By Richard G

There are two parties to which this message is NOT directed. The first comprises those of our fellow Canadians who are fully onboard with just about anything their provincial authorities or our federal government passes as law or decree. We can call this first group the (sadly) unreachable. They are deeply entrenched in their ideologies, much like many of us are in the freedom movement, and the earth will need to move before their minds will be changed. We can continue to expend our energy trying to reach those who feel that divisive and discriminatory vaccine passports are legitimate, that authoritarian or totalitarian measures are appropriate, and that anyone who thinks differently merits no voice. But you will usually waste your breath only to find condescending and emotionally charged responses in return. This is perhaps not the most productive use of your time. I know, I’ve had a hard time learning that lesson myself.

The second group to which this message is NOT aimed is comprised of true freedom fighters. This group must not be confused with the plethora of keyboard warriors and armchair activists who share many of our collective concerns, occasionally voice them publicly, but otherwise fail to meaningfully implicate themselves and dedicate time and energy to making a difference. True freedom fighters fight in a broad number of ways. They may not be known at all in the resistance movement, but they already take their stand daily with simple but conscious acts of civil disobedience.

So, this message is directed at those in the middle, the mostly silent majority who are sympathetic to the eternal struggle to maintain and promote freedom, individual liberty, and bodily autonomy, but persist in asking the question, “I know it’s wrong, but what can I do about it?” I want to try to help to answer that question, since we get it asked often. We also get a lot of people asking us to lead a specific initiative with questions like, “why don’t you do this or that?” The obvious answer to this second question is, “why don’t YOU do this or that?” There is scarcely any difference between our activist group and your activist soul. We do not wield any power that you do not hold yourself. We have no more magic in our arsenal than each of you have within you to effect change. It is only when we ALL act that real change is achieved.

And, so, before answering the first question posed in the title, here are some other common questions and viable solutions that each of us can execute as soon as right now:

“I don’t want to get vaccinated, but I don’t have a choice or else I’ll lose my job.”

This is an especially tough question right now as the federal government is trying to implement vaccine mandates for all federal employees and will likely attempt to extend such discriminatory policies to a larger segment of the workforce. But what do you mean, precisely, when you say you don’t have a choice? The real answer is that you have many choices, none of which are easy. Your first option is to get vaccinated. But then you wouldn’t be doing that for the right reasons, would you? If you are forced or coerced into getting vaccinated against your own conscience, then you are participating in an egregious breach of the law, of medical ethics, and of fundamental human rights. So, let’s call that option what it is: off the table.

Your second option is to refuse flat out. You can quit your job, or you can force your employer’s hand to attempt to take action against you. The latter is the best of both options. By refusing an unlawful and unethical vaccine mandate that threatens your constitutionally guaranteed right to earn a living as a function of your private and personal medical choices, you force your employer (yes, even the federal government) to either abandon the action or make a decision that is legally contentious. Of course, there is a risk involved in playing this game of chicken, but it also comes with some amazing rewards.

The first reward may be the most important of all: You followed your conscience. You exercised your inalienable rights to integrity of your person, safety and security, and moral conscience. What can be more rewarding than that? The second reward may take much more time, money, and energy to achieve: You can be wrongfully terminated and sue your employer for discrimination and human rights violations. We must never forget that, just because a government or employer implements a certain policy, this does NOT mean that it passes the legal test. Indeed, the only way we can know if a statute, policy, or premature termination is lawful is if we challenge that law. Yes, this can mean self-sacrifice and investment, but it is a CHOICE. You have a choice.

Your third option is to organize and strike. In much of Europe, unions have organized general strikes with the aim of pressuring the government to abandon their abusive and overreaching policies. You must always remember that YOU have power. We are living in a time when perpetual government hand-outs have decimated the workforce. If you’re still getting up every morning and going to work, you are now a rare and precious commodity in Canada! While general strikes in France have caused the country to fall to its knees while the economy grinds to a halt, Canadians can engage in the very same lawful acts. Truckers: Stop trucking! Nurses: Strike! Doctors: Take that sabbatical year off you’ve been dreaming about! Government bureaucrats: Same thing. Organize and strike! Unions: wake up and start representing the rights of your members! If society is trying to exclude you, then don’t play ball and don’t play into their hands. Exercise your power and fight back!

Your fourth option is to write letters to your employer. We have provided model letters you can use and adapt to your own needs at www.fearlesscanada. org. Make your employer know that you are refusing vaccine coercion.

Your last option (there may be more that we haven’t considered) is to try and obtain a medical exemption. This may be hard, but if you have a legitimate health condition that precludes you from being vaccinated, then make sure you obtain a medical exemption from your doctor. There are many contraindications cited by vaccine manufacturers. Look them up and see if you are at risk. Of course, obtaining an exemption will do little to change the oppressive system that is forcing you to justify your personal and private health decisions. However, for the time that it’s needed, it can provide you with some temporary relief until the war on our freedoms is over, whenever that may be.

“They won’t let me travel if I don’t show a vaccine passport.”

Solution 1: Don’t travel. For as long as such policies impede your constitutionally guaranteed freedom of mobility, you can stay put. Again, this isn’t the only solution, but it is an available CHOICE. For the time being, there is no obligation to be vaccinated in order to travel. That’s right, despite the rhetoric and political posturing, for right now, there is no vaccine obligation in Canada or in many countries and regions abroad.

You must also consider that not every country will require vaccination to allow entry. For example, travelling to Mexico requires no vaccination and no test! And, as a Canadian citizen, re-entry into Canada cannot be legally refused under any circumstances. This is your country and your home. Yes, they can insist you get tested, or even require you to quarantine. However, if you are healthy and present no symptoms of an infectious disease, it is very difficult and contentious for the Canadian government to require any of these interventions under the Public Health Act or quarantine regulations. So, once again, stand your ground!

The most important concept to consider in all of this is that accepting a medical procedure in order to regain your fundamental and inalienable rights is a decision you would be taking for all the wrong reasons. The ONLY reason you should get vaccinated is if you personally have evaluated the risks and benefits, have been properly and thoroughly informed of those risks and benefits, and have decided you want to undergo this procedure of your own free will. This is what informed consent is all about. Consent based on coercion is not consent, it is duress.

“I know it’s wrong, but what can I do about it?”

This last question is broad in its implications, but the answer is simple. It was perhaps best expressed by Marlon Brando in his role as the Godfather: “You can act like a MAN!” Please note, acting like a “man” should not be misconstrued as an expression of toxic masculinity. It is this author’s opinion that the colloquialism more correctly refers to acting with courage, with conviction, and with conscience. What is your conscience telling you to do? Will you compromise your convictions in order to appease a family member, a government, or an employer? And what will happen if we all acquiesce and compromise our convictions in order to satisfy another’s misplaced fears? What is our great, free nation if it forces us to swallow our pride, forsake our courage, and abandon our convictions? In this author’s humble opinion, it is no nation at all, and not one worth living in.

As always, join your local protests, get out, and make yourselves heard. Stay Fearless, Canadians!
www.FearlessCanada.org