I began Musing as a means of opening up a discussion with the world on issues of rights and freedoms, liberty, policy, and many of the other issues that arise as a result of free people living out their lives. As I write this, I have been busy with ‘musing’ on these and other thoughts for just over four years — my first posts were in August 2003.
Perhaps more than anything else, I have always maintained the conviction that the wholesale abandonment of individual responsibility, the sacrifice of individual rights and freedoms on the altar of whim and desire, the creeping growth of government, and the support of that growth by the majority of the left (and a growing portion of the right) was leading us down a dangerous path. As I noted in the prelude to the 12th edition of the Red Ensign Standard,
With its blindered, politically correct attacks, regulatory ‘fixes’ and the big stick of this “ism” or that “ism”, the far left has disallowed any space for others that do not worship, believe and do as it sees fit. The far left has castigated and belittled traditional concepts like personal responsibility and hard work. At every turn, the far left has attempted to inculcate the notion that the bills should and will always be paid by a paternalistic and benevolent government.
However, none of these attitudes or misrepresentations are what made Canada a great country. Sadly, they are exactly what has brought Canada to a critical juncture in its history. We are in a position where we can choose between embracing new ideas and beliefs, while hacking apart those beliefs and ideas that gave us the opportunities to choose in the first place, or we can recognize the value in retaining those parts of our history that worked and made us strong. If we choose one, our new growth will wither and die. If we choose another, the concepts of rights and freedoms as a whole will remain strong and vital.
Call it a crossroads if you like, call it a breaking point, call it what you will. The reality is that we all need to make a choice.
I choose rights, freedoms and personal responsibility over political correctness, blindered hostility and government influence.
As I also noted in that post, when we are challenged and fighting for an answer to a difficult question, the right choice is typically made by going back to basics; returning to our roots. The roots that made America and Canada what they are today are a commitment to maintaining rights and freedoms (and no, the politically correct, positive rights claimed by many today do not fit into that list), requiring individual responsibility, and being willing to stand up against those who would diminish either of those two, key foundations. Where we move away from those roots, we weaken ourselves. Where we return to those roots, we stay strong and effective.
Over the past four years, this blog has had ups and downs; I have been motivated at times and less than motivated at other times. However, I have always maintained the desire to discuss and to muse. While others may come and go around me, I expect the motivation to continue on for many more years.
