This letter says it all, and mirrors the feelings of many people in Langford I believe.  While Mayor Young keeps saying that it’s OK to protest, except in certain circumstances, you set a dangerous precedent.  Who gets to decide what circumstances are reasonable?  Who gets to decide when something warrants suing protesters to get policing costs back, and which are tolerable by civic government?  It’s a slippery slope that I believe a lot of people don’t want to go down.

- Steven Hurdle -

============================ 

Freedom to protest was hard-won

Times Colonist
letter to the editor
Published: Sunday, March 23, 2008

Re: “The unintended consequences of suing protesters” March 21.

The past couple of decades, and especially the last seven years, have seen the gradual erosion of our civil liberties.

Under the more recent blanket explanation of “security,” we as a nation have come to accept this as inevitable.

Why should we care? After all, it offers us equal protection from terrorism and civil disobedience, right?

All our rights and freedoms were hard-won. These rights and freedoms are what makes us the great democratic nation that is the envy of the rest of the world. And now they are slowly being eroded from within by those who lack foresight, reason and sound judgment.

I am particularly saddened by these actions, as defending these freedoms is precisely why I chose to join the Canadian Forces. Langford Mayor Stew Young may think he is acting for the protection of his constituency, but in fact his actions will have more far-reaching effects than those of which he seems to be aware. What will be left for us to defend?

Gord McKie

Colwood

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Rick Kasper was the MLA for this area for many years, ending in 2001. He is now a Councillor in Sooke, and that gives his comments an interesting element. Not only is he a past Langford representative of Langford at the provincial level, but his current role as a city councillor in a nearby municipality gives his a municipal-level viewpoint.

- Steven Hurdle -

================================

City not in the lending business

Times Colonist
letter to the editor
Published: Sunday, March 23, 2008

I applaud many efforts that Langford and Mayor Stu Young have carried out — downtown revitalization, attracting new hotels, broadening the commercial tax base and making the community more livable.

But Young’s comments about being kicked around and singled out by the Municipal Finance Authority don’t wash.

Langford’s proposal was rightly turned down by Read the rest of this entry »