Jean-Yves
I picked Jean-Yves up at Chez Richard, the little cafe in town. He was sitting outside in a sunny spot near the door. He told me later he always picks the sunny spots. He had hitchhiked into Cap-Chat from Rimouski that afternoon. I asked him how the trip was and if he had any problem getting rides. He said there were no problems at all. He only had to wait a few minutes between rides from one town to the next.
We went to the grocery store and picked out some food for the next few days. Jean-Yves is a vegetarian so I let him pick the vegetables. He picked things which I normally don't buy for myself and we made a big pot of vegetables and rice that night over the campfire.
I have learned a lot from Jean-Yves. I feel inspired by him. And encouraged. I feel encouraged that there are people like him in the world. At first I felt a little judgmental of him because he pulled a bottle of brandy out of his backpack and he seemed overly interested in going to a party which my neighbor had invited me to. But my fears decreased and my respect for him increased as I got to know him.
When he told me he had a copy of Thoreau's Walden in his backpack, I had a strong feeling that he and I were going to get along. Later he told me he also had a copy of the communist manifesto, which I joked about a few times. For example, when I asked him if I could take a look at it, I said that he was being a bad influence on me.
We had so many interesting discussions I am sure I will forget some of them. But I want to at least record a few of the topics:
- Jealousy, and how it is a sign of insecurity and fear. Collective Unconscious. Direction of evolution. Singapore - how they have rules about everything and you can get a ticket for not flushing the toilet. Restrictions on freedom - Motorcycle helmets, bike helmets, seatbelts. Anti-globalization activists - how Bush said they were a threat to national security. Corrupt elections in Cambodia - people getting shot to as intimidation to others
- An ex-girlfriend who didn't feel respected by her parents and then didn't feel respected by him. No matter what he did it was never enough. So he was trying to do the impossible. Eventually he got very frustrated and they broke up.
- Teacher picked him up and shoved him into the wall and he told his parents and they complained. He knew he did not deserve it.
- The teacher he liked the most in highschool, Hendri Clairemont. This is the teacher who told Jean-Yves "you have better things to do than waste your time in highschool." He also told a girl it was okay with him if she went home and slept if she were sleepy. He said he would rather her do that than not get her sleep & he was being serious, not sarcastic. Later, when Jean-Yves voted for the first time in Canada he saw his old teacher's name on the ballot under the Green Party (The environment party) & he voted for him. So this was the first person J-Y ever voted for, as J-Y told me with some feeling of sentimentality.
We talked a lot about books - he recommended "Dragons of Eden" and I told him about "The Virtue of Disobedience" and "The Sane Society" by Erich Fromm
I will try to give an overview of Jean-Yves. Physically, he looks a bit like a gypsy, as I teased him about a little. He has been laughing about it a too, but I was a little afraid he was feeling judged. So I asked him about how much he felt judged and understood and he said he felt judged 0 and understood 8, with the 8 being because we didn't agree on spiritual stuff.
He said in highschool his Chemistry teacher made him sit in the front row just so she could keep an eye on him just because of his looks. Before she got to know him she told him she didn't need people with an attitude like his.
He liked chemistry, though, and was good at it, so he would always be the first one to finish the tests and always get the top grades, which annoyed the teacher.
His father is an engineer. Jean-Yves has been teaching his father to hug him. A few years ago Jean-Yves just told his father, "Dad, I am going to hug you," then he did. He said his father was very stiff but has been loosening up and now even hugs him back sometimes.
It is easy to see that Jean-Yves' relationship with his father is important to him, and Jean-Yves has been trying to improve it. I am a little concerned that he is taking on a difficult, or even impossible task, but so far the results seem to be encouraging to Jean-Yves. He said his father did not respect him before but now he feels more respected. He said now his father will at least listen to him. When I asked how much he felt listened to he said 7 out of 10 now, but before it was more like 0.
One thing Jean-Yves' father did which I liked was to ask Jean-Yves each night what question he had for him. This really is an amazing thing to do with your child. It helps them feel important and helps them learn to ask questions at the same time.
Jean-Yves has a certain self-confidence now which many people don't. This confidence has been showing itself for years. When Jean-Yves was around 12 he told his mother he wasn't going to go to the Catholic Church anymore. He said he couldn't respect any group who had been responsible for the Holy Wars in Europe, who had wiped out the native religions in South America by murdering millions of people (many more than were killed by the Nazis) and destroying their temples, and who taught that children are born sinners! I was impressed that he could think this clearly and articulate himself so well at 12 years old!
