A Charter for a local “Freedom Group”

On June 26, I proposes a Statement of Purpose and Statement of Principles for a group of local citizen volunteers who have been meeting for three years. The DRAFT copy is posted for those interested

Hello members of our freedom community;

I am writing to report on last night’s (June 26) meeting at the Cameron Community Church.

Prior to the 7 PM start, about a dozen of us held an informal meeting downstairs to discuss our future. While a number of topics were raised, I am reporting on the following which was reviewed and subsequently presented by me during our regular meeting.

The goal is to obtain an agreement of everyone as to our purpose and governing principles.

The following is a DRAFT copy of the discussions taking place. It will be ratified by our members after everyone has reviewed, approved or recommended amendments for approval.

Notice that I have proposed a name for our group that, I believe, accurately reflects the nature of our group and its overall purpose (stated below).

Advocates for Less Government, Kawartha Lakes Chapter.

Statement of Purpose.

We are an action and results-oriented community of citizens. We seek to reduce the size, cost and scope of authority of every level of government that unnecessarily restricts our individual and community freedoms. We discuss, plan and organizes efforts to rebuild and sustain our diverse communities so that all residents can cooperate and thrive guided by the Four Principles for a Civil Society.

[Justifications:

1. We recall that our community started in early 2020 as a mutual help group to address the individual challenges we faced arising from the pandemic policies imposed on us by our governments without out consent.

2. We have since become aware of a growing number of issues which have arisen from aggressive government policies which threat our access to health products and treatments, as well as nutritious and affordable food, energy, and other life essentials.

3. We have identified the error made by millions of current and past electors who naively elected too many politicians who subsequently acted to serve their interests at the expense of our citizens. More education and political scrutiny is needed by our citizens to establish a more robust and trustworthy democracy.

4. We believe that the voters of this nation must recognize the threat and harms of too much government, and vote accordingly. Repealing the legislation that enables excess government interference in our lives is the only way to protect ourselves, our families, friends, coworkers, businesses and community organizations from excessive taxation and regulation.

5. We act as a voluntary community of like-minded volunteers to raise public awareness to the root causes of the majority of issues that challenge our preferred way of life and personal prosperity. ]

Statement of Principles

The participants of the Advocates for Less Government agree to be governed by the same four principles to which we aspire for Canadian society as a whole. These are listed and commented upon below.

INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

The statement “I am Canadian, a free Canadian” is a belief that we were all raised to believe.

In recent years, however, we have learned that we cannot trust our government officials and elected politicians to protect our citizens according to the Bill of Rights.

Canadians can no longer take our constitutionally-defined rights and freedoms for granted. They are under assault by the very institutions we expect to safeguard these privileges of citizenship.

It now falls on the shoulders of every freedom-loving citizen to defend and protect the Bill of Rights and remain vigilant to its threats.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

All parents raise their children to become capable, self-sufficient adults who possess the skills, knowledge and critical thinking abilities needed to carry out the responsibilities of work, family, property ownership and citizenship. A “safety net” is needed at times, but it was never intended by our forefathers to become a “welfare way of life” either for businesses or individuals.

Over time, public policies have expanded to unobtrusively syphon responsibilities away from individuals and into the hands of “public servants”. Unknown, unseen bureaucrats who know little-to-nothing about us or our circumstances, are paid generous tax-funded wages and benefits to follow arcade policies and procedures that are expensive, impersonal and often inadequate.

Our demographics may have changed over time, but sound principles that encourage resilience, perseverance, resourcefulness and initiative in our citizens will stand the test of time to enable each Canadian to become the best that he or she can be.

Canadians must remove the monopoly control that our governments wield over our most vital institutions: Banking, Health Care, Education, Justice, Law & Order, Media, Elections, Transportation, and more. Competition has yielded extensive innovations and many viable options for goods and services in every non-government sector.  It can surely do the same for many of the domains currently under government management, especially now in the “digital age”. Innovation is nothing to fear, yet it is rare or absent in public monopolies. Take note.

RESPECT

Famed tennis star Billie Jean King is just one of many successful people who believed that respect is earned, not given. She understood that respect is not justly awarded to someone simply because they hold a high public office.

Positive deeds and high levels of productivity are better predictors of  earned respectability than someone spouting empty rhetoric on a soap box and engaging in public posturing and taking selfies.

Individuals generally develop mutual respect (or not) over time. The same is true for retail customers and the successful business owner when repeated shopping experiences prove reliable and positive when “customer service is king”.

Respect of citizens by politicians and “public servants” is in decline, especially during the Covid years. Predictably, the average citizen has less respect for the “public sector” than previously. It was clear that government workers enjoyed better job and income security, workplace privileges, and public sector union-enabled advantages than their non-government counterparts.

Respect is never earned by spreading misinformation or outright lies. When “public servants” declare in a crisis that “we’re all in this together”, it had better be true. Otherwise, disrespectful blowback can be expected.

FAIRNESS

This is one principle that is most prone to misinterpretation and in greatest need of a clear definition. Certain words have been “captured” and redefined for political reasons by powerful special interest groups. Their leaders do this to mislead the masses in an attempt to shift public perceptions and their sensibilities to advance self-serving causes.

In the context of this charter, and in Civil Society at large, Fairness refers to the application of unbiased rules, policies, laws and regulations that apply to every citizen equally, no exceptions.

“Unbiased” is the key word here.

Demographic attributes are where bias appears most often. When government policies are applied, they can either confer privileges and benefits, or impose restrictions and harms.

All public sector labour unions, for example, enjoy legislative and regulatory bias. This enables these unelected companies to confer exclusive advantages, privileges and benefits on their leaders and members. Needless to say, all taxpayers take the hit.

In the era of “woke” politics, an increasing number of demographic groups woo politicians to reap legislated advantages and benefits. Their group members portray themselves as “victims” seeking “social justice”. They attract political candidates who promise to support their causes in exchange for block voting by their group members. This game is as old as the Story of Moses.

Demographic “victim” categories are numerous: age, gender, sexual preference, religion/creed, race, political affiliation, social causes (save the polar bear at the Arctic Circle from your gas-guzzling Ford 150 pick up truck in Fenelon Falls), wealth disparity, educational achievement, skin colour, physical attributes and talents, artistic attributes and talents, body image (obesity, tattoos, piercings, etcetera, often using to telegraph group affiliation or social isolation) and smoking to name a few. They can be overtly expressed or subtle forms of discrimination ripe for political exploitation and crass manipulation.

While judgement and discrimination are very human perceptual abilities, we try to practice understanding, acceptance and tolerance to the best of our abilities in all of our interpersonal relationships. To “agree to disagree” respectfully is expected when differences arise, or to remove one’s self from uncomfortable circumstances when appropriate.

Final Comments.

Some may suggest that we “set the bar too high” for the governance of a group of unpaid volunteers who hope to contribute some “good” to the world in these “crazy times”. Those of us you have had past experience in leadership with volunteers will know that perfection is never expected but standards set expectations to which everyone can aspire and be held to account. If we can’t attempt to hold ourselves to high standards, what right do we have to expect these of others?

Another point. Medical doctors pledge to “first, do no harm”. This is a good standard for a Society that seeks to live according to the Four Principles of a Civil Society. “Harm” can apply to person or property. For this reason, it makes sense that individual person and property rights must be also be respected by everyone.