Recent violent student demonstrations in Quebec prove yet again that Canada is developing a culture of lawlessness - and that we are encouraging this behavior by not suppressing it decisively. All over this country one group or another crosses the line between legitimate protest and disruption. Protest - telling people you disagree with something - is a democratic right but disrupting and interfering with other citizens going about their lawful business is a crime. No one has a right to hijack other people’s lives by occupying parks, highways, rail-lines and buildings or by disrupting meetings or ignoring court orders. Anyone who does so should be arrested and charged.

Because democratic societies depend on respecting the law, such illegal disruptions cannot be tolerated. If we accept this behavior we are, in effect, giving special rights to those who commit these criminal acts and, thereby, violating the rights of those law-abiding citizens going about their business. Indeed, such lawless, disruptive action is just another form of violence and, therefore, must be rigorously suppressed.

No matter what its grievances are, no group is entitled to act above the law. Democracy depends on rule of law because without it society quickly degenerates into free-for-all chaos in which everyone loses in the end. Therefore, before we can deal with any particular grievance, we must first ensure that the rule of law is preserved. This is exactly where our politicians, police and even courts have failed to protect democracy in Canada. It's time for our politicians and police to act decisively to end such criminal activity - peacefully if possible but forcibly if necessary. Our courts must pass sentences that effectively discourage such behavior.

No doubt these groups of disrupters feel their cause is important enough to justify breaking the law. While this argument has validity in dictatorships like Cuba, Communist China or Syria, it is worthless in democratic countries like Canada. In Canada there are always democratic ways of pursuing one's goals by legitimate protest as well as political action. While these methods may not be as 'glamorous' as anarchist law-breaking, they do ensure the optimum outcome for the vast majority of citizens.

Ian Kluge

Prince George