No room for hate on campaign trail

As the federal election campaign unfolds, heading inexorably on towards voting day on Sept. 20, the tenor of public debate and protest in Canada has taken a disturbing turn.

While various candidates have come forward with stories of harassment and heckling, it is Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau who seems to be the biggest lightning rod for anger and dissent.

At campaign stops in communities west of Toronto last week, Trudeau was harangued and shouted down at nearly every turn.

Some of the abuse screamed at him and his supporters is not fit to print.

He has had threats against his life and members of his security detail have had racial epithets hurled their way.

NASTY BEHAVIOUR

Seemingly driven by their opposition to mandatory vaccinations, mask protocols and lockdowns during COVID19, the protesters have been nasty and vociferous.

At one campaign stop, a man held a placard that seemed to express a concern common among the crowd: “Today: No mask, no entry. Tomorrow: No vaccine, no job. Someday soon: No microchip, no rights.”

Another man screamed at a family with a toddler wearing a mask, saying “Let that kid breathe fresh air… That is sickening!”

Now, let’s be perfectly clear. We live in a democratic country and Canadians have the right to free speech. You don’t like Trudeau’s stand on mandatory vaccinations for civil servants or train and plane passengers and crew? By all means, make your opposition heard. Vote accordingly.

The same goes for any of the positions espoused by the Conservative Party of Canada, the Green Party, the NDP, the Bloc Québécois — whoever.

But there is a huge difference between free speech and hate speech. And it should be of great concern to us all that, in this free and democratic country, an element of society — albeit a vocal minority — is advocating violence as a means of silencing candidates.

The chants of “Lock him up/F**k him up” and placards showing Trudeau with a hangman’s noose have no place in a civilized election campaign and are all too reminiscent of the blind fervour of Trump supporters to the south.

SAD DAY

Both Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh have denounced the violence and hate, and they should continue to call it out as the campaign continues.

The fact that Trudeau had to cancel a planned event in Bolton, Ont., because the police couldn’t guarantee public safety was a sad day in this country’s history.

Trudeau has tried to rise above the toxicity by sending a conciliatory message: “We need to meet that anger with compassion, because that’s what we do…as Canadians,” he said last week. “We’ve all had a difficult year. And those folks out protesting also had a difficult year.”

There are no excuses for this level of rage.

Come on, Canada. We’re better than this.