Monday, November 22, 2010

Majoritarianism and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms


Majoritarianism is the basis of the belief that most decisions should be based on the viewpoints and wishes of the majority of the group in question. It is a well-established principle in our political and judicial systems as well as in most of the community organizations. Motions that are approved by a majority in parliament or in the local club are adopted as policy. In the supreme and superior courts of the land and the provinces the decision of the majority of jurists wins the day.
Also in our electoral systems, the party winning the majority of seats in the parliament or the legislature forms the government.

In its purest form, majoritarianism presents some serious deficiencies in that it discriminates against the minorities in ways that Canadians increasingly find abhorrent. It is this sense of majority injustice that was a large part of the movement to adopt the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter has set Canada above most countries in the world in terms of it sense of fairness and openness for all people. The Charter specifies many classifications of rights including equality rights including freedom from discrimination based on race, religion, beliefs, national or ethnic origin, colour, sex, age, mental or physical disabilities.

The Charter spells out a broad spectrum of rights for each and everyone in Canada. At one time or another, regardless of our situation, any one of us may need that protection. But another very important purpose of the Charter is to protect minorities from the dominant majority.

There are times when the will or predilections of the majority come into conflict with minority rights. These can be very sensitive issues, but as time goes on, most of these matters become resolved.

One of the most contentious issues a few years ago was the decision to ban religious exercises and instruction in public schools. It was recognized that the students in our schools come from families with many different beliefs. To continue with Christian prayers and bible readings as well as classes in religious education in public schools discriminated against a these children.

While we still hear complaints about that change in the education system, it is broadly accepted as a necessary change in our increasingly pluralistic society. The Public School system was developed to provide education for all children regardless of their families' belief systems, and it was wrong for them to be treated like less than equal members of society.

In the United States, a federal court ordered the State of Alabama to remove a statue featuring the Ten Commandments from the rotunda of its legislature for the same reason. This is a good example of the clash of majoritarianism and the separation of church and state. CNN reported at the time that only one in five Alabamans approved of that order. The majority were in favour of the display, but the court ruled that it violated important basic constitutional principles.

I agree very strongly that government and civic organizations should not give special privileges or status to any particular religion or belief system.

Several years ago I was asked to make a presentation to a closed meeting of a county council here in Ontario. At the opening of the meeting the Warden asked everyone present to stand and recite the lord's prayer - which they did. I assume all of that county's meetings begin the same way. What is the message here? What does it say to citizens of that county who subscribe to a non Christian faith, or someone whose beliefs are non-religious? I wondered if a Muslim, Sikh, or Jewish person were elected to that County Council, would the protocol change or would the council ignore the diversity and require that person to "fit in"?

Those who object to the removal of religious symbols and rites from civic places and events often characterize the change as being anti-religious. That is not the basis for my argument, and it is certainly not consistent with the Charter. To the contrary, the Charter guards against the extending of special privilege to some religious organizations in civic matters while excluding other organizations and their members from such privileges.

We can illustrate this process by reference to a municipality. Many municipalities have had traditions in the past where a religious service is held to commemorate a certain event or to dedicate a new building or other symbol of the community. In these cases, it was common to invite a clergy person to conduct the ceremony. Usually the clergy selected would be from local churches on a rotating basis.

This is no longer acceptable practice. Local government (municipal councils) represent the entire community, people of all beliefs, not just Christian but people of other religions, and people with no religious affiliation. Just as it would be obviously prejudicial to always choose a representative of one particular church, it is equally prejudicial to always choose from a particular faith group.

The most common argument against that view is that "most people in this community are Christian"; therefore, our ceremony should be conducted by that group. Another argument looks at the other side of the equation: "Well, there are very few people who identify themselves as being of other faiths in this community." My response in each case is "All the more reason why the civic ceremony should not be conducted as a religious ceremony. The civic leaders must not give special honours to any one religion, and must not treat anyone as second class citizens based on their beliefs.

Adoption of this policy should not be seen as anti-religious as some people mistakenly assume. It is intended to offset the insensitivity of those groups who refuse to recognize the rights of those who do not share their particular set of beliefs. In fact many of the strongest supporters of governmental neutrality in religious matters are devout Christians.

The essence of this policy is not a ban on religious people. It opens up the opportunity to preside over and participate in any civic ceremony to anyone regardless of that person's faith, beliefs, or affiliations. The form, style, and content of any such ceremony should be cognizant of the homogeneity of the audience.

The whole field of human rights is seen by many as a matter of concern at the federal and provincial levels of government.

It is high time that municipalities recognize that they are equally subject to the Charter and the provincial human rights code terms.

Brock Vodden



















Sunday, November 21, 2010

Bert McElroy Writes Home About Vimy - 1917











Private Bert McElroy, a young man who was born and grew up in Blyth, was an ambulance driver for the Canadian Army in World War 1. Bert is seen above at the back of his ambulance.
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In 1917 he wanted to write home to the home village to tell them what has been happening in that terrible conflict. What better way to accomplish this "mass mailing" than to write to the editor of the local paper?

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The Blyth Standard at that time was owned and edited by J.H.R. Elliott. Just last week the Elliott-Nixon Insurance Agency celebrated its 100th anniversary. The following is how the letter appeared in the Blyth Standard of July 19, 1917.

