I wish to express a heartfelt thank you to Alex Atamanenko for introducing Bill C-363, which proposes that we be allowed choices regarding how we use our tax dollars on military and/or peace initiatives.
When I first moved to the Kootenays 30 years ago, this discussion was already taking place among many Doukhobour people. As we know, the Doukhobours risked everything to find a place to live in peace. And, for many, paying taxes to support the military was counter-intuitive and a heartache. We all value the contributions of the Doukhobour people and their commitment to peace in our communities. Let us all step up and do the same. We too can look for every possible opportunity to create a peaceful planet. Bill C-363 is a positive and concrete way to support our collective desire for peace, and for hope in our political systems.
The December 2 editorial that suggests this initiative is a slippery slope that could lead to a lack of support for children and the elderly is ridiculous. To think that we would make conscious choices for peace while neglecting our children and elderly is simply poor reasoning.
So again, thank you Alex for giving us a piece of hope.
Suzanne McPherson
Nelson