This coming Friday is Remembrance Day in Canada. It is the day chosen when we can show our respect for the Men and Women of our Great Nation who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve Canadians rights to Liberty and Freedom. It is a day that comes each year 'Lest We Forget'.
These Men and Women chose to serve in our Armed Forces because they understood the concept of 'Duty to Country'. They took the words 'Stand on Guard for Thee' to heart and stood between us and 'Tyranny from Without' so that we could continue in the footsteps of our forefathers in building a 'True North Strong and Free'.
We all understand and respect a soldier's Duty to Country but, is a soldier the only one required to uphold a Duty to Country?
"Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country"
J.F. Kennedy - inaugural address, January 20, 1961
Those eloquent words are the last ones I can remember from a Western leader reminding the citizenry of their Duty to Country (circa 1961 - FIFTY years ago!!!!). You see, whether you like it or not you are in a Social Contract with Canada. By accepting or maintaining your Canadian citizenship (Your Social Contract) you are given the rights of an individual in a Free Nation with a Liberal Constitution. Those rights allow you to pursue the life that you desire so long as your choices do not interfere with other citizens' rights.
But, there is another part of our citizenship that we tend to forget about. It is the price we must pay for our rights. That is to say, in exchange for the above mentioned rights, you are Duty-bound to maintain a vigilant watch over those rights. It is your obligation to ensure that your rights, and the rights of others, are not violated. You are Duty-bound to use your citizen rights to fight back against 'Tyranny from Within'.
What J.F.K. was referring to is called 'Civic Duty'. That Civic Duty is a civilians 'Duty to Country'. He was reminding the American people of their obligations to that Great Nation. As citizens of another Great Country, Canada, I sometimes think we too, have forgotten about our obligations. We too need a reminder now and then.
There seems to be a major disconnect going on between the average Canadian citizen's views and where this country is actually heading Environmentally, Economically and Politically. For some reason, most of us seem to have become either apathetic, indifferent, have forgotten, or have never heard about the concept of our Civic Duties to this wonderful and amazing Country. We just don't seem to care anymore. We are so busy and so stressed out with our day to day lives that we do not want to be bothered.
At the same time, there seems to be more and more discontent amongst Canadians towards Big Government because of the direction that our government is taking the Country. There is more and more agitation because people feel that the election process is a waste of time (same old, same old) and changes nothing in the end. Most Canadians believe that MP's/MPP's are more concerned in upholding their Parties political agenda than listening to their constituents. There is much anger as the huge Corporate lobbies and Nouveau Riche (the 1%) get more and more perks while the public (the 99%) get more and more taxes with less and less benefit. There is tremendous frustration because people feel that there is nothing that they can do about it.
What I hear is:
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"I don't like it but what can I do?"
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"I'm just one person. I can't make a difference."
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"They're way too big for me to fight."
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"I'm just going to ignore it and do my own thing."
These are misconceptions. These are misconceptions that Political Parties and Big Corporations perpetuate because it benefits them if you do not stand against them. These misconceptions prevent you from discovering just how powerful your rights are and how easy it is to execute them. We seem to have forgotten!
Just as our Armed Forces have been given powerful weaponry that can be used against 'Tyranny from Without', we too have been given powerful weaponry in our citizens' rights that can be used very easily and effectively against 'Tyranny from Within'. Those citizens' rights include:
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The right (Duty) to Vote.
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The right (Duty) to contact your MP/MPP and insist that they comply with the desires of their constituents - you!.
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The right (Duty) to Boycott any product or Corporation that may damage our environment; that causes harm to our citizenry; or that damages our economic health.
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The right (Duty) to General Strike if a tyrannical Government does not comply with the wishes of the citizenry.
The Duty to Vote is the number one way for a citizenry to maintain control over the destiny of their Country. Big Governments are afraid of the electorate because of the power of the vote. Used properly, the vote can alter the direction in which a Country moves. But, most people misunderstand how to use their vote effectively. You do not have to feel that it is a 'waste of time' because none of the top tiered Parties are willing to make real changes. You should vote for the candidate that you think will be the correct one to look out for your best interests, regardless of party affiliations. If you don't like any of the 'Big Three' party candidates, then vote for a more fringe candidate from a political party like the Green Party or a Libertarian candidate. If you don't like any of the candidates, then you should still vote but you can make it a protest vote by spoiling your ballot (for example - mark all the candidates). That way your message is clearly heard. If you do not exercise your Duty to Vote then you do not have a right to complain about the direction that the country is going.
