Dissent is a requisite for a functioning democracy. The great humbler and provocateur, it keeps the powers that be in check and works against the harsh ideologies that weave paths through human history. Repeatedly, a lack of communication and an oppression of dissenters precedes human catastrophes. 

This is nothing new.

Our own MLA Robin Campbell said this week governments don’t always know the right way to do things. Some may see this as a traditional nod to less government intervention. I see it as a need for more engagement and dissent.

There is a constant push and pull between governments and critics. We see it as the G8 and G20 approaches and the federal government spends a billion dollars on security, which is as much aimed at protecting the most powerful (elected) people in the world as it is silencing protesters. We in the media often don’t help matters, as the well-educated and well behaved protesters are ignored in favour of the gunpowder rebels throwing rocks at armed policemen. Watching from afar as Muskoka - where I took swimming lessons for years - is transformed into a massive security zone has been an odd experience. Granted, plans have switched to ensure the G8 leaders only get an hour of blackfly time in Huntsville, ON before getting whisked away to Toronto, where they can enjoy a fake lake.

Most protests in Canada are peaceful in nature. Violence is the exception, however the overzealous foot stomping that greets many of the anti-globalization protesters at such events is simply excessive. Pepper spray, sound canons and covert police officers TRYING to incite riots (Remember Montebello) have all been used against those with opposing views to the prevailing ideology of the day. When the leaders of the free world, who are at the helm during a global banking crisis and extreme environmental disaster, are cut off from the public criticism, no good can follow. Politicians of all stripes use these techniques, which clash with our own ideas of what this nation is supposed to represent. 

From behind our television screens, the protesters are portrayed as violent or disorganized (which occasionally is the case). I have often spoken of the need for protesters to connect with NGOs or political parties to further their agenda. But that is becoming increasingly difficult. Protesting is often their only venue for voicing their dissatisfaction with the governments in power and achieving some sort of national news coverage. But the language used by the government to justify the billion dollar security expense suggests they are dangerous people.

We in the media are privileged to have access to power brokers. For example, I spoke with two Alberta cabinet ministers this week. Many proponents of the push to list grizzly bear species as threatened had to work for years to get that same chance. But for the disenfranchised, who have seen traditional methods of opposition disappear, a placard and clever chant is the best they can do.

With an event so heavily weighed toward security, protesters will have an even tougher time this year, and will once again risk adverse conditions to discuss issues such as social injustice, equality, environmental degradation and the growing gap between rich and poor. A billion dollars to oppress these ideas. Hmmm.

DISCLAIMER: The Last Word is an opinion column, it is meant to provoke thought and debate. As such, any opinions written here are the writers own and do not reflect the viewpoint of any other Fitzhugh staff member or the directors of the Jasper Media Group Inc.