Oppression and Suppression

Dawn rises and the G20 Summit in Toronto is underway as I open my eyes to a hot, humid bedroom and a large amount of new RSS links on my facebook page. Social media has led me to have hope in that my voice against the current government is being heard. That is, until I read that the police in Toronto were being granted special privileges to search anyone on sight without means or reason, and to arrest those who refused. This is not only a direct violation of our charter of rights and freedoms but that of almost every peace accord in the world. Searching unarmed (or possibly armed) protesters and passersby without means to is not only unlawful it is also unjust. I have the constitutional right to refuse search without warrant, but that seems to have been forgotten in light of oppressing whatever protests might be going on in the downtown core.

The government seems scared of what is coming today and this weekend: they seem to be so worried about the country speaking out against what has been going on these past few years (and currently as the gulf oil crisis continues and we as Canadians do nothing) and simply just want to showboat for the other major countries. We seem to have so much to offer as a country yet we close off most of the busiest city in Canada to construct an elaborate guise to cover up the true nature of Toronto: polluted, full of crime and albeit a very culturally diverse place to live; it is loaded with unemployment. Toronto has its own problems, the G20 theirs. Disguising the tumultuous city that is the big T Dot so that we seem better as a country is almost as bad as portraying Canadians as proud, raucous people who drink all the time and worship the beaver; but Oh, wait: that's what we did at the Olympics.

And even then, protesting was 'kept' to a minimum and voices were silenced. People who wanted to voice their concerns were hushed and told that they were being unpatriotic by embarassing their country during a time when all eyes were on Canada.

Unpatriotic. It's a word often used to undermine the activists of our country when the protests are 'inconvenient' to the government or the appearance of the country. But the truth is, that patriotism is exactly that: voicing our opinions and concerns when it is so duly NEEDED. And folks, it is duly needed now: the world's eyes are on Canada, and we have to stick up for ourselves: we cannot count on our shameful Prime Minister and government to do that.

As for myself, I think it's probably a really good thing I'm not at the G20. I'd be screaming, fighting, causing such a hell that the police would just HAVE to throw me in jail. Cause, you know, I'd be hurting the image of Canada. So instead I sit here, comfortably, and contribute back into a system that is failing, a country that is in hiding from speaking out; all the while hoping that my dear friends, who took up their right to protest whatever it is they feel needs changed, stay safe and come home without criminal records.