letter to the canadian senate

The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A4

                                                                    January 26th, 2010
Dear Senators,

I wanted to air my feelings about Bill C-6. It has been a popular and contentious issue for what I feel to be quite compelling reasons. I understand that clauses included in the bill have serious potential negative ramifications for Canadian citizens, specifically in the realm of the exercise and protection of our civil liberties.

I understand that one of the powers granted by Bill C-6 is that law enforcement officers will have the right to enter citizens' private property, take whatever they wish, and keep it indefinitely. This can be done without the current requirement of application to the courts or a justice of the peace for a warrant. In other words, agents will not be required to demonstrate reasonable grounds.

In my view, legislation of this nature has no place within a country which in any way refers to itself as a democratic nation. It deeply concerns me that it has even been humoured as anything close to a legitimate document. We have an ample criminal code and warrant application process which has hitherto worked abundantly well. I personally see no need for this new legislation which abridges our constitutional rights.

To me, Bill C-6 takes its place beside Canada's Patriot Act: Bill C-36, -42 and other apparently so-called anti-terror legislation which has a notorious track record for being used against people who are, whether by religion, or colour, or nationality, or ethnicity, or politically considered undesirable by the government (ours or our neighbours to the south).

I appeal to each of you to exercise your better judgement as Canadians, as citizens of this planet, as wise and compassionate beings, to no longer entertain this latest model of in a network of increasingly autocratic legislation. I urge you to do all that is in your power to dismiss Bill C-6. I fear that if you fail to do so our peaceful fellow citizens will be forced to experience its consequences. For a chilling example of how authorities and law enforcement are already acting as if Bill C-6 is on the books, please see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBCHlTxUqNM

Thank you for you time and attention; I look forward to your replies.


Sincerely,


Che Nolan