Bill C-38 and "Democracy"

 Worth a read.

I've never written a letter to an MP before, which seems odd.  I've also never written a letter to the editor.  It seems I just might start doing more of both.  Last night I wrote (well, emailed) to Liberal MP for Vancouver Centre, Hedy Fry.  Here's what I said:

Dear Ms Fry,

I am concerned about the implications of Bill C-38.  This omnibus bill must be divided so that the individual propositions can be debated thoroughly, especially as they impose sweeping changes to environmental regulations and EI.  As Andrew Coyne noted this week in the National Post, the passage of this bill would serve to dilute our democracy. 

I would like to know what you, the Liberal Party, and the Official Opposition are doing to prevent this abuse of governmental power?  It is at times like these that members of the opposition, ALL members of the opposition, must act on behalf of Canadians.  Most of us can accept a government that we don't agree with -- that's called democracy.  What we can't stand for, however, is an opposition that sits on its hands while the government strips away the democratic principles we hold so dear.

I thank you for your time,

Jeffers Lennox

Who knows if she (or, really, one of her staffers) will write back.  But just the act of getting it out there helped.  It's what more people need to do.  The Harper Government™ does what it wants in part because as a citizenry we are too apathetic.  We don't hold our leaders to account.  I can accept a government that doesn't reflect my political views, as long as that government was duly elected and behaves as a government should.  Recently, however, Lawrence Martin compiled a laundry list of this particular government's misdeeds (in an article aptly titled "Is this still a democracy?").  These actions are troubling not because I don't agree with the policy, but because no Canadian should agree with the methods.

Until we care enough to protect our democracy (even if it's just sending a letter), why should the government bother respecting it?