When I think of freedom fighters, I think of the founders of America’s constitutional republic. From a small band of men came the necessary battles and victories of freedom, It appears that today’s freedom fighters are thousands of truck drivers protesting the dictates of a few tyrants.
In Canada, thousands and thousands of trucks covering hundreds of miles of roads have or are converging on Ottawa. As they advance, they are cheered on and helped by an untold number of frustrated and angry Canadians. The issue, of course, is freedom from vaccine mandates.
Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, can’t allow his power to be challenged. His initial response was to call the truckers a fringe minority. He has subsequently accused the truckers and their supporters of using hateful rhetoric and committing violence toward citizens. In a true tone deaf defense of his policies, he said he prefers BLM protests because he agrees with their goals. (These are the signs of a cornered and irrational dictator, not a freedom loving leader.)
What initially surprised me was that the truckers were the ones to take action. However, in thinking about it, truckers are very individualistic – only one person at a time can drive a truck. The Canadian government as well as the American government put in place dictates that prevented them from earning a living. With malice aforethought, these governments tried to coerce the truckers into obedience – get the Covid vaccine or else.
You never know what is going to trigger “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. A free people will tolerate only so much government. When it becomes too oppressive, they tend to fight with whatever tools are available. In Canada, the truckers have taught the world that peaceful protest can come from the driving of a truck.
One aside. The day before yesterday, a sea of Blue uniforms took over 5th avenue in New York City. They were honoring a fallen comrade. Have they had enough? Will they join the freedom-fighting truckers? Time will tell.