In the spirit of the upcoming TED x-UNBC 2017 conference, where the theme shall be "dispelling misconceptions," and with reference to Srabon Salims's letter of May 2, where he clarifies somewhat his stance against the monarchy, please allow me to provoke your readers with a few enlightening questions so that by exploring their possible answers, one might find truth and peace and perhaps enlightenment.
Isn't Canada only a country in fact and not by law? Isn't our constitution an Act of Parliament? Is an act a law or does it merely have the force of law by the consent of the people?
Does it matter? Is Canada even a country or is it really still a Dominion of Great Britain? And though Canada functions as a democracy, isn't it really a constitutional monarchy? Wouldn't this mean, if true, that our Prime Minister isn't ours, but the Queen's? These are my questions about Canada.
Now about the Queen and the Monarchy.
Does the Queen need our oaths to be Queen? Doesn't she swear an oath to us? Isn't it our acceptance of her oath to us that makes her Queen? Hasn't it been this way since the time of the Magna Carta?
Doesn't this make the people of the Commonwealth the true Sovereigns? Doesn't this mean that the Queen works for us? Isn't this what makes her our Queen? Isn't it our sovereign power she wields? Isn't it this sovereign power that gives her the power to reign?
Does she not then reign for us, not over us? Isn't she then our greatest protection against government corruption? Isn't this why we grant her the power to veto any act? And hasn't she always given this power the respect it deserves? Isn't it true that she has never abused or misused her power of veto?
If even a fraction of what I have implied by my questions is true, then isn't the monarchy just as significant today than it ever has been before?
And isn't it wonderful to be part of this self-correcting system that works perfectly to protect our rights, even when we ourselves do not understand either the system or our rights?
Isn't it great to believe and to be free to question our beliefs?
Aren't you proud to be Canadian?
I am!
Tony Peardon
Prince George
