- shakes head -

I'm proud to be Canadian. I thank God that I was born in such a place as Canada. Sometimes though there are things that happen in Canada that really makes me wonder what the hell is going on in my country.

Two such cases have turned up over the past two days.

The first is a case where an ex-serviceman, a person who was willing to lay his life on the line in defence of this nation, is looking at being evicted from his apartment for flying the Canadian flag.

What?!

Apparently the powers-that-be that control his rental unit feel that this gentleman is violating the rules because "he was told the flag violates a rule requiring all subsidized properties to have a uniform appearance."

What has Canada come to when it's against the law to fly the Canadian flag?

It is my sincere hope that his neighbors would take up the challenge, come to the defence of their neighbor and sanity by flying flags as well. Then the units would have a uniform appearance.

****

The second is a case where a mother has had her children removed from her custody by the state due to her political beliefs. The mother in question is a proponent of 'white pride' and when her daughter had had the swastika that she had drawn on her arm removed by her teacher, the mother helped her daughter redraw the swastika.

Now in no way am I defending racism or supporting 'white power' mongers but I have to wonder what Canada has come to when what a parent believes is justification for losing custody of their children.

"University of Winnipeg professor Helmut-Harry Loewen, an expert on hate groups, said while he disagrees with the ideology, he fears taking custody based on beliefs is draconian.

"If children are apprehended based on parents' political or religious beliefs, then one is opening a kind of slippery slope," he said."

Who is to decide who's beliefs are right?

I'm reminded of a quote from George Orwell's classic Nineteen Eighty-Four:

"Power is not a means, it is an end."

This smacks of Orwellian thought police when the state can come in and dictate what right and wrong belief are. Especially when they have the power to deprive one of their very children if they are found to be in violation of the state's dictates.

Today it concerns racism and the promotion of white supremecy, something that is understandable. What will it concern tomorrow?

It's a sad day in Canada, in my opinion, when not only can the state do such a totalitarian thing but have it be supported:

"University of Manitoba professor Harvy Frankel, dean of the faculty of social work, said officials did the right thing.

"We should be reassured that this is child welfare practice as it should be."