Canada's Federal Travel Vaccine Mandate: Control in Exchange for Safety

It is overdue for the federal government to lift the vaccination requirement to fly within Canada. Unvaccinated Canadians are essentially being treated as second-class citizens for choosing not to go along with a general societal narrative. Whenever a group is singled out and prevented from enjoying ‘privileges’ that members outside of that group are allowed to enjoy freely, it is reason for Canadians to be concerned. It is especially troubling if what defines the out-group is based on non-criminal choices or activities. 

Canadians need to understand that we all have different risk tolerances. This implies that individuals will choose various approaches to feel protected when perceived uncertainties present themselves. And that the best solution is not necessarily the 'solution' marketed or imposed by the government. Within a few months, we went from skepticism about the government to trusting whatever they told us. If the government is given the power to impose mandates on Canadians on the pretext that it is for the greater good, where is the limit on how far they will go to 'protect' others? But don't take my word for it. Ask anyone whose life and livelihood have been touched by the mandates.

Most people's bodies are their most personal and sacred possession. Somehow, the government quickly convinced us to put something in it that most people weren't convinced they needed. Most Canadians know someone who got vaccinated even though that person felt strongly that they did not need the shot. Other vaccinated individuals considered the possibility of the vaccine having some harmful side effects. Yet, they rolled up their sleeves and shot it into their bloodstreams anyway. They wanted the freedom to fly, to visit restaurants, and to keep their jobs. Others believed they were doing something noble. Not for themselves. For the benefit of others. It is scary to think how much the government could take the lessons they learned from this successful experiment.

So what's next if we accept this as ok? Cameras installed to monitor everyone in their homes and vehicles for the nation's safety? Considering how we have been conditioned so far, the next mandate wouldn't sound absurd if it sounded like this:

Henceforth, all citizens must install these government-certified surveillance tools in their private spaces for their safety and, more so, for the protection of others. After verifying your installation, you will be certified as a safe and compliant citizen. Only compliant citizens will be allowed to return to their normal lives. Of course, you can only board a plane if you are certified safe.

By the way, this is already well on its way to becoming a reality in China, where cameras are installed right outside homes and some even in their homes. The cameras will monitor residents’ whereabouts to ensure the safety of others.

I wonder if a people could become so free that moving forward into what would appear to be more freedom means heading back towards confinement, in a quest to circle back to their current state when they would be truly free again.

Weekly Freedom Protests - Calgary (Mar 19, 2022)

Look how quickly we went from being a nation that celebrated freedoms to one where raising a freedom banner is considered extremist. We sang, "...the True North strong and free... God keep our land glorious and free". Freedom is fast becoming a repulsive word. Most of these attitude changes are driven by a carefully crafted narrative that suggests that each person is either a vaxxer or an antivaxxer. Vaxxers, by the way, are the morally superior group. Anyone who distrusts or is against vaccination is an anti-vaxxer, according to dictionary.com’s definition, which was added to their word catalogue in early 2022. Individuals who have had all vaccinations to date but chose not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine are still generally considered anti-vaxxers. The label is expanded to include anyone who thinks the government should not punish people who want the freedom to make their health decisions regarding COVID-19. The media has seized every chance to swing swords of suspicion on our streets, slashing through society and severing our mind’s eye so we see only the screens they would have us see.

Many immigrants, like myself, moved to Canada for the freedom we had seen from afar and the freedom we enjoyed when we arrived. It is disappointing that issues we felt we left behind might be creeping into our new country. During the pandemic, Nigerians held regular protests against police brutality days after a recording of SARS officers killing an individual in Delta State was made public. A protest in Abuja was met with force. Officers deployed tear gas on participants. Government agencies and the Central Bank of Nigeria employed bank freezing techniques that Canadians are slowly growing accustomed to target accounts of protesters, organizers and individuals suspected of supporting the protest. 

The line of trucks flowing down the highways from Canada's west. People stream down onto bridges and roadsides in support of these fighters. Their intimidating honks of patriotism sounded like they would come crashing into the shores of the East, but they arrived as peaceful waves of song and dance. The peaceful waves were trampled under hooves nonetheless.

Weekly Freedom Protest - Calgary (Mar 19, 2022)

Why are the Federal vaccination mandates not on the table to discuss from a political or social standpoint? Why were the protestors ultimately silenced and not reasoned with during the Freedom Convoy protests? Why did the police deploy pepper spray and stun grenades to disperse peaceful protestors? Why did we think it was right to freeze citizens' bank accounts expressing their rights? Why was it acceptable to invoke the Mareva injunction to freeze the crypto wallets of supporters? Why would we think our freedoms are still intact when the government sees the need to invoke the Emergency Act to empower police to close in on its citizens? Why should we accept all of these as a taboo debate? 

We need to see that these actions are not being done to reduce the spread of COVID-19 but rather as a tactic to punish the unvaccinated and ultimately push them into submission. It is driven neither by science nor logic. If it genuinely was about safety, the unvaccinated should be allowed to fly after getting a rapid test. If it was about safety, even the vaccinated should be tested before boarding. It is consensus at this point that both the vaccinated and unvaccinated can get and spread the virus. According to The Lancet study published on October 29, 2021, "Vaccination reduces the risk of delta variant infection and accelerates viral clearance. Nonetheless, fully vaccinated individuals with breakthrough infections have peak viral load similar to unvaccinated cases and can efficiently transmit infection in household settings, including to fully vaccinated contacts."

In most provinces, masking is not enforced indoors. Since the COVID restrictions were dropped in Alberta, I have been to several tightly packed locations where patrons hang out for hours. There are no restrictions around the length of time they can be unmasked. So, what difference does getting on a plane make? Why is masking required? 

Similar to the vaccination inconsistency, several provinces have dropped virtually all restrictions, so why can't an unvaccinated person fly from a province with no restrictions for the unvaccinated to another with similar levels of freedom?

Waning immunity puts the unvaccinated at the same level as those considered fully vaccinated. There is now proof that suggests that anyone with two shots is no longer protected. The recommendation from health agencies is putting the vaccine requirement for immune protection at 3rd, 4th and some are even going as far as saying immune-compromised individuals should consider a 5th booster at this point. So either the new fully vaccinated must be redefined as three or four shots, or the entire mandate be dropped. The 2nd shot works as is, or it doesn’t. It's either science or it is not. 

We cannot continue to pretend that this is normal. We cannot continue to pretend that this is about science. We cannot continue to pretend that this is about safety. We cannot continue to pretend that we are making our own choices. We cannot stand back while our ability to make our own choices is taken away. This must end.