The Coalition of the Willing is sponsoring a petition that calls for the Government of Canada to either bar George Bush from entering Canada or to arrest him for his crimes against humanity.
One is tempted to dismiss this exercise as a waste of time. After all, the Canadian government would be unlikely to risk offending its powerful neighbour, even if it did find Bush’s crimes reprehensible.
That, however, is not the point. We may be saddled with a militaristic government, firmly wedded to the American imperial project. That does not absolve us of the responsibility to speak out for peace, justice and human rights whenever we have the opportunity.
George Bush’s March 17 visit is one such opportunity that ought not to be ignored.
Paul S. Graham 