The editor has pleasure in presenting to readers of the Standard, the
following letter received on Tuesday:

Mr. J.H.R. Elliott

Blyth Ontario

Dear Sir:- As some time has passed since I wrote you my last letter, I think you are nearly due for another. Well, Mr. Elliott, I have now been in France nearly seven months and during that time have seen quite a few things pulled off here. We have been pushed around pretty much all over but a change is sometimes as good as a rest over here. I guess my busiest time was after the battle of Vimy Ridge and Messines, but between times is very often slack and so consequently we get longer rests than the infantry or artillery units. I don't think I shall ever forget what we had to do after the Battle of Vimy. We were kept busy day and night dressing wounded and getting convoys of them sent down to be loaded on boat for England. During all my time in France I have never been lucky enough to run across any of the boys from near home. Lots of Ontario and Western Canada boys passed through our hands but none that I knew.

The Huron boys reinforcing the 58th Canadians are about 40 miles from me from what the wounded in the same brigade as them say. So I guess there is a very slim chance of my ever seeing them over here. The other morning I was awakened by hearing the anti-aircraft battery firing and on getting up saw them pounding away at a German taube plane. Fritz was too high up for them to hit him but it was plain the concussion of the shells was giving him trouble in the way of controlling the machine.

As I am quite a few miles back it is seldom we see an air fight but always hear the guns pounding and see the star shells at night.


I have been getting The Standard all along and always hate to be disappointed in not gettingit, as it is practically the same as getting a letter from home.


We are getting plenty to eat over here and cannot complain at all to the way of comforts. Right here I may mention the good work being done by the Blyth Girls' War Auxiliary who are so lavishly keeping the boys from Blyth supplied with good warm socks. They are a thing always useful out here, especially to those in the trenches.

Well, Mr. Elliott, I must now close trusting to still receive the Standard as before; also remember me to Mrs. Elliott and family.


Very truly yours,

No. 528700 Pte. T. A. McElroy

No. 2 Can. Stat'y Hospital

B.E. F. France









Saturday, November 20, 2010

Jamie Sims - One of our Blyth Heroes


James Sims was known as "Jamie" since his father was also James and was called "Jim".
Jamie's grandfather, William Sims brought his family to Blyth around 1874 and went into business with Robert Slater. Slater built fine quality carriages, and Sims who was a blacksmith, ironed them up. Their business, Slater and Sims Carriage Works, was located where the municipal parking lot is in 2010, on the south east corner of Queen and Drummond.
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Jamie's father had a general store on Queen Street, the fifth store south of the Dinsley Street corner. Jamie worked with his father there before he enlisted in the Canadian Army for World War 2.
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When he returned from the war, severely injured, he worked for a time with Harvey McCallum, a Blyth butcher. He spent the remainder of his life in London, Ontario, but often visited Blyth. He often brought a display of many types of horseshoe his father had made while learning the blacksmith trade. Jamie showed this display many times at the huge annual Threshers' Reunion and Hobby Show at Blyth. This display can now be seen at the Huron County Museum in Goderich, Ontario.
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Jamie had a beautiful voice and served as soloist in his London church and often returned to Blyth to sing on special occasions.
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Problems related to his war injuries followed him throughout his life. He is buried in Blyth Union Cemetery with his wife, Vivian McElroy, also from Blyth.
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Jamie left us with another treasure. While resting in a hay barn in Belgium, during the war, he wrote a beautiful poem which poignantly expressed his feelings about the ravages of the conflict and the hope for a better tomorrow. Here is that Poem:
THE PLAINS OF NORMANDY

We trod the Plains of Normandy
With pack and shovel and gun.
We trod the Plains of Normandy
From dawn to the set of sun.
We know not what the darkness held
Nor the morrow would unfold
While plodding wearily along
Among the fields of gold.
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Far fertile fields of Normandy,
Made rich by man's honest toil,
Your God has blessed the sowers,
And made bounteous the soil.
But men came by in anger
With chariot, flame, and gun,
And left in trampled ruin
The work that they had done.
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Caan, that ancient city
Of William the Conqueror's fame,
Stood guard o'er the pilgrims of Normandy
As vanquished and victor came.
She stood as a war torn hero,
Rent by the strife of man.
Alone, she stood in her majesty,
As all great heroes can.
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We left that ancient city,
Brandishing high the sword,
Fighting our way to victory,
Subduing a murderous horde.
But some remained in Normandy,
Memorials 'neath the sod,
To show that with pack and shovel and gun
Those historic plains were trod.
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Oh! We who are left with a memory
Bestowed on us by God,
May we never forget the sacrifice,
Of those comrades 'neath the sod.
May we carry the torch they threw us
To win the peace on earth.
May our conscience never let us fail
To remember them for their worth.
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We trod the fields of Normandy
With pack and shovel and gun.
We trod the Plains of Normandy
From dawn to the set of sun.
We know not what the darkness held
Nor the morrow would unfold,
While plodding wearily along
Among the fields of gold.
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J. James Sims
Belgium 1944
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We thank Jamie's daughter, Linda, for giving us permission to share this poem and also for the information about her father and his family.
The Repository of Blyth History (Janis and Brock Vodden)

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