CANADA IS NOT PERFECT…, BUT IN SO MANY WAYS IT IS SO FREE

TARA COLLUM | Contributing columnist

In China and Uzbekistan the government forces people into the back-breaking labour of cotton picking. That is what government repression looks like.

Was the government overstepping when it banned indoor smoking? Remember when Tim Hortons in Gravenhurst had the glass walled-off smoking room? Guess how fun it was as a non-smoker to work in there. I’m really glad we’re not forced to live with second-hand smoke a pack a day anymore at bars, restaurants, even hospitals as we were way back in the day.

I know that these examples aren’t getting to the root of the latest issue affecting Canada. That for the truck convoy it is the principal of the thing, limiting government interference, and having the final decision on what goes into their bodies.

But what if I like the government mandates? What are my rights? It’s nice to do the bare minimum in a pandemic and wear a mask and socially-distance. If we’re sick, or there’s a chance of being contagious it would be nice if this behaviour became common courtesy.

If you were being repressed, the government wouldn’t allow you to shut down a major border, and mess with the U.S. economy. What is Justin Trudeau supposed to do when the White House is leaning on him to do something?

Protesters are fighting for “freedom” by repressing other people’s freedom of movement. And causing working truckers’ hassles and delays.

Some countries need to protest their governments, because their freedom and livelihoods actually depend on it. And those governments don’t care even if the “whole world is watching.”

A few years ago, Iranian protestors tried to bring down their oppressive government and tyrannical supreme leader. The event called “Bloody November” resulted in the deaths of hundreds of protesters. In 2021 protests over water shortages and rolling blackouts known as the “Uprising of the Thirsty” was met with brutality and crackdowns.

If unvaccinated people who are healthy enough to be vaccinated force the issue enough for the government to literally force them to take a vaccine, that is a different issue.

People can’t have it both ways. Maybe people fought a long time ago not only for the right not to wear a seatbelt but also for the government to be unable to punish people for not wearing a seatbelt. If you don’t want to wear a seatbelt, pay the fine, or take a bus.

Some people don’t like any kind of government intervention. But where do we draw the line? The parents of kids with peanut allergies must be grateful for peanut-free spaces.

In some countries being LGBTQ2+ is a crime punishable by imprisonment or death. Gay marriage wasn’t legal in Canada until the summer of 2005. No country is perfect. But Canada in many ways is so free; many don’t even know what repression looks like.

On Valentine’s Day we are free to love who we love. What even is this day? Some think of it as a commercial celebration invented by greeting card companies.

Do couples need a day to celebrate love? Not really, that’s what anniversaries are for. It’s not all about love and romance. As a kid it’s fun to send Valentines to your classmates, or messages delivered to the classroom that come with Hershey’s Kisses. It’s a reason to have a dance. Or to give kids little gifts, or to wear pink and red clothes with hearts on them.

Beyond sending obligatory flowers or chocolate, there are many fun and involved traditions all over the globe. My favourite is the one my South Korean ESL students explained to me. Along with Valentine’s Day, there is also White Day and Black Day.

On Feb. 14 it’s the custom for women to send the traditional gifts of flowers and chocolate to their male suitors. One month later, the men send the same, but outdo them with a gift. Black Day is an unofficial, but super popular occasion April 14. Those who didn’t get any gifts on Valentine’s or White Day commiserate with others and eat noodles with black sauce. There’s a day for everyone.

We can always bend tradition to suit us. We can turn Valentine’s Day into a celebration of our bros or gal pals with Palentine’s Day or Galentine’s Day.

In this time of blaring horns, blockaded borders, and bad feelings, it’s good to have a day to remind us to try to be nice to others, or better yet give them a reason to smile.