The old Court House.

 

 The old Court House.

When I first came to the Crowsnest Pass, I was surprised. Coming on Highway 3, I passed some old buildings that were abandoned, but around them the ground was black. My mind pictured times in which people were working in and around those buildings to produce coal for fueling an industry that now no longer exists. A train passed to my left, pulled by diesel engines. I remembered that not long ago steam engines hauled trains and coal was dug out from here. Coal was replaced by oil and the people moved, creating a string of little towns that I and other history enthusiasts visited. Others came for the natural beauty and the abundant wildlife.

As I entered Blairmore to my right was an interesting historic building on which big letters pronounced Court House. It was no longer serving its original purpose, but it told visitors that here was a civilized place. Civilized people have laws, order, and a justice system in place. We live in a world where deception, lying, and taking advantage of each other are admired as good business and I was searching for a place with law and order. I like seeing the words “Court House.”

I look at world news from a few countries. You can’t trust news from one place these days. The world is plagued by people seeking justice. The president of Russia has been convicted by a worldwide court of crimes against humanity. He is responsible for taking Ukrainian kids and making them disappear. Perhaps adopted by Russian families. However, the only way to arrest him is by first destroying the Russian army that is loyal to him. There is no talk about the migrant kids that were taken from their families into the United States under Trump.

Talking about Trump brings to mind another issue related to justice. A New York court wants to arrest him for using election donations as hush money to hide that he had a relationship with a porn star named Stormy Daniels. He denies the allegations and asks his supporters to rise up if he is arrested.

Trump is not the only leader threatened with arrest. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has the same problem. He was facing trial when he was elected. To save his skin, he stirred up problems with the Palestinian minority and now he wants to place his government higher than the Israeli high court. Hundreds of thousands are demonstrating against the move.

A few years ago, we had an issue with the Prime Minister dismissing the Justice Minister. We Canadians are timider and didn’t go wild as others do, especially since he made it look as if he was saving jobs in Quebec. They probably would have had just as many jobs if we stopped him, but we didn’t.

The French people in France are much more volatile. When their Prime Minister took away a portion of their retirement without a vote in parliament, they all went wild. For days we were watching huge demonstrations and clashes with police, who in their hearts probably felt a kinship with the demonstrators. For the time being, Macron managed to steer the news away by starting a large project for building a vast water reservoir which is unpopular with the masses. We also had a Prime Minister who tried to add years of work before the pension age, but we dealt with it in a Canadian way. Voters ousted him from office in an election and the opposition has been in power term after term. We are a country of law and order.

We share similarities with the Germans in that regard, but they have a threshold of tolerance that must not be breached. A few years ago, when global warming wasn’t yet known the way it is now, they established a goal for Berlin to produce zero emissions by 2050. Now, even while Germany is suffering from an enormous increase in energy prices, thousands of young people went to the streets demanding to achieve the goal in 15 years. The German people pride themselves on being hard-working, practical people. They achieved many of the social reforms that we still strive for, a long time ago. Now their youth is observing the world and drawing conclusions. They are willing to suffer some inconvenience in the short run to ensure the survival of the species in the future and push their government towards it.

My world is full of examples of people fighting for freedom from tyranny, inequality, and simply people competing with each other to deceive and get rich with little consideration for fellow humans. I feel I found a community where there is no need for negative competition. In the years that I have been a resident of the Crowsnest Pass, I met more honest people who care about each other than I did in the fifty years prior. There are exceptions, but overall it is a beautiful place inhabited by honest people. I hope that those moving in will join the local culture. I wonder if having a courthouse at the point of entry had anything to do with it.