Another sign of his confidence is when his mother once raised her hand to slap him when he was around 16. He grabbed her hand before she could hit him and said, "How would you like it if I did that to you?" He said she never tried to hit him again. I was impressed at how well he could assert and protect himself and I hope that he is an inspiration to some of the teens who don't feel strong enough to stand up to those who would hurt them.
As I talked with Jean-Yves it became clear to me that he did not fall into the trap of believing that he ever deserved to be punished. He knows that somethings he did were wrong, but he also knows that the way to raise children is through education, not punishment.
Once he heard his mother telling his niece - "Don't make me have to hit you." He said "Don't you ever say that again. And if you ever do hit her, you are going to have to answer to me."
This is the same mother who once called Jean-Yves "The son of Satan."
Jean-Yves has a very unusual relationship with his parents. In some ways it is a good relationship now, but it is obvious there were things which his parents did that caused problems. Still they did something to nurture his creativity and his self-confidence. He said, for example, that his father would let him experiment with anything, even making bombs!
In school he started studying science, then he decided he like art better and dropped all his science classes. His father was not happy and was very critical and judgmental about this and some of Jean-Yves' other decisions. But by that time in his life Jean-Yves was confident enough to follow his own path.
Though his father criticized his decision to stop taking classes and travel to India and Asia, it is clear that this trip significantly helped Jean-Yves feel more sure of himself and how he had different values than his parents and culture. His father, for example, places a much higher value on money than Jean-Yves. Once he told J-Y that each year he was not in school was one year of lost salary. J-Y said he felt sad that his father thought so much about money.
Jean-Yves is strongly opposed to some of the political choices the government of Canada is making. He has actively protested against them by joining mass demonstrations against globalization and big business.
He calls Canada the "Land of Illusions", citing for example how there is a law which says logging companies can't clear cut forests within X miles of the highways. This way, the tourists and even the Canadians still have the illusion Canada is full of trees. But he said he talked to pilots that tell him they can see how many trees have atually been cut. He also said Canada is getting more conservative, especially in the western provinces.
I liked working with Jean-Yves for several reasons. For example, he comes up with his own ideas on what to do and how to do it. While he was here he made what I suppose I will call a squat toilet in the style of those he saw in India. He put a lot of work into it and made it look nice, even artistic. Another sign of his healthy self-esteem is how he was proud of it and pleased with himself. He is a person who fits my description of someone who is creative, resourceful and successful. What I call the CRS principle of developing self-confidence and changing the world. With each thing we do when we feel CRS, we strengthen ourselves and our ability to help others. (By the way, when I saw J-Y again in Montreal at the peace march he helped orgainzed he reminded me of the CRS principle and I felt very touched that he remembered it.)
Something else I noticed and liked about him was how he would join in on doing things without being asked. For example, when I started to pick up broken glass at the beach at the end of the road, he helped without me saying a word. Then later when I picked up a cedar branch to carry it back to the campsite, he picked up one of his own. And later he brought more broken glass which he found somewhere along the river bank in front of my place.
I also noticed how he liked to finish things he started. Not only did he keep on working on his toilet creation till he was satisfied with it, but when were cutting wood and bringing it back he didn't want to stop when I suggested we had done enough. Instead he wanted to keep working on it till it was all chopped and moved to the campsite.
I also liked his balance. He would work hard on something, but he also knows how to relax and "chill" as he says. He has a high achievement drive, but it is not obsessive. For example when we were cutting a new trail up the mountain and I suggested we had done enough for one day he said "What do you mean?! We have gone this far, we have to go to the top." I somewhat reluctantly agreed to continue climbing even though I was a little concerned about leaving the camper door wide open with my computer sitting right inside on the table. Also, I was getting a little low on energy, but decided to push on. When it started raining though, Jean-Yves reconsidered his decision to climb to the top. We had almost made it actually and he said he felt satisfied that we had gone far enough. He rationalized that it wasn't likely we would find a clearing with a nice view anyhow, which I agreed with, although had he said let's keep going, I would have done that too. For me, I knew that I could return another day to make it to the very top, but I knew it might be his last chance, so I left the decision up to him. He was satisfied, so I was satisfied.
A couple of times during our visit Jean-Yves told me about a teacher of his who had a big impact on his life. This teacher encouraged him to not follow the conventional path in life, but to go his own way.
