At the junction of the old year and the new . . . as we flip our calendars from 2016 to 2017, it may be appropriate to reflect for a moment on these spoofy lyrics sung by Scouts around the campfire to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne” (author unknown):

On mules we find two legs behind and two we find before,
We stand behind before we find what the two behind be for.
When we’re behind the two behind, we find what these be for,
So stand before the two behind, behind the two before.

I’ve never been actually kicked by a mule but this past year, Canadian citizens, taxpayers, and voters have been kicked nearly senseless by changes to our laws made by the already-old Liberal government. Now that we’ve felt the kick and the trampling underfoot of our values it behooves us (pun intended) to reposition ourselves to where they can’t reach us with their hind feet. We need to get out in front and get ahold of the bridle.

Our Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues have undertaken an ambitious program of change; some might even call it “ambushous” for we have certainly been ambushed. Although voters should have seen this coming, the average voter who went for the young face and the promise of “change” in 2015 neither understood the scope of change nor the implications for the generations to come.

There’s an old saying: “Before you remove a fence, find out why it is there.” Our current government and past governments have removed the protection of innocent life in the womb and now the protection of life for the elderly, the infirm, the disabled, and the depressed. Our governments have removed their support for the time-honoured institution of marriage between a man and a woman. They have dropped their commitment to free speech. They have treated debt and deficit as harmless and unavoidable aspects of modern governance. They are poised to reverse the long-standing laws against marijuana as a “recreational” drug. They are already helping to establish more drug injection sites. Their court-enabled addiction to political correctness has deepened the rifts between Canada’s subcultures and undermined the rule of law.

The list goes on. The question is: “What are we in the CHP going to do about it?” History sags with instances of a complacent public, lulled into inaction. The capture of public opinion, followed by an enslavement of the public will is easily seen in Germany in the years before WW2. Easily seen by us in hindsight; not so obvious to those who were living through those days. How different are we? Our nation is hurtling towards the abyss of anarchy and despotism, yet for the vast majority of Canadians just trying to get by, there is no sense of urgency, no resolve to resist. If we are to halt the madness and return Canada to its moral foundations, there must be an awakening—first in the church and then in the general public. Our concern is not only for our own children, our own homes, our own freedoms. No, we see the shadow falling on every public institution and our efforts must be exerted to preserve life and freedom for all.

In 2017, let each of us in the Christian Heritage Party determine that we will not only bring our concerns to our elected representatives but—perhaps more importantly—to our fellow-citizens, our friends, neighbours, and co-workers. It may be easier to sign a petition or send a brochure (and we should continue to do those things) but our ability to impact public opinion by one-on-one conversations at the water cooler or over the back fence may be our least-used but most effective tool. It’s not either/or; it’s a matter of going all in. If we truly believe in our cause and we are truly committed to doing everything we can to avert national disaster and return Canada to a culture of life and freedom, we must act and we must act NOW.

We’ve already seen what the hind feet can do; let’s not linger there to get kicked again. The CHP has better solutions and we need to bring them forward! Thank you for all your efforts in the past year. Thank you even more for your help in the year ahead as we seek to make known to the world the opportunity to bring godly, biblical solutions to bear on the complex problems of our day. As always, we need your financial support. We also need your friends and acquaintances to hear from you about the CHP and to join us in the struggle. The big taxpayer-funded parties now dominating the House have compromised themselves into irrelevance. We have a message that will always be relevant; we need to make sure it is being heard.

Thank you and God bless you all in 2017!

Comment on this Communiqué