Dear Editor,
The other day while at work (as a Driver Examiner) I saw a person walk into the office with an eight-inch blade hunting knife and with another smaller knife on his belt. I personally noted that certain people were feeling unsafe with this person and his arsenals of weaponry. He did not look like a trapper that just came out of the woods, he looked like a hillbilly making a statement. He was dressed in blue jeans and a checkered shirt covered with a leather vest, his hair was long enough that it covered his ears and the beard was scruffy and didn’t cover his facial features very well.
Is this a freedom that we have in Canada that we use weapons as an expression? Even if it is legal to do so, is it ok to do these things just to prove a point? And if it is, then the question needs to be asked, do we have the freedom in Canada to express ourselves to the point of placing fear in other people by the actions of our freedoms, or is there a freedom in Canada that overrides the freedom of expression?
In my opinion when someone wears weapons in public as a statement and expression that forces others to relinquish their freedom of public gathering or performing business without fear of violence or seemingly threat thereof, that at this point this freedom of expression has violated the freedom of doing business or gathering in public without fear of violence.
This person that I saw and later talked to about him wearing things in public that are inappropriate for the situation at hand. He just responded with a statement that this was his right as a Canadian to wear his knives wherever he wanted to.
He did say that he was once arrested in Chilliwack and that about twenty cops had surrounded him with weapons drawn and cocked ready to shoot. He did also say that this type of confrontation had been scary to him. My personal thoughts were that if you feel that your rights were violated by the right to bear arms by the RCMP. And the was scared when they decided to point their weapons towards him, then he needs to start thinking about how he is violating others freedoms that have a much less tolerance for items of danger, i.e. big hunting knives.
In a land with many different kinds of people, cultures and religious beliefs we as a society need to recognize our differences as unique and it is these differences that makes our country such a wonderful country. We learn daily how to consider others more important then ourselves, so we open the door for a stranger, we bend down to pick up a dropped item for someone from a different culture. This is who Canadians are. We are hospitable because we don’t see our differences as things to be afraid of but we rather consider others before we get dressed in the morning and we do this so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have. We also do this to ensure others can enjoy the same freedoms.
Our Canadian flag is a symbol of peace and safety across the globe. Thus it behooves us to act in such a manner at all times because we represent this flag whether we are religious, or not, whether we are of different skin colour or not, and we are still representatives of the Canadian flag, representatives of Canada and the people that so dwell in this vast land of great blessings. We are truly a country that is rich in culture, religion and beliefs. Even though we are different, as Canadians we choose to live, work and play in peace regardless of our differences. As for me, I love seeing how our differences really are a strength to us as Canadians.
May the God of heaven and earth inspire you today to lift each other up and serve each other with all dignity and strength that he gives you each day.
From a Christian brother to all Canadians.
Abe Wiebe
LaCrete, AB
