Let’s take the maple leaf back from protesters
By Lethbridge Herald on June 25, 2022.
Editor:
At the height of the protests that embarrassed us globally, the Canadian flag was popping up in people’s yards, on their vehicles, in their businesses – places where previously, no patriotism had ever been displayed.
Our beloved maple leaf had been commandeered and misappropriated by the so-called ‘freedom fighters’ – until the war in Ukraine silenced them in their claim that Canadians are so hard done by.
I’m sure I was not alone in wanting to ‘fight back’ by displaying a Canadian flag to say instead, “I’m happy being Canadian and am grateful to live here; with all our political skirmishes and differences of opinion, I am safe and free, and proud of my country. I do not support these freedom fighters – they have no idea how much freedom we enjoy.”
It saddened me that to display my flag with patriotism now risked being misconstrued as supporting those dis-patriots.
On seeing a Canadian flag in any new location, now I felt only dismay and frustration. Grateful appreciative peace-loving Canadians are not likely to mount visible, let alone disruptive, and eventually violent, protests. How then to take a stand?
As Canada Day approaches, there is a way for proud and grateful Canadians to take back the flag. I suggest we take the approach of the leprechaun: By flooding his forest with ribbons, the crafty elf snuffed out the significance of the one ribbon that had been used to mark the tree under which the cache was buried. Let’s flood our neighbourhoods with Canadian flags – vehicles, windows, fences and flagpoles! Display the maple leaf with pride – flip the tables, so that the ‘freedom fighters’ might then take down their flags for fear of being thought to appreciate this wonderful country!
Brenda Blair
Lethbridge
10-9
Not sure where you get the “ eventually violent protest” from.The violence I saw was doled out by authorities. Planted guns at the Coutts border is not violence. Court proceedings don’t happen there because seems to be a difficulty procuring “evidence “. That supposed sting operation had the desired effect ,but now victims are languishing in jail because of it.No court proceedings ,no justice.
How stupid are you? Where do you get the idea that they were planted guns. These guns were capable of killing many people in a matter of seconds like we are seeing in the U.S. The Ottawa stupidity has cost taxpayers $36 million and you don’t care, but then I guess believing every lie these Reformers feed you is all you know, right?
Maybe you should read this” Coutts Arrests: new details of the men and women charged in border blockade” Planning to kill RCMP Officers but old school doesn’t think it’s a crime. Maybe they should throw his ass in jail also.
How stupid are you?? The same picture of the guns showed up a year earlier at some kind of fiasco in Red Deer. Also ,Now the cops can’t seem to be able to “disclose” evidence for the trial . Lawyers are waiting to scrutinize evidence that doesn’t exist it seems.So don’t call me stupid, when I’m dealing with facts.
Are you referring to the guns seized in Red Deer in June 2021?
I also thought oldschool’s claim that the guns seized at Coutts were planted was, in a word, sketchy. So I followed up. According reporting by the Red Deer Advocate and several other news outlets, a cache of guns was seized in Red Deer in June 2021, however on the basis of the published image they were not the same collection of weapons seized at Coutts.
I’m betting you knew that before you asked the question.
You certainly have it right. There is no question that they aren’t the same weapons but old school isn’t that smart . I doubt he even bothered to try to research it . He isn’t that smart either.
Ahhh the conspiracy follows eh? LOL
What does all the border/covid ongoing harassment cost? Checking people re-entering Canada, forced checking, isolating ,threats of arrest and fines up to $5000.00 for non- compliance! Yes ,this BS is still going on !And some people think we are free in this country. That’s not what our flag stands for.
Interesting how you give false info for your rants. Public health and safety measures do not violate freedom. You want your version of “freedom” then perhaps you need to move to Russia or better yet North Korea or China.
Old School, sorry, but your suggestion that we don’t live in a free country is not correct. In a number of decisions, including those dealing with same-sex marriage, assisted dying, the right the strike, prostitution, First Nations’ treaty rights and Aboriginal rights, the Supreme Court of Canada has expanded not contracted rights.
the question remains to be answered: why, in a free society, do we need to have govts and courts determine the legality of the examples you have referenced, and many other similarly based concerns, that have to do with what should be the inherent rights of adults to their body, their conscience, and to consensual interactions with other adults (limited of course to where such choices do not infringe on the rights of another)?
While conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre continues to prove what a fool he is he is promoting a return of the truckers to Ottawa on Canada Day and doesn’t give a damn about it will cost taxpayers. In addition is promising, in true Reform Party Fashion to destroy jobs ,not create them, by scraping 7,500 jobs for the CBC and firing the head of the Bank of Canada. Trying to blame him for an international inflation disaster he had had nothing to do with. That’s how stupid this guy is. The Covid pandemic and the Ukrainian war are the problem. In other words there is nothing conservative about this fool. He is just another fake conservative.
Agree 100% Brenda. These so called “Freedom” nut cases abuse the flag and the term freedom in a pathetic way. When I see a vehicle with a flag(s) I look at it with disgust wondering if it is one of the fringe who care only for themselves and not their fellow Canadians who follow rules for their health and welfare. Having served and having family members that serve this country in protecting our freedoms and way of life I feel these few degenerates disgrace the flag and the word and meaning of “freedom”. Self interest groups selfish agendas with threats and demands on the vast majority, and their protest means to disrupt others to conform is not democratic. Using miss- information and conspiracy mixed with racism and threats hardly conveys proper protest means for just cause but brings shame to national symbols and ideals. The Canadian flag meant pride and freedom until a fringe brought shame to these vary ideologies and words.
The true conservatives in my world certainly agree with you. It’s these damn phoney conservatives, Reformers, who are the problem along with these fools who support them. But then as our retired RCMP officer friends point out. It’s a well known fact that many seniors have a horrible reputation for being easy to fool. Con artists and politicians have been doing it for years.
Todays conservative members are not the conservative movement of the past. People like the CCP intern leader and our own local MP Rachael Thomas are trying to emulate the US Republican morons like Majorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz and yes Trump in an effort to make a nome for themselves and claim to be for the people. They give air space to people who claim to be “ the peoples voice”. Groups like the so called “Freedom Convoy” and now the like minded #Freedom Movement lead by a pathetic trio of former CF Warrant James Topp, Paul Alexander, and Tom Marazzo (later two are past convoy swindlers) who were granter said time with several Conservative MPs. These three continue to push the fringe agenda with a hope to legitimize their conspiracy crap upon the rest of use Canadians and continue to use “Freedom” and the Canadian flag and symbols as their tool. Topp is using his walk across Canada and end in Ottawa at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as a show stunt for his anti vax crusade. In a news meeting he even brought up Terry Foxxs mane as his start point for the run beginings. He said he speaks foe all CF members and the like bt one thing for sure he does not speak for me and my 36 years service. As for the Conservative lackies who gave him a pathetic platform for his rants… the conservatives of today do not speak for me and will never vote for them as I have had in the past. I never left the party the party left me.
Sorry for some errors…spell checker would be nice 😡
No problem we get what you mean and you are certainly right. Unlike old school who isn’t smart enough to see it and gets no support from anyone yet isn’t smart enough to figure out why.
The fact is they aren’t the conservatives we proudly supported under Lougheed and Getty they are reformers and are only interested in looking after themselves and their rich friends. They help the rich steal our oil and tax wealth in an attempt to buy votes, and to replace the money they are giving away they try to force us into a lot more privatization like Klein did. The former MLAs that I got to know considered the reformers to be their and the publics worse enemy and they have certainly proven it.
While I sympathize with your position and would never use the flag the way some people have recently, you have to remember it’s not your flag or mine, it’s all of ours. They use it to express their opinions and get attention and emotions and it works, which is their right. Think of all the countries in the world where you can’t and be grateful you’re in one that can.
IS THE UNITED STATES CLOSER TO CIVIL WAR?
It is a question that is being asked more and more often these days in the European and world MSM media.
The question is not whether there will be a conflict, but who will take part in it and who will win in the end?
