Re: Conservatives betting on rhetoric of fear, Oct. 5

Conservatives betting on rhetoric of fear, Oct. 5

I am 79 years old and have endeavoured all my life to vote with thoughtful consideration of the facts. In all those years, I have never seen such a patently racist campaign run by any party, as that of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. I did not think this could happen in Canada, and I feel both angry and ashamed.

After receiving the most disturbing flyer from the campaign office of Dianne Watts regarding the “Jihadist Terrorists, which only the Conservative party could protect us from,” I thought that our Muslim Canadians must be feeling dreadful over this relentless, ugly propaganda. I felt the need to find even one Muslim to apologize for this injustice and the hurt it caused. I found a lady at the mall, and after enquiring if she was Muslim, delivered my apology.

I said, “This is not the Canadian way.” Smiling at me with tears in her eyes, she agreed. I gave her a hug, and departed.

What are we doing to our country? One thing thing is clear, the new Conservative party bears little resemblance to the old Progressive Conservative Party that I voted for over a 50-year span.

Harper’s relentless attacks on our Muslim citizens, including references to “Barbaric cultural practices,” “Jihad threat,” and this endless hulabaloo about the niqab, clearly demonstrates a man who is exploiting that unworthy side of our nature, the racist the lurks in all of us. His propaganda is superb.

John Diefenbaker coined the phrase, “Unhyphenated Canadian.” A worthy goal. How I miss him and all the other prime ministers who truly valued our Canadian democracy.

Sybil Rowe, Surrey, B.C.

David Schindler one of the world’s leading authorities on freshwater and marine ecosystems recently stated that “it will take a decade to undo the harm the Harper government has done to science and environmental policy in Canada.” Many criminologists would agree that this statement also applies to the laws and policies the Conservatives have implemented in the criminal justice system.

Many of their so-called get-tough-on-crime measures such as mandatory minimums, have absolutely no empirical evidence to support their effectiveness.

It’s been said that people elect the government they deserve. If Canadians give Harper another mandate, they will only have themselves to blame for electing a government that has ruined this country’s once stellar reputation in building a society based on innovation, knowledge and scientific research.

Darryl T. Davies, Nepean

Denial of proven scientific thought and the suppression of the scientific community; negative targeting of religious and ethnic minorities; a bias for military intervention to solve problems; a highly efficient propaganda machine, combined with limiting information to the free press; a leader who exercises dictatorial control of his party and crushes dissent; alienation from the world community; and a population willing to give up individual freedoms in exchange for perceived economic gains.

No, this is not 1932 Germany but 2015 Canada. How long will Canadians continue to ignore the damage Stephen Harper has done to Canada and the office of prime minister? Let us stand up and say enough is enough and return Canada to a standard of which we can all be proud.

Daniel Downey, Midland