Jean-Yves and I talked about my idea of the underground railroad for American teenagers. (Ones who are being abused at home but who can't get any help in their communities) He suggested to me that if I had a big vegetable garden like the other WWOOFing farms I could not only feed the freedom seekers but I could given them something productive to do which would help build their self-confidence while helping them get closer to nature. I feel encouraged that I have met someone who I can stay in touch with, share ideas with and work with for many years. He wants to start something similar to what I have. A place in nature where a small group of people can live together and support each other intellectually and emotionally. His place may end up being in Guatemala or Cambodia, but wherever it is, it will be a special place in the world. For me it is a good feeling to know that I can help him with his dreams by listening to him and offering support and encouragement.
One afternoon we went down to the big bridge - the one where the two rivers meet. There were a bunch of local people from Cap-Chat there and we talked to a few. One guy in his twenties, Daniel, invited us to a campfire that night. So we went there and hung out with about 10 of the local future parents. Actually, there was one current parent, too, there with her baby who was sleeping peacefully near the warmth of the fire circle.
Here are some other notes on my talks with Jean-Yves:
When I told him that I don't use the word "paddling" for getting hit with a board by my teachers, since it makes it sound less brutal, Jean-Yves said, "No kidding. Paddling is what you do in a canoe."
We talked a lot about how freedom is being taken away one law at a time. Just this year Quebec made it illegal to hitchhike, for example. A few years ago another province passed a law that you had to have a license to drive a snow mobile. We agreed that these kinds of laws are trying to protect people from themselves instead of letting them have responsibility for their own lives and safety. Other laws like this are the seatbelt laws and the laws in Australia and New Zealand which say everyone on a bike must wear a bike helmet. I did remember something encouraging though. Somewhere I read, if memory serves me, that at least one of the states in the USA has repealed the law which forces motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
The day before Jean-Yves was here I saw a young boy riding a four-wheeler, what the Americans call ATV's and the French Canadians call VTT's (vehicule tous terrains). It was clear that he was going slowly and cautiously to learn how to handle the power of it. And it was clear his parents had allowed him to ride it. We both agreed this is how you teach responsibility, not by passing laws.
We also talked about how much more responsible the drinkers are in Canada. In the USA, where it is illegal to drink till 21, it is more likely to find completely drunk people at a party who are doing unhealthy, dangerous, risky or disgusting things. Here people drink, but they just don't take it to extreme-- not as often at least in my experience. For example at the campfire under the bridge, the FP's (future parents) were drinking, but slowly and quietly. The main point was to meet and talk, not to numb themselves. But then again there is less need to numb yourselves here. Life is not as psychologically painful. There is so much more freedom here it is hard to list all the ways it is more free.
But this reminds me of another talk with Jean-Yves. I told him I was amazed that people could park their cars all along the side of the road and even on the bridge itself, on both sides of the road, have open fires, drink beer openly (and smoke a little pot) and no cops would come around. I said I was amazed that places like this existed on earth. Jean-Yves said what should be amazing is that there are places where things like that aren't allowed, and I realized how right I was.
One day we went skinny-dipping in the river at the end of the road. I asked Jean-Yves how he thought my neighbors might feel if they saw us naked. He said they probably wouldn't care much, but they might not want their children to see it. I asked if they would call the police, as the Americans would surely do. JY said "First they wouldn't call the police. Second, if they did, the police wouldn't come!"
One night sitting by my campfire I said "I love this place so much, I wish I could share it with all the American teenagers who are imprisoned in their homes and schools in the USA. Here there are no stresses like cops chasing you around hassling you." He laughed and said, "It is so obvious that you are from the USA. Here you don't have to worry about cops chasing you around!"
Also on the subject of laws and police, a neighbor told us there is a 5,000 fine for driving across the river here (since it has salmon in it). But everyone does it!
Another sign of the freedom from hassle by the police is how my neighbor drives his VTT without a license. I said "Aren't you supposed to have a license plate for that?" He told me yes but the police never come down this road so he doesn't worry about it.
To me, Jean-Yves could be something like a teen idol. And I believe he would make a much healthier one than Britney Spears! Because he is younger than I am, and has done more drugs, he can relate to a lot of teens in ways that I can't. It was not that long ago that he was rebellious teen himself, so he can still remember. But he is doing something with his life. He has dreams and enough self-confidence to pursue them.
To me, he is an example of what a person who is different can become once they leave the overprotective, underestimating glass and paper-mache world of their family and community.
