Reflect upon the following quotes:
Quote 1: In Canada, aside from comments by civil rights experts and opposition politicians, there has been little outrage among the public or lawmakers.
Have you been outraged - why/why not? Quote refers to issues of free speech and assembly - how does this relate to you or not and why?
Quote 2: They are ordinary Canadians who disagree with government policy and want to exercise their rights to free speech and assembly.
Both quotes are from a special 5 part series on Criminalizing Dissent from the Ottawa Citizen, David Pugliese and Jim Bronskill reporting, 2001, part 1 http://members.rogers.com/citizenspanel/criminalisation1.html
Consider in both quotes scenarios where you might be the activists/dissenters with regard to some particular social issue. How might your reactions change to above quotes if this were the case.
Consider key words used in each statement, e.g. quote 2: ordinary Canadians, disagree with gov't policy, exercise rights, etc...
Part 1: Have you ever questioned the way Canada’s political and economic systems are set up? Why/why not, what did you or did you not question? Consider issues of common sense, taken for granted, natural way/order of how things operate within society, how humans operate. For example, have you essentially taken for granted the way the economic and political system is organized in this country and if so, why? Also think about how/what you did or did not learn about these areas of Canadian society.
Part 2: Do you believe that activists who challenge the political and economic systems of Canada, e.g. capitalism (consider this in terms of laissez-faire free trade market economics, i.e. no government intervention in the market where supply/demand and competition dictate market conditions) are a threat to Canada’s national security? In this, consider what you believe to be national security.
Part 1: How has the education system (elementary, secondary, post-secondary - focus on your educational experience) provided you with or not with critical thinking skills, i.e. given you the skills to question/challenge aspects of society, and encouraged you/allowed you to question/challenge the society in which you live and thus seeing that the way society operates could be different? How have other authority figures in your life (family, community leaders, etc...) encouraged/not encouraged your critical thinking? Why do you think you were/were not encouraged, also thinking about this in your current life circumstances? Do you think being a critical thinker is important - why/why not? Also comment on whether you think you can/cannot "change the world" and how this might relate to your ability to be a critical thinker.
Part 2: What are your thoughts on the fact that university space is public space and thus are spaces for public dissent? How do you feel about the corporatization of universities and how this impacts this supposed public space?
