Things I Learned in 2009

In 2009, my rights and freedoms increased dramatically

It was not because the military of this nation or any other fought halfway around the world for whatever reasons that were given. It was not because of any new policy created in the Parliament. It was not because of anything in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It was because we moved.

In Calgary, walking at night was confined to certain areas. The doors in the car had to be locked, same with the door to our apartment. Crossing the street was done with the first thought to the carelessness of drivers. Noise dominated every aspect of life. Whatever right to privacy is owed to me on paper was made irrelevant by having any real sense of privacy trampled by the crushing ado of living in a big city.

In Canmore, we have the freedom to walk anywhere and at any time without fear. Our right to private property is not some intellectual state-guaranteed idea, but a real thing put to the test every day. I now leave my bicycle unlocked on the deck because it's my bicycle, not because the law says it is. Tomorrow, it will still be there. In Calgary, like any other city, my so-called right to private property is really a farce in practice. What good are these rights that we credit the State with providing, if they exist only on paper? In light of seeing what really influences my effective rights, I find it distasteful to hear people speak of our troops fighting for our rights or freedoms or our country.
The sad truth is that their sacrifices are not heroic but tragically meaningless.