Below are some more notes. (There may be some repititions still. I don't know if I will get around to working on this file more or not! It took me over two months to get this much posted!)
Some things we did together
Went to the bridge where the local people swim. Met Marie Claude, Daniel, Francoise (who works at the lighthouse in La Martre), Joselito, Julie (Eric's gf)
Daniel invited us to the bonfire that night, so we went back. Their were about 10 people. One was a mother with her baby. At the end of the night they filled up bottles with water from the river to put the fire out. And they picked up all of their other bottles and took them with them so they wouldn't leave any mess behind. The land is private land, but the owner lets them drive on it and he even made a road so people can do it more easily.
Our trip to Jerry's Place and beyond
On the way to Jerry's place (Jerry is a 70+ year old guy who offers free camping three hours from my place-- see below) JY and I got into some little debates about churches. Once he said "That is a nice church." I said "What is nice about it? It is a place where they teach people to fear and conform." He said, "Not all churches are like that. Some do good things."
When I later joked with him about using the church for shade and how it was one of the only ways a church has ever helped me, he said nothing. I suppose he felt personally attacked. His mother is still a practicing Catholic.
At Jerry's
J-Y called Jerry a "nice anarchist". He has some land on the waterfront where he lets people camp for free. Jean-Yves calls it a "magical place." Later I will write more about it.
One night we sat around a campfire with a lot of young people who were dressed like Krishna followers. When I got up to leave JY touched me on the arm and said good night.
The next day we talked about the people there that night. I was encouraged that J-Y realized they were isolating themselves with their dress, music and rituals, and that they were conformists in their own way with their chanting and Hindu rituals that they all participated in.
He told me about the book called Karma Kola, which is about how westerners look for the Hindu religion for a quick fix.
At another WWOOFIng place
Yesterday at the WWOOFing farm he was ready to just leave in the morning without even saying goodbye. I said I would feel bad if we did that and let's at least tell her we are thinking about leaving and ask how she would feel about that. He said "We know what she is going to say," and I said, "But it is still important to give her a chance to say it." As it turned out she didn't say what either of us expected. She took it much better than we thought.
We emptied out a shed and she showed us pictures of her trip to South America & we left on fairly good terms.
Later we went for a little swim in Percé and the lady watching the municipal pool parking lot let us park in the driveway for a few minutes. She had started to tell Jean-Yves we couldn't park there, then he asked if we could just leave it there for a few minutes so we could jump in the ocean and cool off, which she agreed to.
Then we talked about how such little things add up, either to create postive feelings or negative ones. For example, she could have said coldly, "You can't park there." She could have also added "And if you do I will have you towed."
At the WWOOFing farm we saw a lady who got hysterical over seeing a dead mouse in a mousetrap. She was jumping around. Covering her face with her hands. Crying. Shouting "Mon Dieu. Mon Dieu."
I felt so much tension from being at that place that I was actually doing handstands to try to burn off some of my bottled-up energy. Also felt a need to jump in the water and slash at the waves, so that is why we parked next to the municipal pool where the lady let us leave the car.
After that we went looking for the girl who took some photos which are on my website, Jocelle. When looking for her we joked about J-Y being guided by a divine hand since the ppl he asked seemed to know her. For instance he said "I want to ask that guy in the orange t-shirt." So we caught back up to him and he knew her.
At Pointe a la Garde
J-Y was like a little kid when he was running around the castle. He kept saying "As if someone would build just build their own castle!" "As if someone would really build a castle out of wood!" He kept saying "As if...." in delight and disbelief.
We gave a ride to two German girls. J-Y was singing and all energized and later we talked about how it is natural to get energy from intelligent, beautiful females. We agreed it was part of the reproductive drive.
On his relationships
Got an email from his girlfriend. He said he felt annoyed by it because she was complaining about a lot of things. He said he wants her to feel happy when she writes him. He thinks life is too short to spend time feeling bad. I laughed and said, "In other words, you want her to hurry up and be happy." He smiled non-defensively since he realized this was true.
He feels impatient with her. He thinks he knows what is best for her, what she "needs" do do. For example, which university to go to and what to study.
He also felt annoyed by his last girlfriend. He said she was "unwilling" to do the things that he thought she needed to do to be happier.
I said he seems to be feeling superior, judgmental and self-righteous. He compared them to himself and said things like "When something is bothering me I do something about it. I don't just complain about it." He basically was saying "I do it, so they should do it."
