Oh Canada, Thy Liberal Heart Still Beats

In spite of the media's wailing and gnashing of teeth after the Conservative Party's recent rise to power, it appears that liberalism is alive and kicking in Canadian politics.

Less than a year after the terrorism attacks in the States took place on September 11, 2001, the Canadian Parliament passed a sweeping Anti-Terrorism Act (much like our own Patriot Act) as a tool to help authorities prevent a similar attack on Canadian soil. Four years later the powers permitted under the ATA were key weapons in the exposure and capture of a cell of radical Islamic would-be terrorists in the Toronto area. And yet Canadian lawmakers are now scrutinizing the ATA, worried that key sections may be considered offensive to some portions of the population.

The federal government is considering changes to the Anti-Terrorism Act to make it clear police and security agents do not engage in racial or religious profiling.

Justice Minister Vic Toews said last night he is troubled by the ATA's definition of terrorism as an offence motivated in whole or in part for a "political, religious or ideological purpose." [snip]

As Justice Minister, he told a Senate committee, he has seen no evidence that in fact the RCMP, CSIS or any other federal law enforcement or security agency has engaged in profiling.

Nevertheless, he fears the motive section "may be at cross purposes to Canadian values" of respect for human rights and equality before the law.

Never mind the Canadian values of personal safety and national security. As pointed out by Robert Spencer of Dhimmi Watch,

Equality before the law does not require willful blindness or tolerance of an imperialist, totalitarian, supremacist ideology.

Unfortunately, that is too often the creed of liberalism, which tends to elevate the comfort and liberties (note that I did not say "rights") of the individual far above the rights, safety and well-being of the society in which they live.