By Invoking Emergencies Act, Trudeau Avoided the Conversation the Nation Desperately Needs

The Freedom Convoy protest represented a national alarm system that we are being pulled away from the moorings that built this country

Thousands of protesters gather during the Freedom Convoy demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2022. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Commentary

Any good police officer will tell you that if they cannot find a law to restrict or prohibit the actions of a citizen, then those actions are most probably lawful. This logic is beautifully simple, highlighting the shoreline where the enforcement of the existing law ends and aspirational politics begin. The independence of the police has been a gift given to us by our forefathers; like ancient agricultural field drains, we don’t recognize the compelling benefits of the hidden engineering until they are broken.