Don’t look now, but the sky is falling
We grow up with certain stories that teach us the values we need to live in a civilized world. For example, you should not alarm those around you, especially when they are calm in spirit and without need of stress to the soul. Henny Penny knew this. So did (albeit, after the fact) the boy who cried wolf. We now live in a Brave New World. If you want to cry fire in the theatre, it had better not be a fire set by an insurgent terrorist.
If I take a story from today’s news to heart, I may have risked my own peace by using “those two words” in a text that hasn’t been approved by the powers that be. Allegedly, a young man in Vancouver sent a fax t0 the authorities, that gave a warning of imminent attack (Red Alert, for our American readers). Joke. Not true. The court was not amused. He has been convicted, in absentia of “perpetrating a hoax regarding terrorist activity”. A warrant has been issued (a parallel to the FBI Top Ten).
It used to be that acts of public mischief would see you fined. If they find our boy who cried wolf, he’s going up the river for at least five years. The investigation, which may have resembled this police effort, cost the public purse about $100,000. Now that our dollar is worth something, that’s not funny.
As well, our government has now drawn a line in the sand. No more racist statements involving one of Canada’s founding nations, or the Prime Minister. Is that clear? Stockwell Day is “seriously perturbed” over a report that some students in our Customs Officer Training School were having a kegger. Beer is OK, but no photos on Facebook. Is that clear, too? What is meant by a public place is in a state of evolution. Or is it a police state?
Agreed, there are things that shouldn’t be said in a public place. There are things that are Politically Incorrect. From that, to decide that the students in question are not apt for employment because of a Facebook entry is pushing the envelope. A sealed one, to boot; you do have to be a member, ergo, among your peers, to even see the content in question. Unless, of course, it gets picked up on a slow news day in Canada. I’m really left wondering if this would have ever been made public if it hadn’t mentioned a certain politician that believes his flatulence doesn’t have any discernable odour. No names, please.
To a degree, this nation is flirting with good old-fashioned fascist tendencies. Not to be confused with terrorist tendencies, or drunken student tendencies. I, for one, believe that the sky MAY be falling, but nobody wants to hear that story.