On the English in Canada
At the park in New Brunswick I asked if the extra phone line was working and the girl working there said coldly, "I wouldn't know."
On entering the park JY noticed immediately the big red sign which said "No alcoholic beverages in the park" - something which you don't see in the parks in Quebec.
He also told me how when he was visiting friends there once they kept telling him "you can't do that- that's illegal!" when he was doing things he would normally do in Quebec.
On our talk about rice paddies and my thoughts on society
J-Y and I talked about working on rice paddies. Everyone works on them together. He says they all help each other out. They don't let someone starve. He said a town in one country he visited in Asia just one man has a TV set and he lets everone come to his house and watch it. He compared this with Canada where he said they recently released some people from a mental institution who they decided could make it on their own and one of them died that winter on a park bench in Montreal.
I said what if a teenager said he wanted to leave the village and go learn to be a computer programmer. He said he probably wouldn't say that because he doesn't know anything about computers if they just have one TV in town. And if they did want to leave the people in the town would probably discourage it. But they might also put their money together and try to help him.
So now I think if you have a big view of humanity you will support someone in pursuit of their dreams even if it means you will lose them from your community.
If you have a large view you say the world is your community. Go out into it and explore it and see where you most want to make your contribution.
You wouldn't tell a child, "Well, you were born in the hospital so that is where you should spend the rest of your life." A bird does not spend his entire life in a nest. It is his nature to fly away and leave the nest behind.
Some writing on freedom inspired by my talks with Jean-Yves
Jean-Yves told me that for the first time this year hitchiking is illegal in Quebec. I felt extremely discouraged to hear this. One of the things which I tell people when telling them why I love Quebec is how it is safe even for single females to hitchike here. I feel so discouraged right now thinking that Quebec is losing one more freedom.
I love Quebec. To me Quebec represents freedom. I came here after having lived in the United States where I constantly felt judged, watched, threatened, intimitated, controlled, regulated, ruled, forced. It greatly saddens me when I think of Quebec losing one more freedom.
Where can a young person go in the world with almost no money to find themselves, to meet other travellers from around the world, to share stories, to gain wisdom?
This is a loss not only for the student who is now afraid to stand on the side of the road with a cardboard sign saying "CAP CHAT" in big letters. It is also a loss for the driver who is afraid to pick up a hitchiker because he may be fined by the police. The driver loses the opportunity to learn about another culture, to make a friend, to feel helpful, to feel appreciated, to feel connected with another human being.
I wondered if stopping hitchiking is actually going to do more harm to Quebec than good? I wondered if the young person who would have been able to get away for a few days, to experience nature, to become more independent, to learn responsibility is now going to feel less free, more trapped. I wonder if this will add to his level of stress, to his general unhappiness and if this will result in some tangible problem later on.
As I write this I have a 24 year old visitor staying with me. His girlfriend wrote him from Guatemala the other day. She said she wants to buy land there and never have to suffer through another Canadian winter.
But I know that it is not just the winter which makes her think of leaving Canada. She and Jean-Yves are disillusioned with the Canadian government. They saw what happened in Quebec City at the demonstration against the Free Trade Agreement. They know about Alo-Stop being made illegal in Ontario and they feel certain Quebec is next.
Jean-Yves told me that Quebec is always the last province to pass another law which takes away another freedom, but the always pass it eventually.
I have seen troubling signs in the three years I have been coming to Canada to spend the summer. One of the first I remember is hearing that a law was passed saying that you must have a license to drive a snowmobile. A mother of 14 year old told me this. She resented the law and said she was not going to tell her son that he couldn't drive the snowmobile after he had been doing it safely for two years already. I asked what will you do if the police stop him one day and fine you. She said she would tell them that she doesn't agree with the law and she won't pay the fine. So what was once a person who would be considered a responsible mother, is now a lawbreaker. The law has caused her to feel defiant and disobedient when she did not feel that way before and when her son was not causing any problems.
The police are also put in a stressful situation. If they do not enforce the law they will feel afraid of losing their jobs, their income, their ability to feed their children and pay their mortgage.
