This expression, often used by  parents to prevent their children from swearing, now has new meaning in Canada. It is a warning to us that unless we protect our democratic right to free speech we may soon lose it.There comes a time in the lives of all free people when they are tested, and that time has come to Canada.

Liberal progressivism, a philosophy that has already stripped us of many of our rights, and wants to take more, is now taking aim at free speech. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s no surprise. The aim of Liberal Progressivism is to place the state above the individual and legislation above democratic rights. Its left leaning objectives are to eliminate the rights of the citizen and to eradicate the Canada we know and love.

It can only do this if we allow it. Our democracy gives us the tools we need to prevent it, and, if we act together, they will not succeed. But we must act. Opposition, expressed in petitions, letters to M.P.s, blogging, on line commentary, letters to newspapers and, finally and most importantly, voting, can turn the tide and preserve our freedoms.

Parliamentary motion M-103 and Bill C-16 both  have the potential to remove our freedom of speech. Because of this, thousands of Canadians and a growing number of M.P.s have spoken out against them.The indistinct wording of these initiatives, that clearly favours one religious group over others, and thereby threatens the very core of our democracy, is not compatible with Canadian values. Both of these documents contain the potential to eradicate our civil liberties.

The most important of those liberties is free speech. It is guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and expressed as the right to “free expression.” It is clear, however, that liberal progressives don’t care about this. In fact, they find free speech annoying, even dangerous. Where it flourishes dissent follows, and the rights of the individual, especially the right to disagree with their world view, stands in the way of their aims.

Those aims have  now become abundantly clear: to limit human rights, revise history, create a borderless world and eliminate distinctive cultures, Canadian culture included. They believe they must re-educate us, teaching us that we never had a “mainstream culture,” that our “identity is no identity,” that disagreement is “phobia” and that limiting, or even removing freedom is necessary and legitimate. All of these aims are now being promoted by the current federal government and special interest groups to socially engineer Canada.

The  place this is going is terrifying. We’ve already allowed political correctness to silence us, now liberal progressivism could take away our fundamental freedoms altogether. Current legislation, aided by the provincial Human Right Commissions, already has the power to fine or otherwise punish people for expressing themselves in ways not deemed acceptable by the dominant liberal culture.

All of this gives one pause to think. When did objecting to a practice or belief system  you don’t agree with suddenly become”hate speech?” When did dissent become wrong? Who decides which opinions are acceptable and which are not? The present Liberal government? All of these are legitimate questions.

What is now becoming clear is that we need to speak up in the worst way. It’s the only thing that will prevent pieces of legislation like M-103 and Bill C-16 from paving the way towards state censorship. It may seem “Un Canadian,” to protest them, but I believe we are past that now. There is too much at stake. Edmund Burke once said that “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” He was right. So use your words, or one day you may not be able to.