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| Photo by Montrealais |
Rt. Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister
I write to you today because I am really concerned about what is happening
in Canada.
Since coming to Canada in 1965 I have learned a great deal about
civil society. It is the spirit of caring that has enabled me to move beyond
cynicism and apathy, and that spirit which also makes me really concerned about
our future.
Every day I meet well informed Canadian citizens who love this country, who
work hard to do their job to the best of their ability, who spend hours
contributing to community, for the greater good. Among friends, colleagues and
acquaintances I have observed an ethic of citizenship and social responsibility
which has inspired me to think beyond my own self interest. Or better yet, to
see that my self interest is located in the interest of all.
For people to be the best they can be, they need a society which inspires
and acknowledges this spirit of care and concern for our fellow citizens. But
many events of late indicate that Canada as a nation no longer exists. What we
could so easily believe if we allow ourselves to be influenced by mainstream
media news, is that this land is merely a petro state or an opportunity for
foreign profit. When we as individuals and as a society believe the only thing
that matters is the economy then we cease to care for life itself.
When you call for parliament to be prorogued for the third time, I wonder if you are acting as an employee of a large corporation rather
than the prime protector of our nation. It allows cynicism to grow just as the
events around Lac-Mégantic, the
shooting of Sammy Yatim, the senate scandal and so many other news headlines,
make us wonder what happened to the ethic of good government. Where are the
standards we thought were realized through centuries of struggle towards human
rights, and our responsibilities in a democratic society? Where are our
philosophers, our healers, our teachers in parliament?
I believe they are there in Ottawa and in the Canadian conscience – but
these voices must be allowed, must be heard. Please do NOT prorogue parliament
in September.
yours
sincerely
Janet Vickers
Janet Vickers
A very polite letter!For those who want to do more go to Leadnow.
ReplyDelete"Yesterday, Prime Minister Harper prorogued Parliament for the third time in 5 years to dodge tough questions about Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin. Harper just kicked off his campaign for the next Canadian federal election - and the stakes could not be higher."
I donated to Leadnow as I have to the organizations that offer hope. However, I don't believe money will fix it. This problem is not a wholly material thing as much as it is a spiritual thing - power is not a zero sum game.
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