I was born in the United States, the "Land of the Free," as the saying goes. But I realized late in life that this was more propaganda than truth. I left the USA in 1999. I do not ever plan to return except to visit. I cherish freedom. I had a huge unmet need for it when I was growing up in the United States. Everywhere I went there were people watching me, ready to call the police for the smallest thing. I have had people call the police because I parked my car in front of their house to sleep for an hour or two on a Sunday afternoon. I have had them call the police because I drove my car on the grass to watch the sunrise. I have had them threaten to call the police because I was laying on their lawn reading a book. I have been arrested once for swearing to a high school principal. I spent the night in jail and was first charged with verbal assault, then with resisting arrest, trespassing and a few other things which I can't remember.
Having an arrest record actually caused me problems in coming to Canada one summer, but fortunately I met a man who worked at the Canadian border who used his judgment and allowed me in after I explained to him what happened. In fact, he laughed when I told him that I had said "F*** you" to the principal who was harassing and provoking me. I thanked him for believing in me and he said, "Well, I don't think one minor indescretion makes you hardened criminal and a threat to Canada." He will never know how much I appreciated him allowing me into Canada that summer. It was just what I needed for my mental health.
In Canada that summer I experienced more freedom than ever before in my life. I found roads where I could sit and read for hours and not one person would come by. I found lakes and rivers and waterfalls where I could strip off my clothes and go for a swim au naturel without the fear of being arrested. I found logging roads where I could park my car for the night and make a small campfire in the morning to heat some water for my Maple-flavored instant oatmeal. Never once was I bothered by anyone. I was always sure to be very careful with my fires and to be very careful not to leave one piece of trash behind. I felt a kind of reverence for the freedom and nature I found in Canada that summer, and I wanted to help make sure that I would neither dishonor nature nor act in anyway which would make someone want to put up a "No Trespassing" sign on their property.
I am touched again thinking of how nice people have been to me here, especially when I can barely speak the language. In Australia people have also been exceptionally nice to me, but there I can talk to them, ask them questions about their lives and families and make jokes with them.
Yesterday at the bridge I talked to some of the local people. I felt welcomed by each one I talked to. One of the friends of someone I was talking to offered me a hot dog, which I accepted when I felt sure they were not just offering it to me to be polite but because they were full and were getting ready to leave. They did not expect anything in return, but I can tell you now that their hotdog was worth hundreds of dollars to me, at least, if you could somehow put a value on what I would gladly be willing to do in return for them if they ever needed my help. In fact, they wouldn't even need to ask for my help. I would just offer something to them which is worth far more than a hot dog. I might offer to let them use my car for the week, or stay at my home when I am away for a month. Money is so irrelevant here.
I am getting emotional again. I can't believe that this place is real.
I was telling Jean-Yves that I am amazed that people can park their cars on the bridge, dive off it into the water, drive on private property and have picnics with the permission of the owner, and drink beer and smoke pot on the beaches. He said what should be amazing is that there are places where you can't do that.
As I write this I am thinking that I want to have it translated to French. I want to let the local people know how much I appreciate them, like the friendly people in the grocery store, the hardware store, the bank and the post office. I remember too the time I was standing at the pay phone in the local restaurant for a long time and a woman who I expect was part of the family business brought me out a chair. There is one friendly man at the grocery store who asks me about my writing when I see him. We can hardly communicate because my French is so bad but with our smiles we have become friends.
Yesterday I saw a boy driving a four wheeler. I am guessing he was about 10. He was going very slowly and cautiously. It was obvious that he was just learning to drive one. It was also obvious that he had the permission of her parents. They trusted him. They were giving him responsibility. They were not underestimating him. But the were also breaking the law. So are they good citizens because they are teaching their son how to handle power responsibly? Or are they bad citizens because they are teaching him not to respect the laws? I hesitate to use the word "respect" because actually it is more a question of obeying the law in most cases.
The difference seems to be that I respect a law I take into consideration. I try to understand why it was created, what the people were afraid of who passed the law. I try to use this understanding to help me make a decision which is good for me and others. Sometimes laws are primarily designed to protect us from ourselves. Such as a law which encourages, or forces, me to wear my seatbelt or a motorcycle helmet. These kinds of laws I see some value in as guidelines for healthy behavior. But I don't want to see police going around enforcing these kinds of laws. The consequences not wearing a seatbelt or a helmet seem to me to be enough to motivate most people to make intelligent decisions on their own, if given the factual information and a little guidance. But when I drive to my neighbors house, I don't think I need to put on my seatbelt for my own safety, and I resent the idea that someone could punish me and in effect steal from me by fining me just because they happened to see me on the road with no seatbelt.
This is not the way we increase responsibility. It is the way we increase resentment. I urge Canada not to follow the mistakes of the USA.