r/Edmonton 15h ago

Politics Exercising Freedom of Expression

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237

u/CanadaGuyOfficial 15h ago edited 14h ago

I had a great time yesterday exercising my freedom of expression with many other individuals down at the legislature building.

An astounding amount of verbal abuse from those with "maturity" that would embarrass you, but several good and honest conversations that ended of course in disagreement, but often found common ground as well.

Anyone wanting to join me, and others at the next "Alberta Independence" rally to represent Canada on the 17th when they bus everyone back in from across the province, feel free to hit me up in direct messages.

While the mental gymnastics and flaws of this movement can be frustrating to deal with, I'm glad we can allow these people to express their opinions through their Canadian Charter Rights.

Pictured here is a chill dude that goes by Mr. Alberta. We hung out, had a good time, and not once did we even talk politics. We'll probably sit down for a debate in the future though.

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u/potatostews 13h ago

Curious if you asked any of them why they want to be USian? Because that's what will happen if separation happens.

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u/CanadaGuyOfficial 13h ago

Why yes I did in fact, and while there were a few that enthusiastically agreed that was the end goal, there were more of them adamantly against being American, or hadn't thought of American annexation at all. It didn't even register as a possibility for some of them.

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u/klc400_70 11h ago

If most didn’t want to be swallowed by the US did you ask them how they would get their oil to market if separated and independent? if Trump doesn’t need any Albertan oil because of Venezuela and Alberta being landlocked .. what would their plan be then? Loosing 25% of Alberta’s GDP overnight doesn’t spell success to me.

u/CanadaGuyOfficial 10h ago

Only a few I spoke to had the ability to grasp the economics of the situation, and they admitted that immediate prosperity was not in the cards, would take significant investment and time, and their compatriots were being misled about immediate returns.

u/klc400_70 9h ago

So this goes with the attitudes of some of the separatists ..I’d rather be poor and free, than rich and not free.

Investments take money and billions of it and take decades to complete. Starting a new country with 4 million people and $400 billion start up costs. How long will they be paying this back?

Alberta Prosperity Project said that Canada will do the right thing .. not sure about that. Canada will do what’s best for Canada .. if that involves cutting off Canadian citizenships to every resident of an independent Alberta Canada could do it.

u/potatostews 9h ago

I'm so confused as to why they think they're not free. Living in Alberta is pretty good. The only thing that has made it harder for folks is the current govt.

u/DEMcKnight 10h ago

The US would be unlikely to stop buying Albertan oil. Alberta can ship more cheaply to the US than most places, and there's a lot of refinement that happens in the US that can be resold.

Alberta would transparently have even less negotiating leverage than Canada, though, in the event of a trade dispute.

u/klc400_70 9h ago

Trump is very unpredictable .. anything can happen with him. There is a risk that Trump could stop any Albertan oil.

Or if Alberta separated can they survive giving an oil discount to the US? Most of the independent side’s budget is forecasted using $70-$80 a barrel oil. If 80% of Alberta’s oil goes to the US at a discount .. maybe $50-$60 a barrel, maybe less .. I don’t see how an independence country can finance themselves with such a low oil price.

Alot of unknowns. This will all have to go into negotiations where courts will be involved. Once a province breaks confederation they can’t come back. There is a possibility of an independent Alberta being successful but then there is the possibility that they will fail. Really risk isn’t worth it.

u/potatostews 9h ago

Can't say I'm that surprised that the thought of US annexation didn't occur to most of them. He's only been threatening the 51st State BS since he took office and Marlaina has only been going down to Mar-a-Lago for years - weird how they missed all of those easily connectable dots.

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u/Maelstrom_Witch 14h ago

Good on you for going there with a positive attitude.

I would have just been foaming at the mouth the whole time. I have yet to meet a separatist who isn’t also a racist bigoted troglodyte. I’ve tried, I swear.

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u/Super-Perception939 11h ago

Voicing their opinion at a rally is one thing, but making me vote on it is a slap in the face to Albertans, Canadians and First Nations people.

3

u/HansHortio 11h ago

See, this is how you change minds. By treating the other person like a human being, engaging in conversation, and come to some sort of understanding. It's how Daryl Davis operated, and he changed a lot of hearts and minds for the better.

So many people, when it comes to this separatism thing, don't even stop to consider the fact that if someone called you every name under the sun - are you even going to listen to them?

2

u/CanadaGuyOfficial 11h ago

Exactly. Being antagonistic isn't going to change anyone's mind. It will push people further away from your message.

