‘Stupidity’
Dear Editor:
RE: ICE ‘viciousness,’ Feb. 5.
First off, who are we to judge the bullying tactics of the American administration? Four years ago, our Canadian government declared – now proven illegally – the Emergencies Act to deal with peacefully protesting citizens in Ottawa. All this was done with absolutely no remorse, and the full support of state-run and state-financed propaganda – oops – media.
The comparison of the current American administration to Nazi Germany obviously shows Ron Svaty’s desperate attempt to further a narrative and philosophy that is proving highly self destructive to the well being of nations worldwide, whether we view it from the standpoint of morality, financial well-being, national security or individual rights.
Where Svaty seriously misses the mark: 1) The Nazis were elected initially with about 40% of the popular vote, giving the equivalent of a minority parliament, not an overwhelming majority mandate. 2) Hitler/Nazis did not respect any semblance of a constitution Germany might have had at that time. 3) Hitler/Nazis forced into concentration camps their own citizens not foreign nationals who chose to outstay their welcome. 4) Once in power, Hitler/Nazis turned on their own citizens, closed their borders and would not allow anyone to flee the country.
Last time I checked, the illegal foreign nationals are free to leave any time they wish.
I can go on, but time and space will not allow it. I would like to point out a biblical analogy where we are called not to judge the speck in our neighbour’s eye, when we have a log in our own. Like the Auschwitz survivor, how many of us can trust our neighbours like we could prior to 2020?
Bonhoeffer in his writings came to a conclusion (I paraphrase here) that stupidity is not a function of intelligence, but rather a function of moral integrity.
How many readers can say they have enough moral integrity to overcome “stupidity?”
Wayne Baker,
Wellington North
*Editor’s note: Many U.S. citizens have been arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. And legal experts say many ICE arrests have violated the U.S. constitution, notably the fourth (unreasonable searches and seizures) and fifth (due process) amendments.