Saturday 7 July 2012

Citizens or Subjects

There are two main routes for free citizens to lose their liberty. One is through the violent overthrow of a free society by an autocratic state. The other is through a socialist minded elected government.
Socialist minded authorities eventually steal the liberty of its citizens through the use of covert legislation. Even when the citizen recognizes the nibbling away of their liberties, they all too often accept small losses rather than standing up against the deliberate expansion of control over their liberties.

Exception and kudos must go to the citizens of Pelham Ontario, Canada. These brave citizens objected to a challenge to their liberty by the elected authority of their community.

The threat to civil liberty did not start in the town of Pelham. In this case the threat started with our past Liberal Socialist Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau when he failed to clarify our specific historic property rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 


It continued with a further assault on Canadian civil liberty when our Liberal Socialist Premier Dalton McGuinty covertly changed the rules to the Municipal Statute Law Amendment Act of 2006.
As a result of these federal and provincial social ideology driven assaults on the Liberties of Canadian Citizens the threat continues at the municipal level.

The reason that citizens finally stood up for their liberty was the consideration by Pelham’s elected authority to give their bureaucrats legal permission to trespass on private property without notice. Under the proposed bylaw the authorities would have the legal right to enter upon your property at any time and to inspect your property, your out buildings including even your garage without notice!

But, for what purpose? Why would an inspector have such a need to conduct an unannounced and immediate inspection without notice? Why would any municipality suggest giving their employees the same power as that of the infamous ‘Sheriff of Nottingham’?

Pelham’s bylaw enforcement manager Keegan Gennings in his March 5 report, accompanying the proposed bylaw, explained its need. The bylaw was originally proposed to take ‘advantage’ of changes to the Ontario Municipal Act in the Municipal Statute Law Amendment Act 2006.

In defense of his council’s attempted assault on liberty, Mayor Dave Augustyn asked: ‘Could there be a situation when public safety might be at risk – where a pitbull is loose in an unfenced yard – and Town representatives need authority to enter private property?’ The answer to the Mayor’s hypothesis is a flat out no.
In fact the only reason to grant instant access to private property, without notice or warrant, on the obsequious excuse as to inspect or measure a sign is simply one more step in reducing the citizen to subject status.  

The same people who would feed the alligator hoping to be eaten last should consider the wise words of  Benjamin Franklin who once said a society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

3 comments:

  1. Canadians have forgotten that we have always had Property Rights in Canada. The documents that ensured that private property was protected and removed for the Crown Domain have been kept for esoteric legal reasons.
    They were to be kept secret , not to be viewed by the public.
    Our Property Rights have been kept hidden from us. Every person in Ontario has been denied their enjoyment of property and access to the law.

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  2. As long time residents of Pelham, we were involved in the fight to stop the passing of the so called Environmental Bylaw ( formerly named the Site Alteration Bylaw )Unfortunately for us it was passed although far more people were there in opposition to it then were for it. Mayor Augustyn and Council were determined to get it on the books no matter what they had to do. In fact Councilor Rybiak used the implementation of this bylaw as part of his campaign. And Pelham isn't the only place that has been victimized by such legislation. People in other parts of the region have had bylaw officials enter their property (even when no one is home) and remove things with no warning.

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  3. When election time comes, remember those who have violated the rights of property owners. Campaign against them, just as you would, campaign "for" the candidate that supports less government interference, and more rights for citizens. Bring proof of your issues, and go door to door, explaining your position. If enough of us do this, we will get far better representation.

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