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Keeping us safe or winning votes?

Opinion

We doubt there are many who were not outraged by the attacks on Parliament Hill last Oct. 22. It’s unthinkable, really, that a gunman could fatally wound an innocent man and then make his way inside Parliament intent on inflicting more harm and terror. Thankfully, our security forces acted swiftly, bringing the gunman down and saving further loss of life.

It was indeed a shocking time. As Canadians, we were left with a lot of questions, mainly how did this happen and whether or not we truly felt secure in our own communities.

Enter now the controversy around the Conservative government’s Bill C-51, its anti-terror legislation. Canadians from coast to coast are talking about it, and many say it is undemocratic, too strict and cuts at the very heart of our collective freedom. Tens of thousands rallied against the bill across Canada last Saturday, with more than 200 gathered in Sechelt in front of MP John Weston’s office.

Weston provided insight into the bill for us this week. He said the bill is designed to protect Canadians’ security so we can all enjoy our freedom and that it is designed to strike at one kind of freedom — the freedom of terrorists to operate against Canadian interests.

We doubt there are many people who don’t agree we should actively fight terrorists for inflicting harm on innocent people, and we know many are up in arms over protecting security, but did that much really change in our community last October after the attacks in Ottawa? Are we less free now than we were before?

There is a federal election coming up this October and we, like many, suspect this bill is designed for the Conservatives to flex their muscles and show they are getting tough on crime in order to win some votes.

But when Weston counters opposition by saying a community that lacks security cannot enjoy its freedom and that people who understand the need for enhanced security arrangements are in the majority according to polls and are not inclined to demonstrate their support in the streets, we really have to question this government’s motivations.

We are all for protecting freedoms and making sure our communities are safe, but at what cost? If some of our rights and freedoms are challenged by this bill and taken away from us, it’s like the terrorists are winning.

This should be about keeping the peace not about trying to win favour at the ballot box.