Uncompromising Morality

Canada, under a succession of Liberal governments, had accustomed itself to the middle way. Not quite taking a moral stand, but not exactly denying it either, just kind of muddying things around; a little bit here, a little bit there. It's called fence-sitting, and it's engaged in by countries uncertain of their own moral code, unwilling to rock the boat, reluctant to make enemies of those who might matter, as opposed to neglecting those who don't, all that much.

And then along came the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Who did things his way. Trenchantly, with moral integrity in full view. Calling a terror group what it truly is, and outlawing it. Honestly regretting past events that sullied the conscience of the country in retrospect, and offering heartfelt apologies. Making common cause with an embattled, far-off democracy whose values reflected Canada's own.

And refusing outright to allow Canada's presence at a horrendously flawed spectacle like Durban II to give aid and comfort to those countries of the world whose high-jacking of the principles of genuine liberal democracies, of the United Nation's own Declaration of Human Rights made a mockery of human compassion and anti-racism. Canada was the first, and for over a year, the only country of the world to refuse attendance at Durban II.

Obvious enough that countries like Libya, Iran and Cuba - all three acknowledged human-rights abusers - choreographed a repeat of the unspeakable events of the first Durban Conference on Human Rights, yet the United Nations' executive and the member-states were quiescent, accepting. The pact within the Arab League and other Muslim countries of the world to isolate and slander Israel as the world's single racist, apartheid regime would proceed through lack of interest in denying it for the absurd charade in values that it represented.

Canada's other political parties did their best to insist that the government of Canada reverse its decision, but the prime minister stood firm on his resolve to protect Canada from involvement in that sordid debacle. Fitly, and quite obviously, Israel was the second country to absolve itself from contamination. And it was only at the last possible moment that other countries with stricken consciences joined Canada and Israel.

To the United States, Poland, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Germany, Israel and Canada said 'welcome, and come right in' in recognition of the collective of the righteous defenders of liberty and truth. To those countries of the world, notably many members of the European Union, Morocco and Jordan, who walked away from Iran's president's vicious spew of hatred; about time.

What took so long? And why so tenuously? Where is the courage of your convictions? Have you any deep-seated and valuable convictions? Will you now plan to build on this symptom of emerging conscience?