And it’s not just the United States, but the conflicts of ordinary people and the ruling elite around the world. Steve King described it nicely, while still a congressman from Iowa, he tweeted a picture of red and blue America in the war, with the verse: “People are constantly talking about another civil war. One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the other side doesn’t knows which bathroom to use “.
The conflict, which on the surface seems so unequal, is not as one-sided as it seems at first glance. It is unequal, but it is also very asymmetrical. The people have weapons and are in the majority. The elite that rules from the shadows has money, technology, corrupt politicians who are ready at any moment to use their brutal police to protect the interests of their employers.
The best example of this is the events in Ottawa, where truckers, along with the people, peacefully tried to fight for their rights, not wanting to use force.
The response of the elite was immediate, they first weakened the convoys ’financial networks by simply closing their fundraising accounts. A small group of anonymous hackers also tortured the convoy organizers by interrupting their communication lines.
When this did not give them the expected results, they used the police, who in an extremely brutal way managed to stop the protests, arrest the organizers and confiscate their property, and block the bank accounts of many people who took part in the protests.
Other countries responded to similar protests with direct attacks – the French, Australians, New Zealand, Italy immediately used force and threw tear gas at their people, and the United States called in the National Guard before the truckers even came to Washington.
That way they managed to win the first battle, but not the war.
On the other hand, we have the example of the people of Ecuador who do not hesitate to respond by force, and there are currently fierce battles whose final outcome is still unknown, although there are announcements that the people will win.
Popular resistance is increasingly occurring in all countries of the world, but it is also taking shape and manner:
the time of peaceful protests is over, if you want to stay alive in democracy and enjoy freedom and human rights with the blood won from previous generations, the time has come to stand oup openly and without fear, if you are an honest engineer, doctor, programmer, policeman, soldier, etc. .the time has come to organize and join the struggle for survival, a struggle that will allow your children and grandchildren to live freely, not in the fear and suffering imposed by the sickly pathocratic regime currently trying to rule the world. To respond to them in the way they apply to us.
Currently, neither side has an absolute advantage. Neither side can win easily. But one fact is clear, it all depends on us individuals and our will and desire in what kind of world we want to live.
As radio host Alex Jones said, “We need to understand that we are under attack, and we need to understand that this is a war in the 21st century and that we need to put ourselves on a war basis.”
The battle has begun and will be fought everywhere. No one will be exempt from it.
To quote a nut case like Alex Jones is just plain stupid.
Where did you get this cut & paste this garbage, flushy? Thanks again for showing the world what a paranoid dumbass you are.
love you too
WATERHEAD! How’s it going? Been a while since I heard your verbal-sewage on here!
Authoritarianism is now here to stay! So sad so many Canadians have their eyes wide-shut to it!
indeed, it is astonishing so many people can still place so much faith in serial liars and thieves, be it govt or big corp. eyes wide shut indeed.
Quoting Info Wars is hardly a reliable source of material. But then again, one must consider the writer.
If you had been in Ottawa to witness as I was (for the first few days) , the convoy was anything but “peaceful”. Confederate flags alongside upside down Maple Leafs, Swastikas, noise blaring 24/7, public nuisance , threats made to soup kitchen employees and all in the cause of “Freedom”.
This began with a reasonable mandate but was hijacked by people openly calling for government overthrow.
But perhaps that is what you want?
You should be glad we live in a society where you can protest, call out the government, insult the flag without fear of arrest. (The subsequent arrests occurred after several weeks of harassment and ongoing disruption)
Perhaps a visit to North Korea, Russia, Iran would be in order to observe what lack of freedom is all about.
we are now entering the next stage of subjugate and control the masses by upcoming food shortages and control management of all other good by claiming supply chain problems which were started by fuel prices and inflated prices of trucks. follow history, it repeats with nuances
quite right – it is the energy lie, again. recall how fuel prices caused much the same back in the later 70s and into the 80s…only then it was about the planet;s oil supplies being almost gone. haha! you can fool the public all time, really. now energy is high because of the rus.ukr war accepting cartels as being fair and honest instruments of economics is quite stupid – and they have cooked the price of oil and gas. our puppet govts are complicit.