pilots may have demands regarding government policies but they can’t use the planes they are flying as a physical weapon to address their grievances by blocking runways, disrupting international travel, or flying them improperly to endanger their passengers or society. Taxi drivers may have issues to address but cabs are not weapons to close roads or block access to hospitals and schools. Those acts would be illegal, not freedom demonstrations, and impose a selfish agenda by creating tension and mayhem that hurt the innocent.
Pandemics have been a constant companion of human beings. Records indicate that each time one strikes, human beings severely and gravely suffer. That’s why we need to focus on facts and not rhetoric when it happens.
I’m not going to a truck driver nor any other non-medical personnel for advice on what to do when I’m endangered by a pandemic.
If the protesters feel we don’t need government, then we should demolish our schools, lay off our highly skilled scientists and let a pandemic wipe out humanity. That’s not freedom. That’s an irrational rebellion against the foundation of knowledge and civilization — against society at large.
These protesting truckers and their new-found friends should stay in their lane.
With all of the protest noise coming from Ottawa and across the country, people who truly love freedom must not allow it to be tampered with, misused and misplaced, writes Mulugeta Dilnesahu
www.therecord.com
