It's been the whipping boy of the right ever since Preston Manning created the Reform Party and it's been lambasted at every turn by the right ever since. It's our Charter of Rights and it's now 25-years old.
The extremist right (that includes our current government) likes to depict the Charter as a curtain behind which criminals lurk to escape prosecution and punishment. Rarely does the public hear about what the Charter does for Canadians, and it does plenty for us.
The National Post published a story today that grudgingly admits close to 60% of Canadians believe the Charter is serving us well and then sort of implies that may be because Canadians are also ignorant of its provisions, notably the "notwithstanding" clause.
I think Canadians do misunderstand the Charter, its purposes, how it works and what it does for each of us. Part of that is because our kids aren't learning enough about it in school. Another big part, however, can be blamed on those who have used it as a political football to create fear and anger in those they would have vote for them. I'm talking about the extremist right.
What the Post story misses is that, if people did know more about the Charter, their approval rating would be a lot higher, a lot higher.
2 comments:
I wish you - and everyone else - would always refer to it as the Charter of Rights and FREEDOMS. Charter of Rights sounds demanding and whining. Let's not forget that it's about our FREEDOMS!
For more material on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms I encourage you and your readers to visit www.charterofrights.ca -- an unbaised, plain language, and interactive look at the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It also contains relevant case law and precedents.
Post a Comment