[OT] Re:Byron Sonne....

[Mike Kallies]

On 2/26/2011 12:28 PM, Digimer wrote:
> Next, in a democracy, there is the right to decent. Arguably, ever
> protester diverted resources away from security of the fence. I know I
> am being extreme with this, but would you say that every one of the
> 1,100 protester deserved be kettled, arrested and held? 900 of which
> were never charged in the end. 

Hello Digimer,

I hate to pick on this, but you're falling into the media's language trap.

There were very, very, very few "protestors"

We were mostly "demonstrators."

There were a lot of different ideas on the ground, but they shared a
theme.  Families and friends of people from countries around the world
who were living in oppressive governments hit the streets and
demonstrated how harmless freedom of speech and expression was.

In turn the Canadian government showed the world that Canada does not
value freedom of expression, that even if you proclaim to be a free
society, it's okay to pass temporary, secret laws and arrest people
without cause.  That firing teargas on crowds is okay, that military
like posturing of police forces is what a freedom loving society does,
and that there needs to be a barrier between the halls of government and
the people of a democracy.

Oppressive nations of the world came away with videos and anecdotes
fuelling propaganda, supporting their positions and were given no reason
to listen to the families of the people they were oppressing.

It was a lost opportunity.  We all as Canadians share a deep, deep
shame.  Even those who don't believe that we did anything wrong.

All this said, Byron was in a minority, but he's a good anecdote for
China to say "Well, you know, Canada had this guy who was testing the
system, and they locked him away for a long time.  We do the same.
We're much like Canada, a freedom loving society."


-Mike
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