The right and obligation to follow your conscience

[sit.happens]

I sit at home in front of my computer feeling helpless at the situation we are in. Sure, I signed the petition, donated some monies to the cause. But I feel like some spectator just watching a game. I can boo and yell all I want, but the players on the Ice don't hear me.

That's one thing that sucks about Canada, it's too big! If we where in England or Italy or somewhere we could all meet in London or Rome and demonstrate in person in front of the enemy, But being that we are all spread out across the country all meeting in Ottawa is impractical.

But the good thing about the internet and forums such as ECF, is the ability to spread and share information and ideas. I want to share an interesting book with the vaping community.

Im just browsing through a book entitled "Civil Disobedience" By Henry David Thoreau , written in 1849.

It was an influence and inspiration to such historical figures as Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Leo Tolstoy. And those guys where up against odds a lot worse that what HC is doing to us.

Granted it was written over 150 years ago, it still has a lot of good ideas about resistance to civil government in moral opposition to an unjust state.

From what I've read, his techniques have been used the world over, from apartheid South Africa to the anti-Vietnam war movement in the 60/70's

Not sure if Im allowed to link but you can read it for free in google books, 2nd one down-full preview. Also the "Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy" has an excellent article about "Civil Disobedience"

 

[sit.happens]

NO comments, I hope my post didn't freak anybody out! Don't worry, the ideas in the book deal with peaceful methods not armed insurrection! Think of someone living in a tree to prevent it being cut down, Not French Revolution or anything! I just thought it's a darn good book. Ya can probably find it in the library. I just figure if we study lessons from the past, about what has worked in terms of bringing about change, it might help in our cause. I figure, HC isn't the first Gov't department that came up with ideas that people disagreed with. Someone once mentioned in a post about needing leaders, I figure it doesn't hurt to gain advice from people and events in the past that have shaped the world we live in. Draw comparisons and ideas/ lessons from the leaders of past social movements and adapt them to our cause.

 

[Kams Cats]

LOL I read your post just before lunch and was going to reply. Actually thought I had. I am thinking of picking it up to read and see if i can get any good ideas out of it for a few small municipal disagreements I am involved in. (Nothing major, I just live in a town with a HC mentality. "It's new/different! Lets ban it so it doesn't hurt or offend someone in the future. it's for your own gooood. )

 

[AlbertaClipper]

Yeah, some of us had a busy day! As a matter of fact, I went to Google Books and opened up the page you suggested. Now it's a tossup as to whether I read that tonight or the BRAND NEW JEAN AUEL BOOK that I just got!!! woo hoo!

 

[Targone]

Prohibition doesn't work,never has. All it does is opens a door for...... nuff said

 

[IanK1968]

Prohibition has made nothing but trouble.
-Al Capone

 

[Katmandu]

I sit at home in front of my computer feeling helpless at the situation we are in. Sure, I signed the petition, donated some monies to the cause. But I feel like some spectator just watching a game. I can boo and yell all I want, but the players on the Ice don't hear me.

That's one thing that sucks about Canada, it's too big! If we where in England or Italy or somewhere we could all meet in London or Rome and demonstrate in person in front of the enemy, But being that we are all spread out across the country all meeting in Ottawa is impractical.

I feel for you cause I feel the same way. At this point in time there really is nothing we can do except wait, support our Canadian vendors, and reach out to each other here on the forum.

There's a lot of nitpicking and bickering going on in different threads lately - because people are worried and can't do anything to help. So they lash out in their frustration.

Noobies are posting in the forum and because they are new with low post counts nobody trusts enough to reach out and help them.

It is a helpless feeling - wanting to help and wondering if you should - trying to silence those who would give up our vendors names and wondering if it's too late.

Let the naysayers have their say - we don't have to "like" their posts and we don't have to answer. A thread dies a fast death if there are no replies.

Noobies are coming here and swelling the ranks of Canadian members on this forum. That's cool - let's get to know them a little better - hear their stories.

We can do civil disobedience but we don't have to do it in here.

We are a big country and we are far apart but we are together on this forum. And that's a very cool thing.

 

[sit.happens]

Thanks Katmandu,

Well I guess I'll just sit back and watch and wait. Let the cards fall as they may.

 

[TrevorLocher]

Although we are noobies to the forum, many of us arn't newbies to Vaping, in fact i've been vaping for close to a year now. So even if do have a low post count, it doesn't mean that this "situation" in canada effects us newbies any less than the Vets. Vaping has saved my life, and reading posts on this forum has given me the knowledge and understanding of many new things about vaping that I didn't know. We need not judge a book by its cover.

 

[OCanada]

Trevor this is Jon, its cool to see you on the forums buddy.
I think you guys need to cheer up, health canada is relying on scare tactics, reading this forum, and doing searches through google, I don't see a single reference to a vendor actually being arrested, or with their products actually being seized. Well I can only speak for myself, but if they take this step against my small business, even if I must go with legal aid, I will take them to court, and I would expect any judge with any moral standing, or common sense would rule in our favour.
I talked with a health canada rep on the phone, who could give me no actual reason for the trouble they are causing us.
They have stopped a few of our shipments, but as its been pointed out they cannot stop them all. They are trying to get the vendors who will fall for their scare tactics to give them their suppliers names and addresses, this is something I would strongly recommend vendors refrain from doing.
I think I speak for us all when I say the minute they take one of us to court for providing the vaping community with a less harmful alternative to smoking the entire community will do what it can financially, as well as provide us with unlimited evidence of the positive effects these products have had for us.
I think health canada will continue to interfere with imports when they can, but they will not move openly against anyone, unless we let them go to far, and roll over to their pressure too many times.

 

[TrevorLocher]

And thats all it is scare tactics, this is why I don't want to vote. If HC is going around the laws set in place than (other than money) why couldn't the average joe?