Strangers In The Land: Election 2011 Edition
In light of today's ridiculous development in the USA, I thought I would dust off an old paragraph I wrote last year and incorporate "election 2011" material/issues into the mix.
There are strangers in the land. Foreigners who do not speak our language and who collectively pose a threat to our values and the essence of our democracy. They are mobilized and destructive. They are radical, ideological, and often, their political convictions are anchored on misleading claims. Their principles are divisive and archaic in nature. These strangers are growing in numbers. They defend a breed of religiosity that fails to acknowledge the pluralism of modern societies. They rely on a fluctuating defense of human rights, to justify of course, the promotion of whichever interest is at stake. Despite honourable speeches and public comments, their policies lead to a hierarchy of social classes, and multiple definitions of permitted citizenship. They interpret their religious and political texts incorrectly. They believe an invasion is coming and that they are the protectors of a civilization under siege. These strangers have names. They are the anti-immigration political parties of contemporary democracies. They are the neo-conservative movements in North America. They are the misinformed voices in Western media. They are the populist politicians that govern using fear. And, they are the scholars and writers that are entirely comfortable promoting academic racism in the name of defending a flawed version of democracy.
Canada is freying, and we are days away from allowing these strangers to redefine the essence of the Canadian fabric as the world continues to watch.