Send a message with your vote
As tens of thousands of refugees from Syria leave their homeland to protect their children and elderly from civil war and the unrelenting terror of ISIS, many cry out for help while others die on their long trek to freedom and a better life in western Europe.
In masses they are crawling, shoving, inching their way to destinations in Austria and Germany. The free world watched their plight unfold from a distance, witnessed their agony, their loss of life, their treatment and their hunger for food, shelter and decency and, each day, more and more witnesses to this world travesty are voicing their outrage, disgust and disappointment with countries’ leaders who are failing to show compassion and humanity when it is needed most. When will they learn that borders, walls, weapons, dictators or politicians cannot stop the will of the human spirit to survive, and if they try, it will only get stronger.
Recently, Canadians have witnessed the will and desire of the human spirit to survive and it has been inspirational to many. So much so that they are now voicing their outrage at Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his negative stand on the refugee crisis. His reasoning seems to be ill-conceived and suggests that the only solution is to defeat ISIS first with continued air strikes, and that should help the refugees to return to their homelands. In the meantime, let’s not be too hasty and accept thousands of refugees.
Another proposal by the government is to allow 10,000 refugees entrance to Canada over the next three years while stating at the same time that there are protocols in place which have to be followed. Obviously, following political procedures, rules and regulations are far more important to the PM and his government than reaching out during a time of world crisis. Harper can never be accused of being a “world leader” by any stretch of the imagination.
Meanwhile, Tom Mulcair, leader of the NDP, and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau are both promoting large-scale assistance immediately, which seems to be resonating across the country. Good on them.
Even if the government of Canada doesn’t recognize the immediate response to accept refugees now, we have a responsibility as Canadians, as a society and as individuals to reach out to refugees migrating through Europe and do something immediately, to let the prime minister know and the world know that Canadians do care and are willing to bring refugees to Canada — not in three years or five years or 10 years, but now when they need it most.
Canada no longer lives in isolation from the world and its events, as we once did. This is our problem as much as it is Europe’s problem. Nothing will ever be achieved by rejection, putting up walls, standing by, watching and never acting to make a positive difference in our world and in how we carry ourselves.
What action will you take? There is something that we still have a right to do as individuals in Canada. We can still vote to make significant changes in how we live and who we want to represent us on the world stage. Canadians can show how they feel about the current Conservative government by voting no to electing Conservatives to the Parliament of Canada.
As we have seen many times in the past few years, they have lost touch with reality and with the people of Canada. They just don’t get it.
Canadians do get it and we do have a very important decision to make as a country. Your vote and my vote in the federal election can send a powerful message to politicians and to future governments of Canada, that management of the country is not a God-given right, nor does it come from any politician, premier, prime minister or the Prime Minister’s Office, but rather is a right given by the people of Canada to those who have their trust, but which can be taken away when they fail to act on the will of Canadians.
That time has arrived for the Conservative Party of Canada and its leader, Stephen Harper. P.J. Dwyer Gander