The right to ignore a bylaw doesn’t exist
By Letter to the Editor on April 22, 2021.
Editor: Recently, I and four other masked customers encountered a person in an aisle of a local hardware store who was not following the mask by-law imposed both by the City of Lethbridge and the province of Alberta. When I asked him why he was not following the order, he indicated that he was acting upon his rights and freedoms which he felt dictated a right to not wear a mask if he so chose.
He also indicated that our Canadian soldiers fought in World War One and World War Two so that we Canadians would have these rights and freedoms and he was honoring their commitment to our country. I tried to reason with him but he was very steadfast in his beliefs.
That got me thinking that perhaps this was the reasoning of all the other many people in Lethbridge and area who refuse to wear a mandated mask in public as so ordered.
Now, I must confess that I am not an expert on the Constituent Act of 1982, which outlines the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
However, when I looked into it, it was what I didn’t find that may be of interest to those people who think they can disregard the current provincial law and/or local by-law concerning the wearing of masks in public.
There are five charter freedoms and six charter rights and nowhere did I read that we had the right or freedom to disregard a legislated by-law (I went through it quick so maybe I missed that part.)
As for World War One, Canada entered this war because Britain did in 1914 to defend Belgium.
Canada entered on its own free will when it realized that Germany was becoming a threat to the existence of western civilizations.
These wars had nothing to do with the rights and freedoms of Canadian citizens per se, from what I can see. It is vital that all people get on board with the health protocol so that we may end this disgusting pandemic.
There is no valid reason that anyone should not be in compliance.
Kent Perry
Lethbridge
-1
Exactly. Selfish individuals refusing to wear a mask and social distance are contributing to the continuing assault on health and the death count. Throw in a few anti-vaxers and the end game is not even on the horizon.
Unfortunately as long as bylaws aren’t being enforced, people will always think they are above the law because there is no consequence to them for breaking it.
It’s no secret that it’s these guys who are spreading it and the MLAs who are dumb enough to support them. Refusing to listen to doctors has allowed Kenney to create the worse mess in Canada and his supporters are to blame.
I had lunch yesterday with nine of my friends in a park and one of them told us about his daughter, a nurse, going through hell in December when she contracted it. After the way Kenney has treated these doctors and nurses it’s amazing they haven’t all left. Thank God they haven’t I was in hospital three times in June. It shows how dedicated they are to put up with it.
It really is astounding that so-called rights and freedoms trump consideration and respect for other people……the ‘me,me,me’ mantra. What would Jesus do? Rights and freedoms or care and consideration for others? It would be the latter, of course.
well said!
while it is reassuring most people can express care and consideration for others by wearing a mask, we still have the oafs that are emotionally stuck in their twos and threes: me me me mine mine mine. rather than see a mask as an act of caring and compassion for another, they see it as an attack on their perceived right to the primacy of self. such immature ignoramuses are, obviously, quite incapable of seeing past the nose on their face.