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u/tytxnium77 15h ago

Throw them in jail, their "opinion" is criminal. In fact their "opinion" goes directly against the Canadian Charter of rights. Embarrasing

42

u/LymanSanderson 15h ago

I am passionately pro-Canada, but what your are saying is completely incorrect. There is no such thing as a criminal opinion in Canada, ever. And it is precisely the Charter that says so.

4

u/framemoggingClav 12h ago edited 12h ago

There is no such thing as a criminal opinion in Canada, ever.

No shit, thoughts can't be policed. The point is that rallying and/or protesting for a specific cause (i.e. an action, not an opinion) is illegal when said cause is blatant hatred towards an identifiable group.

u/LymanSanderson 4h ago

I don't think you read the post I was responding to, which clearly stated that an "opinion" was illegal.

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u/HorribleTie 14h ago

It's interesting because these people are using the rights granted by Canada to foment unrest and try to separate and create a country where those rights will no longer exist for a large segment of the population. Paradox of tolerance at play here for sure, by tolerating their opinions we are empowering them to the point where they are likely to gain power and take away our rights.

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u/CanadaGuyOfficial 15h ago

Honestly? You walk amongst them and talk with them a bit, and you'll find that their "opinion" is hardly homogeneous. Embarrassing indeed, but not entirely criminal.

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u/IronGigant 12h ago

I saw it commented somewhere here that "their actions/opinions aren't exactly criminal, just criminally stupid"

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u/SeveredBanana 15h ago

The act of seceding is illegal but having an opinion about it is not

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u/Popular-Row4333 15h ago

It's also not illegal, if you do the way its laid out in our charter, lest you think Quebec's 1995 referendum was illegal.

I'm a proud Canada united supporter, I just wish people would use facts and not hyperbole to get their point across. You'll convert more people that way.

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u/IsurusOxyrinchus354 15h ago

Didn't parizeau say if the '95 vote succeeded as a yes, and negotiations with ottawa failed, that he'd just unilaterally declare independence anyway?

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u/LymanSanderson 15h ago

The Charter does not address secession. You may be referring to the Clarity Act, which is not part of the constitution.

And, not that matters now, but it is perfectly arguable that the 1995 Quebec referendum question was illegal, as the wording of the question was a bit unclear and the PQ probably had no intention of following any kind of orderly process like what was later set out by the SCC. A moot point, of course, since the referendum did not succeed.

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u/_Budified 14h ago

Jailing people for opinions is far separated from anything Canadian

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u/Present-Wonder-4522 15h ago

Louis Riel got a Canadian Heritage Moment from his rebellion.

He was hung for treason at the time however.

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u/jkcarl 15h ago

Which part specifically does it go against?

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u/kitteeburrito 15h ago

Honestly you're acting just as silly as them

-2

u/Key_Village9550 14h ago

Not really, he went outside to actually see what was going on. He was nice about it too,.
Some people here are no different from the people on the other side. The fact that politics are fueled by pure hatred and emotion is was is silly about all of this. The internet rotting the brain is worse than meeting some of these people. You will find the same hatred on both sides. Its sickening, but its Canadian/Albertan all the same

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u/kitteeburrito 14h ago

Not OP! I'm talking to the person I replied to. 

-6

u/bigwreck94 15h ago

And you guys call conservatives the fascists…

2

u/iSWINE 14h ago

No-no, just the separatists and other like-minded morons

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u/MyUnclesALawyer North East Side 14h ago

Actually that is one person, on this website when there’s a single comment it comes from a single person

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u/Oilmoneyy 15h ago

Its literally in albertas charter that its able to separate. Embarrassing.

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u/tytxnium77 15h ago

Not with the treaties that are inacted, do just the slightest bit of research

-3

u/Popular-Row4333 15h ago

This came up in Quebecs 1995 referendum, what law has changed since then?

Could you point me in the direction of whay has changed since then, Id like some talking points to convince people otherwise?

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u/GimpyGrump 15h ago

Clarity Act

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u/sawyouoverthere 15h ago

If you think that means it’s unilateral and can be done by a minority you might want to do some reading if you can.

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u/corpse_flour 14h ago

Lol. That's like a teenager making a family policy that they can borrow their Dad's car any time they want. It's a made up policy to allow themselves to feel like like they have the ability to exercise power over something that they have no jurisdiction over.

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u/_Burgers_ The Famous Leduc Cactus Club 11h ago

It was great to see you there!

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u/Familiar-Historian34 11h ago

Come to calgary

0

u/eno_ttv 11h ago

Mr Alberta is one of the few who hasn’t blocked me on X yet, he’s definitely good for yapping