Dear Prime Minister:

I must have been asleep at the switch – or wherever I was at the time – to have missed Silver Donald Cameron’s article in the NovaScotian on July 30. But the letters in today’s Chronicle Herald have raised my blood pressure and disturbed my Canadian soul to its roots. And then today my son, who is visiting from Toronto, and reads other newspapers, expressed extreme pessimism concerning Canadian sovereignty because of the “Security and Prosperity Partnership” and similar agreements. How despicable of the Federal Government, and of those who pull its strings, to schedule its ratification in the middle of vacation season, particularly when there has been no debate in Parliament on the subject and the public is largely ignorant of its existence. What would John A. Macdonald say?

Recently one of my relatives in Denmark wrote me concerning Canada’s position on Hans Island; he couldn’t understand how we could oppose Denmark’s claim to sovereignty of the island. So I wrote him about it, and I am enclosing a translation of my letter. Anyone who knows anything about the reasons for building the CPR will understand what I am saying.

The US is using security (and 9/11) as an excuse for empire building. It is a wonderful country, with many good qualities and ideals. But it is more and more being ruled by Big Business – economic imperialism – government has to support its business interests abroad, if it is to be reelected – a subversion of democracy. This is a feature of capitalism, not necessarily a policy of government. “Government of the people, by the people and for the people” must not be allowed to perish in our country. I am happy that we in Canada have put caps on individual and corporate political donations. Let us not circumvent such safeguards. There are other ways of securing peace than by subverting our democracy and letting the business interests of another country control us. Giving in to the US in this matter will ensure that our water supply and our public health system will be privatized and that American controlled business will reap the benefits. (I am all for supporting other countries, but let it be the poorer nations – not the wealthiest.)

Enough of my tirade for this time. I will find other excuses for writing you another time. (Blessings on Silver Donald Cameron, Harry Bruce and Ralph Surrette! They speak truth to power!)