Commentary
The blasphemy and hostility directed at NDP leader Jagmate Singh by a small group of protesters in Peterborough last week was ugly and alarming, but of federal leaders who repeatedly sought political capital through divisive rhetoric. You need to put some of your responsibilities at your feet.
These leaders show a lack of empathy for those who do not support their views. Justin Trudeau threw his first stone when he labeled the vaccine as hesitant as a racist or misogynist. This was also reflected in the government’s characterization of the Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. The use of such derogatory words against one’s own citizens is an unnecessary and harmful insult and now bears some anxious fruit.
Politicians are not beyond criticism and should be exposed to the harshest criticism if their decisions and policies do not serve the best interests of Canadians. It is the job of politicians to ensure that our basic principles of democracy are not compromised, if nothing else. But after two years of blockades, missions, and government control, there is a very realistic sense that freedom and moral democracy are being eroded at an unprecedented rate.
You can’t legislate this apart
As a result of the case with Shin, there is now talk of drafting legislation to curb protests. But the temptation to legislate this and impose more restrictions around the protest only stirs up the increasingly unstable flames of division and anger.
Legislation does not restore public confidence or change the views of deprived people. Like the Emergency Law, it is an unnecessarily laborious approach to problems that can be solved through honest and serious dialogue, which is terribly lacking in recent public discourse.
The utopian vision entertained by the political elite cannot be realized by further limiting freedom of expression. It only drives unprecedented people further underground, where they will become more dangerous and aggressive in their tactics. This is not what Canada needs after a pandemic.
Moral highlands
There are moral heights to get. A principled, humble and open-minded approach to leadership, rather than a self-expanding and virtuous signal that is currently passing through morals.
Politicians need to raise the bar for discourse, rather than returning to the lowest common denominator of derogatory and insulting. It is troublesome and dishonest, destroying the country by creating divisions where nothing is. Politicians have used this divide-and-conquer law for short-term political gains, and they are now seeing the ugly consequences of this ploy. The swell of anger began to darken, as Shin could prove.
Canadians don’t want to feel that they are part of a fragmented country, so they are fooled into assuming that our enemies live within us. They want to be united, strong, and free. Canadians need moral and sincere leadership to get the best out of their citizens.Politicians who can listen without blaming the concerns of their members and admit their mistakes instead of blaming them are on the broader segment of mid-sized Canadians who are hungry for their positive, unified vision. You will love it
Citizens should rely on rational debate, avoiding insults and the temptations of unrestrained emotions, while openly asserting their right to free speech. They will gain the sympathy and support of their compatriots and deprive politicians of preying on overly emotional and irrational hostility towards Shin. Vitriol only establishes opposition and justifies their position.
It is the responsibility of all citizens to enhance their ethical behaviour, but it is the sacred duty of politicians to set an example by embodying the founding ethical principles of democracy they have inherited.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
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Ryan Moffat is a Vancouver-based journalist.