FREEDOM IS WORTH DEFENDING AT ANY COST
(Whitehorse Star, November 3, 2000)

by Jane Gaffin

November 11 marks Remembrance Day in Canada and Veteran's Day in the United States.

Lest we forget, the one day of the year is set aside to honour Americans and Canadians who served in the armed forces and other war-effort capacities to protect civil rights and liberties for both countries.

The two world wars were fought a long time ago, and perhaps our cherished rights are taken too much for granted these days.

A young woman once showed contempt for the subject by sticking a finger in her mouth and pretended to gag. She is entitled to her personal belief and expression only because somebody died protecting the freedom for her.

An 89-year-old man, a former trapper, who fought for our rights during the Second World War, doesn't think the subject is hokey.

Excerpts from a letter written to Whitehorse resident Allen Carlos were read by the recipient at a recent fund-raising event.

The meeting was hosted by the Responsible Firearms Owners Coalition to raise money to pay Mr. Carlos' legal expenses to fight an unwarranted court case.

Last February, the police conducted a surprise raid on the family's home, seized his gun collection and charged him with three firearms violations.

On the enclosed cheque under memo, the benefactor wrote "For Justice".

Then Mr. Carlos read from his letter: "Hi, Al, I didn't know what you were talking about when we met out at the pull-out a week or so ago.

"I hadn't read a paper about you being searched and charged. I hope this small donation will help your fight.

"Our government is following the exact footsteps of Germany in 1930. I'll be 89 on December 1st this year (2000), and those days are still vivid to me.

"We fought to be free of the menace and now our government is taking it all away. Why is beyond me. I hope for the best."

Freedom is the easiest thing to give away and the hardest thing to get back. Even shakier for Canadians is personal rights have never been carved into a constitution like the rights of the American cousins, who are having to fight against their erosion.

"(But) we have, more or less, enjoyed the same rights and freedom by virtue of the fact that the country is so vast, the population so sparse, and until recently, the government quite absent from our personal lives," wrote the B.C-based editor of Liberty Free Press. (Unfortunately, this web site is no longer in existence but maybe will be reborn someday).

"Canadians have enjoyed a sort of de facto style of economic and political freedom for centuries," continued Scott Carpenter, who thrives on spanking the state's bottom for its oppressive behaviour.

The government has taken on the slow-motion, dangerous practice of stomping on freedoms by confiscating and/or denying Canadians the right to own certain properties.

Today, right under our noses, the government is taking away church assets, rights to hold mineral claims and personal property like firearms; tomorrow it will be real estate (land and houses), vehicles, gold, art, or whatever.

It is a dangerous and misleading assumption for the Liberal government to believe Canadians are docile, obedient and submissive, Mr. Carpenter submitted.

"We are rational, intelligent human beings. As such, we know when we are being lied to, and we know when we are having our rights trampled by those in places of political power."

Mr. Carpenter believes that Ottawa has mistaken Canadian patience for naivete and apathy. He also notes that a time comes when patience and self-control cease to be virtues.

The right to ownership of private and real property are the cornerstones of freedom. Losing the right to own personal property spells totalitarianism.

"Property is a central economic institution of any society," writes author and intellect David Friedman, "and private property is the central institution of a free society."

Mr. Carpenter specifically lambasted the federal government over the contentious issue of a firearms act that interferes with people's rights to own property.

"When peaceful and moral citizens of a nation have so little respect for their own system of law that they would rather spend time in prison than comply with it, we have, at least, given a giant kick in the teeth to the current government, and at most, planted the seeds of revolution."

"Wars have been fought over much less," he reminded in reference to a series of protests and actions taken by the colonists from 1763 to 1783 to thwart England's attempts to increase power over them. "The American Revolution was fought over a small tax on tea."

The angry colonists threw all the tea overboard into the harbour. The Boston Tea Party sparked the War of Independence in 1775.

The U.S. Navy sailed into its first battle flying Philip Gadsen's flag which the South Carolina delegate had presented to the Second Continental Congress in 1776.

Beneath the insignia of a coiled, open-mouthed rattlesnake ready to strike was the commandment: Don't Tread on Me.

The American colonies gained independence from England in 1783.

George Washington, commander of the
Revolutionary Army, was elected first president to the United States under the new Constitution. One of his favourite mottos was: "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."

Mr. Carpenter may have those words posted on his bulletin board along with a phrase coined in the heat of patriotism by statesman Patrick Henry: "Give me liberty or give me death."

The method recommended by U.S president (1901 to 1909) Theodore Roosevelt for preserving peace and liberties was "speak softly and carry a big stick."

On November 11, or anytime, it is worth pondering the sage adages of the masters as well as the wisdom penned by Charles Province.

"It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press.
"It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech.
"It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.
"It is the soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
"It is the soldier who salutes the flag, who serves under the flag and whose coffin is draped by the flag who allows the protester to burn the flag."

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