Excerpt from Canadian Firearms Digest V1 #974 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Sep 1997 11:08:33 -0600 From: owner-cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca To: cdn-firearms-digest@broadway.sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Subject: Cdn-Firearms Digest V1 #974 Reply-to: cdn-firearms-digest@sfn.saskatoon.sk.ca Date: Mon, 1 Sep 1997 20:25:42 -0600 From: "GoPlayer Kootenay" <Kootenay@goplay.com> Subject: Is Our Government a Legitimate One? This is really just the beginning of what I hope will turn into true multi-logue among not only the RFC, but the Canadian people: What makes a government, at any level, "legitimate"? Is it a line or two in some Statute Book or Constitution, or is it the Continued Assent of The People That Are Governed? I think it's the second choice; our current government at the Canadian federal level thinks it's the first choice. It IS "against the law" to advocate, or to attempt, the ousting of the Canadian government by any method except by the process of voting. These laws were framed in a day when the ideals of Democracy were held high by Government, and the rights of the individual were of the order that the Libertarian movement advocate today. Government RESPECTED the wishes of the people, and generally didn't try to do any propaganda to mould public opinion (except in time of war against the common foe). In turn, the People respected their Government(s) and their laws and statutes, because their elected representatives truly strove to REPRESENT their constituents, and their concerns. Prime Ministers did not beat up on MPs that spoke their minds in favour of the folks "back home" in the Riding. Members of Parliament and Legislatures were honour-bound to resign at the first hint of involvement in Scandal. Times have changed. The Canadian People no longer respect their government, by and large. They do not believe that their elected representatives are much better than confidence-men. Canadians know that MP's and Members of Legislatures will follow what the Party Leader and his Cabinet decree. Ministers and Members no longer think of Scandal as something repugnant to Honour -- just as a temporary embarrassment. Their Leaders rarely pressure them to resign. Democracy is a mere shell of what it once was. Justice peeks through her blindfold when it suits her. Canadian Government has lost its legitimacy. It no longer has the True Assent of the People; it keeps its power by increasing its level of visible intimidation of the People, relying on Rule-by-Statute and Orders-In-Council. Canadians increasingly are afraid of their Government. And the Government knows that. In turn, the Government is increasingly estranged from the People, and passes Laws to coerce "desired behaviour", rather than Good Law that is a REFLECTION of the Peoples' morals and standards. I'm sure most of you have noticed the steep rise in the use of SWAT units to attend incidents where conventional uniformed police officers would have been the norm a decade ago. I'm certain that you have noticed an increasing lack-of-regard by the police for the rights of the Public. I know that most of you are aware that the police are tending to over-react in many clearly non-threatening situations -- take the Chilliwack BB gun incident, for example. And our police do what they are told by their bosses. Just like good little Germans did what they were told by their bosses not so long ago. Good little Canadians are becoming "good little Germans". Only the uniforms are different. When the Russians had had enough of their pre-1917 totalitarian royalist regime, they backed an equally-repressive revolutionary Communist regime. It took them over 70 years to dump that one. People will always opt for a "change", when they are pushed far enough. Bills C-17 and C-68 are just two examples of the Canadian government's thinking, "Perhaps the People *have* been pushed nearer the breaking point". It's food for careful thought. And speech. Shhhhh! - ------------------------------------------------------