By Preston Haskell
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.
Preston Haskell
Socialist minded authorities eventually steal the liberty of their 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 their 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 denied Canadian citizens property rights. Of course this assault on liberty begs the question as to why Canadians should be denied property rights.
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 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 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 power of the ‘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 regime’s attempted assault on liberty, Mayor Dave Augustyn asked: ‘Could there be a situation when public safety might be at risk – where a pit bull is loose in an unfenced yard – and Town representatives need authority to enter private property?’ The answer to the Mayors 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.
Preston Haskell is a Niagara resident who has contributed commentary to Niagara At Large in the past.
(Niagara At Large invites our readers to share their views on this post.)
Niagara At Large 
There have been times in the past where I have not agreed with Mr Haskell, but in this case and in his overall point, I do agree with him! Strongly!
I have long contended that, contrary to popular belief, Pierre Trudeau was one of the worst prime ministers this country has ever seen! Yes, I liken him to Diefenbaker!
The so-called Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a useless piece of crap!
Before politics, Trudeau was a law professor – an intellectual with little or no connection to ordinary Canadian life. His whole approach was to coddle criminals. He had no understanding of how Canadians lived, so how could he understand their rights?
And successive Liberal and NDP governments (provincially), and now the Social Credit crowd (I will no longer use the term conservative for the Harper government) in Ottawa are doing all they can to put more power in the hands of the politicians, and less in the hands of the electors!
So Mr Haskell, right on with your views! Keep up the good fight!
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If one were to take the time to survey the ideology of the supporters of each political party in Canada, they might be amazed at the contradictions and bitterness the might surface from the masses.
People write letters to different medias and some deride the policies of parties that do not sit well in their philosophy of correctness while attempting to say nothing that might infer which party policies they support, whether “Right of Wrong.” There is NO fine line that divides the haves and have nots, the skeptics and the voice of reason, or in retrospect the “Right and Left leaning.” After reading these two commentaries I would assume the writers to be true blue in their political devotion and there is really nothing wrong in this ….as long as they are truly honest and are sincerely concerned, without blinders,for the future of “all Canadians not just the 1%?
I once heard it said that the “Greatest” Socialist ever was/is Jesus Christ and if one considers themselves to be Christians then this truth has to be their truth …..Amen (Which translated basically means so be it)
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Tothe people of pelham if we all do not stick together a fight this we are all going to be down the creek before we even realize were in the water as a land owners assoc. member who will be able to afford the permit fees in place if you dont do it for yourself do it for your kids so they to some day can live in pelham these councillers should all be arrested for raccatering as a hard working pelham resident lets all stick together and fight this together come out to the council meetings and show are support for one another we have to preston your absolutely right
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