Re: “Name calling undermines activism,” March 26
In my lifetime I have been called many names over my concern for the social, environmental, political and economic issues which have arisen in Canada. At one point the BC government labelled me as a member of a “special interest group” (e.g. a teacher, a senior citizen). More recently, under federal legislation, I could qualify as an “environmental terrorist”. Under the proposed Bill C51 legislation I could be branded simply as a “terrorist”. Now, according to Mr. Tyrone Anderson in last week’s Castlegar News, I am a “hobby activist” for taking part in a protest against Bill C51.
As Canadians we have not only the right, but it is our duty to hold our elected representatives accountable for the policies they pursue and the legislation they enact on our behalf. I am prepared to do this even if it means standing shivering for an hour on a cold rainy Saturday afternoon in Spirit Square in a crowd of over a hundred others who were similarly driven to express their desire for accountability.
Invisible but behind us stood others with the same concern about this legislation including the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Canadian Bar Association. And guess what, the government is now being forced to respond to the countrywide protest movement of which we were a part.
So, Mr. Anderson, why don’t you call me a “Canadian” activist and that should just about cover all the future protests I show up for when I want to publicly take a stand on crucial issues in this country.
Sally Williams
Castlegar