Here are today’s Ottawa Sun letters to the editor.
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Re: Convoy organizer honoured, April 27
It is a sad day when an individual charged with breaking the law for her role as an organizer in the “Freedom Convoy” in our country’s capital gets recognized by receiving the George Jonas Freedom Award in another province. The statement says that Miss Lich exercised her charter rights and freedoms by participating in a democratic process and helping organize a peaceful protest.
She had the right to exercise her fundamental freedom of thought, belief and expression, but not to incite and participate in the siege of a city. They also quote that she spent 18 days of unjustified jailed time. They should have looked at the charges of her against her. They state that she participated in a peaceful protest. Peaceful protest does not harass the people who live in the area nor warrant a court ruling to stop the noise level and truck horns blaring.
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Did this group of people not listen to the news? She gets an award for supporting constitutional freedoms while taking the constitutional freedoms of the citizens of Ottawa. Where is the logic?
SUZANNE LADOUCEUR
(We’re not sure logic was one of the criteria for this award.)
WELL DESERVED
Congrats to Tamara Lich for a well-deserved award from the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedoms. Tamara and her other convoy leaders, including Canada’s political prisoner, Pat King, are responsible for awakening the populace regarding the terrible suppression of their rights and freedoms by various levels of government in this country.
Many people talk a good game, but Ms. Lich actually walked it. Being arrested and put in shackles was totally shameful and smacked of police state tactics. History will put Lich in a positive light despite her being pilloried by many in the media and most gutless politicians.
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STEPHEN FLANAGAN
(File this one under ‘unpopular opinions.’)
CHECK OUT THESE AREAS
Regarding the federal budget including a review of programs and policies, it is interesting to note that included in the statement of this review was a comment that the government has no intention of cutting existing social programs. A taxpayer might ask why, if an inefficient social program exists, is it excluded from the review?
Also, just wondering about the costs of the proposed “establishment of a permanent Council of Economists” to identify areas of inefficiencies. The council might take an early examination of some rather basic issues — eg with today’s advanced communication technology, is it still justified that we taxpayers fund 338 MPs and 105 senators along with their support staffs and accommodations and other expenses? How about including a review of “total compensation” practices for the approximately 300,000 public servants? Should such compensation be more than is necessary to attract and retain competent employees?
A couple of thoughts to ponder.
DON BARNES
OTTAWA
(All good points, indeed.)
USE THE MONEY FOR REBUILD
Given the grievous atrocities, genocide and war crimes by Vladimir Putin’s illegal war against Ukraine, the funds seized by sanctions that have been squirrelled away in banks by Putin and the other Russian oligarchs around the world should be used to rebuild Ukraine and help Ukrainian refugees wherever they are located. If Putin does not play by the rules, why should the West play by the rules?
ROBERT J. MOSKAL
WINNIPEG
(That sounds like justice to us.)