I've been thinking... yeah I know, scary thought... about what you may ask? We often hear and read about how great it is to live in a place like Canada or the States, how free we are. We have freedom of speech, free thinking, etc., but I can't help and wonder if we are truly free. Yes, I can express myself on this blog (and I do!), among my piers, but deep down am I really free to do so?
If I truly expressed my opinions or even some deep personal thoughts, would it churn some shit? I've been wondering about this.
We talked against dictatorship and such, and yet we are being pushed (with or without our participation) by our governments in directions that truly free people might not have followed. For example, our student strike (going on for months now) and their walks in protest of the tuition raises; when they started doing it every other days and being really vocal about their "cause", the government passed this bill prohibiting them to demonstrate on universities grounds and that 50 or more participants to any demonstration must let the police know about their path (read more about it,
here). We aren't being told what to do, like a dictator would order, but laws are being passed, smoothly, to prevent us from expressing ourselves. In the end, we're not
really free to express our opinions.
I know we could have it a lot worst. But I have this feeling that slowly (but surely) things are changing here and it may not be all for the best.
2 comments:
Yes, I read about your student protests and am appalled by the high handedness of the Provincial government. I hope things don't continue along that trend but having lived in Canada, I can only say that I felt exhilarated by your freedom that is not found in my own country. For example, until recently, it is illegal for a university student to be a member of a political party or to attend a political rally. Recently, they made it legal but in the same stroke gave Universities the power to expel students for the same. I can even be jailed for something someone else wrote on my blog if the comments are deemed anti-government - any criticism of the government can be declared seditious.
So appreciate your freedom and fight to keep it. I remember walking, talking and living free in Canada with great fondness.
lgsquirrel: I do appreciate the freedom we (think) have here.
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