Volume 96, Issue 46
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
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EDITORIAL
Freedoms? What freedoms?
People know if the company they work for provides dental coverage, just like they know how much of a tax break they get for each munchkin they've got running around the house. So how is it that, as a recent poll uncovered, half of the Canadian population can't even name one right afforded them by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
Stunning as it may seem, according to a Leger Marketing poll, 52 per cent of Canadians can't name one right listed in the Charter – not one. Maybe having the right to assemble freely or speak without restrictions just isn't that important to Canadians. Perhaps we're just too busy to notice all the lack of harassment and oppression in our lives.
How else can you account for this disgusting example of ignorance?
People fight wars for the rights that we, as Canadians, clearly take for granted. It's understandable to a degree that we take our various rights for granted because, for most of us, they've just been an intrinsic part of growing up in this country. In some ways, Canadians waking up and giving thanks for our rights would be the same as getting up every morning and thinking we're exceptionally lucky to have clean air to breathe and fresh water to drink – it's just something we count on.
That being said, it's important to keep a little perspective. The Charter is the single most important document this country has. Not knowing one of the rights it guarantees is nothing short of appalling and is, sadly, all too indicative of the ignorance prevalent in our society.
People are generally far less informed than they should be about relevant issues. Fundamentals, such as the contents of the Charter, should be a part of basic curriculum for Canadian students, right along with reading and arithmetic.
Adults are in need of a little educating as well, only it's up to each person to take it upon themselves to learn. We all live busy lives, but putting aside 20 minutes at breakfast to read the paper or even less time at 6 p.m. to watch the nightly news should be a priority for people.
The bottom line is people just don't care about something until it is being threatened, just like they don't pay attention to politics until there is an election and all of a sudden, after witnessing months of hard campaigning by different parties, they make an "educated" decision on election day.
People would revolt, and rightly so, if there was ever a threat of our basic liberties being stripped away. However, if you don't know your rights, how are you going to know when they are being threatened?
Just because it's not a daily battle for us to retain the rights we have doesn't mean we should, for a second, forget how fortunate we are to have them.
LETTERS