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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Have you ever thought how dreary our Canadian
winters would be if we did not have the Christmas season to
celebrate? This is the one time of year when most Canadians,
no matter what their faith belief - or non-belief - come together
in a genuine spirit of good will. To be sure, there is far
too much commercialism, starting even before Hallowe'en. And
to be sure, too many of us get caught up in shopping and partying,
rather than celebrating the real meaning of Christmas. Despite
these criticisms, Christmas is a time to be joyful and grateful
for all the good things this country provides.
It is also a magical time for children. I
can recall how my brothers and sister and I would creep down
the stairs on Christmas morning (sometimes as early as 5:00
a.m.) to see if Santa had arrived. We would nudge each, none
of us wanting to go first, because (although of course
we did not believe in Santa Claus) Santa might still be
there! It was years before we realized how many hours our
mom had spent wrapping presents the night before, and how
little sleep the poor woman had managed to get before we woke
her up. We were allowed to open presents - then had to go
back to bed until it was time to get ready for church.
In Canada we are fortunate that we are free
to openly celebrate our various religious holy days, whether
they be Christmas, Hannukah, Ramadan or other times of special
meaning to various faiths. Unfortunately, some of this freedom
is being curtailed, for example, the prohibition on placing
a Nativity scene in a public place. I have great difficulty
in understanding why this would be considered offensive -
especially when so many Canadians are of the Christian faith.
Also, the history of Canada cannot be divorced from the impact
of the early settlers, to whom their religion was so important,
and from whom Canada inherited the tolerant, Judaeo-Christian
values which make it so appealing to immigrants from many
other countries and traditions.
Moreover, freedom of speech and freedom of
religion have never really been questioned by Canadians, but
there is a big question mark now! In this regard, we can be
grateful that Bill C-250, which amends the hate propaganda
section of the Criminal Code and gives special protection
for sexual orientation (an expression which is undefined in
the bill), has not yet been passed into law thanks to the
marvellous efforts of Senator Anne Cools, (Liberal), Toronto,
Ontario, Senator Gerry St. Germain, (Alliance), Langley-Pemberton-Whistler,
BC, Senator David Tkachuk, (PC), Saskatchewan, and Senator
Tommy Banks (Liberal), Edmonton, Alta., who argued against
the bill during debate. To date, their efforts have stopped
the bill from receiving second reading and review by the Senate's
Legal and Constitutional Committee. (See article p.1.)
Although we despair of our political system
at times, we must remember too, and be grateful for, the many
decent, thoughtful, committed pro-family MPs and Senators
we have.
To all our wonderful members and supporters,
from REAL Women of Canada, may you enjoy a delightful Christmas
Season, and may the New Year bring you peace, happiness and
fulfillment.
God bless you all!
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