This is in response to the letter “Paranoid Party” (April 10 issue of the Western News) written by Dan Tymchuk of OK Falls. First of all, I really hate it when someone puts words in my mouth. Never in any of my correspondences have I ever mentioned Stephen Harper wishing to get rid of medicare, the RCMP, the CBC or the supreme court. This is something another letter writer mentioned in her letter. All of those things occurred back in the 90s when Harper was a member of the Reform Party.
I am not privy to any information not available to others. My information comes from close observation of what has been occurring in Ottawa, coupled with the internet and the media.
Tymchuk asked for a viable alternative, so here is one. Bill C-51 is not necessary. Period. If ISIS lands on Canadian soil (which is highly unlikely), we have the Emergency Act (formerly known as the War Measures Act) to fall back on. This act was instituted during the FLQ crisis in 1970. The Emergency Act, for those of you who do not know about it, is a measure that can be taken to temporarily, and I stress the word temporarily, restrict the rights of Canadians until the situation can be dealt with and perpetrators caught. Bill C-51 will permanently restrict the rights of Canadians, or at least until a different party can be elected to squash it.
Maybe Mr. Tymchuk has no problem having his rights slowly stripped away. I have a huge problem with it. If people have no problems with bill C-51, maybe they should pack up their troubles in their old kit bag and move to China, where little to no human rights is the norm.
Mark Billesberger
Penticton