Friday, April 16, 2010

FACING RESPONSIBILITY AND FACING YOUR NEIGHBOURS

 
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The debate about wearing face coverings in public in Canada:
 
Unless it is Halloween, Purim, or a bitterly cold day, or a person's face is disfigured by disease or a birth defect, no one should cover their face in public in Canada. 
 
Bank robbers and vandals wear masks and we know why they do. But honourable people have no reason to hide their faces in a free country.
 
Public demonstrations: If you have a just cause, have the courage to show your face while you protest. What are you really hiding? Your mischief ? Your malice? Your cowardice ? Who do you really represent? What do you really intend to accomplish ? To disrupt the genuine protest ? To play childish games? To cause trouble for the fun of it?
 
Religion: I have no objection to modest ladies covering their hair for religious or personal reasons. But I look forward to meeting my Muslim neighbours face to face. I cannot imagine a friendly relationship with a masked person.  
 
I have written and asked our legislators to make it illegal to wear a face covering on the public streets of Canada. 
 
However, if any citizen is granted the right to wear a mask or other disguise in public, the same right must be accorded equally to all citizens.
 
Therefore, if some persons are permitted to wear a mask or other disguise in public, any person - male or female - who wishes to wear a mask or some another disguise in public must also be free to do so without interference.
 
In a free society, we cannot justify according to some people rights that are denied  to others.
 
Phyllis Carter
 
DISGUISE : synonyms disguise, cloak, mask mean to alter the dress or appearance of so as to conceal the identity or true nature. disguise implies a change in appearance or behavior that misleads by presenting a different apparent identity <disguised herself as a peasant>. cloak suggests a means of hiding a movement or an intention <cloaked their maneuvers in secrecy>. mask suggests some often obvious means of hiding or disguising something <smiling to mask his discontent> ... to obscure the existence or true state or character of (the person) 
 

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