Christie Blatchford is a "pull no punches" award-winning writer with the Globe and Mail newspaper. She offers a perspective on the Tamil protests today which might interest you.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Page/document/v5/templates/hub?searchText=blatchford&hub=Search&searchType=Quick&control=searchSimple&iaction.x=35&iaction.y=7
I too found it frightening to see children in the thick of it. This would be the last thing I would want my young children to witness. You simply don't jeopardize children's safety. It seems almost like mixing hatred and anger with just a touch of odd festivity which I would think would be confusing to a young mind.An odd kind of family day. I had associated the Tamil Tigers with violence and missing limbs and so I found it unsettling to see support for them here. I think this is the question of how much do we tolerate intolerance and its flip side of is there any longer anything that a multicultural society is not obligated to treat with a warm show of acceptance. I think there is nothing wrong with gathering the people in order to join voices, such as when people gathered over our local hospital, just not when the intention is to light a match and hold a city hostage.
ReplyDeleteI have been thinking about the public protests I have been part of through the years. In Bowmanville the hospital rally you mention, pupil, is one, and I have also rallied in opposition to an incinerator in Clarington.
ReplyDeleteIn Halifax we took part in marches through the streets that involved thousands opposed to the impending war in Iraq. These were all in cooperation with police.
Years ago we marched for Jesus, as part of the Christian festival held in Hamilton and again thousands of people were involved. So, as you point out, it has to do with the spirit of the event, and the possible dangers for innocent participants and bystanders.
I have started many comments and ended up erasing them. Protesting is a right we have in this country. Many times it upsets people and causes disruptions. Often times people are bullied by the police or arrested. It is one way for the peoples voice to be heard. I am for the right to protest and to learn about different peoples views on the world. Still not really saying want I want,but that would take pages.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this Laurie. Freedom of assembly and expression are important values in a democratic society. I cited the protests I have been involved in as a reminder that we sometimes feel compelled to respond to causes and situations we find important. In three of the four personal situations I mentioned, streets were closed for the protests, so presumably some people were inconvenienced.
ReplyDeleteWe should never take this right away. I'm with Premier McGuinty who invited the Tamil Canadians to assemble at Queen's Park -- minus the Tamil Tiger flags.