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LETTER: Canadians need bodily autonomy

‘Canadians need to have bodily autonomy and be trusted to make their own informed health decisions’
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What was the motivation that drove huge truckers convoys to go all across Canada? Why did they receive such massive support from everyday Canadians everywhere they went? It was clearly in response to an increasing suppression of our Charter freedoms. Because of government edicts Canadians were:

a) prevented from visiting and attending to their loved ones in hospital;

b) prevented from observing important life events such as birth of a child, graduations, weddings, attending the memorial of a loved one;

c) delayed in getting (or unable to receive) needed health screenings or surgeries;

d) prevented from travelling freely based on their health decisions;

e) coerced to received the jab in order to remain employed;

f) subjected to financial loss because of business decline or failure;

All done to kill a virus that is highly survivable if one even gets it.

Had government restrictions been limited in time, it’s highly doubtful the convoys would’ve occurred. For almost two years, Canadians have been speaking out and attending protest rallies in order to voice their concerns, but to no avail. Governments (federal and provincial) were unwilling to listen.

Reaching a point of desperation, truckers decided to descend on the nation’s capital and provincial capitals. What was the response of governments? Our Prime Minister called these hard working Canadians a “fringe minority” with “unacceptable views” and resorted to slurs. All the truckers wanted was an audience, but Justin Trudeau steadfastly refused and doubled down with tirades against them. Was that too much to ask? The convoys would not have even materialized had our government leaders been open to listening to Canadians. This didn’t need to happen.

Tragically, our country has been sharply divided and damaged on the COVID issue. Canadians need to have bodily autonomy and be trusted to make their own informed health decisions.

Darrell Johnson

Chilliwack

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