Regardless of which candidate wins in your riding, you should always exercise your Duty to contact that MP/MPP if an issue arises that is important to you. You should let them know what you think is required for the best interests of our Country. Do not feel that your point of view is irrelevant or meaningless. On the contrary, MP's/MPP's must listen to their constituents and act on their behalf. Inform them of your thoughts and politely let them know that you expect them to represent you properly. Let them know that if they do, then you will support them in the next election. But if they do not, let them know that you will not only vote against them, but you will actively support a candidate who will represent you properly.
Contacting your MP/MPP is actually quite easy. You can call and arrange a personal appointment; write a letter; or send an email. If you get involved this way, I suspect that you may be pleasantly surprised to find out that most MP's/MPP's actually do want to hear from their constituents and get their input regardless of the constituent's political affiliations. If you get a negative response, then I think you have the answer as to whether or not they are the right candidate to represent your interests.
Your Duty to Boycott things or products or Corporations is a very, very powerful weapon. You would be amazed at how fast a Multinational Corporation will alter its products if you start boycotting them. Again, the corporate interest doesn't want you to know it, but you have the ultimate control over their activities. Your purchasing power Rules and you should exercise that right regularly! For example, I boycott Wallmart and Wallmart products. They are a multinational corporation that exploits slave labour in countries like China and third world nations to maximize their profits and avoid environmental regulations. They compete with, and undermine small Canadian retail businesses and by doing so take away more Canadian jobs. They leach more money from our economy than they put in. Therefore, I consider it my civic duty to boycott them. Sharon and I also boycott any known Genetically Modified food products because of their destructive environmental impact. Our list of things to boycott is large. I suggest that you also create a boycott list of companies or products and do the same.
The right to general strike is similar to a nuclear weapon for the military. It is the ultimate deterrent that hopefully never needs to be used. A general strike can bring down a tyrannical government very quickly but would only be necessary in extreme circumstances. Hopefully, that will never be needed here in Canada. However, you must remember that you have that very powerful option should the need arise.
By this point most of you are probably saying "Okay, so even if I do all that - so what? What difference can I make?" To that I respond - You can make a HUGE difference!
In Physics, under Chaos theory, there is a premise called 'The Butterfly Effect'. The Butterfly Effect basically says that a small change anywhere in a given system can result in vast differences to that system later on. The example most often used is of a butterfly that flaps its wings and that tiny event sets off a chain reaction that ultimately leads to a full blown hurricane several weeks later. The theory reminds me of an old rhyme which is very apropos:
For Want of a Nail
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Rhyme - circa 1390
The principles espoused in that rhyme fit perfectly with your duties as a citizen. Consider yourself the horseshoe nail. If you do not exercise your Civic Duty to vote, speak out to your representatives or use your right to boycott, then the kingdom may be lost.
"We never know how far reaching something we may think, say, or do today, will affect the lives of millions tomorrow"
B.J. Palmer
B.J. Palmer was a very famous chiropractor. Those are some of the words that call me to Duty as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Those words are a big part of why I go into work day after day, week after week, year after year and talk to patients so that I may teach them about health and how to recover it.
Why is a Wellness Lifestyle Chiropractor like me so interested in Civic Duty? Because executing our Civic Duties gives us a sense of participation in our society; it gives us a feeling of satisfaction because we know we are fulfilling our Social Contract; and it gives us a strong sense of belonging to our Nation. Those feelings, in turn, literally change our thought patterns and that, in turn, changes our entire metabolism. Believe it or not, it is very healing to our bodies to participate within our chosen society. Fulfilling your Social Contract through Duty is a big part of Healthy Thinking. And as you know, Healthy Thinking is one of the three aspects of true health - Healthy Thinking, Healthy Moving and Healthy Eating.
This November 11th\, Remembrance Day, the day 'Lest We Forget', I will bow my head in contemplation and hold gratitude in my heart for those that fought for our Great Nation. I will remember their sacrifice, how they 'Stood on Guard' and fulfilled their 'Duty to Country'. I will remember my Civic Duties, my civilian 'Duty to Country'. I will fulfill my Social Contract as a proud Canadian and 'Stand on Guard' too. Hope you do the same.