Is our government’s current legislation giving sexual freedom to Canadian youth, or taking away any chance they have for protection and justice? Bill C-22, a bill to raise the age of sexual protection from fourteen to sixteen, was passed by the House of Commons and was in the Senate before it adjourned. As a twenty-one-year-old Canadian, I would like to voice my concerns.

I have a sister who is fourteen. Tragically, because we live in Canada, this means that any man, whether twenty or fifty, could seduce, molest, and have sex with her without fear of legal consequences. The possibility that this could happen to a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy or girl sickens and disturbs me. Doesn't it seem wrong for people to be able to have sex with our young teens and walk away unpunished?

The UN has declared anyone under eighteen to be a minor, therefore, the message our current legislation is sending is “it is perfectly acceptable for adults to have sex with children.” This message is being received loud and clear by those who would take advantage of our sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. Canada has made itself a veritable haven for pedophiles and child molesters.

I must admit I do not understand the motivations of those who are fighting to keep the age of protection low. While they may be trying to bestow freedom on our youth, in reality they are leaving them vulnerable to sexual predators. Please… can’t we do everything in our power to protect the next generation of Canadians from sexual exploitation? I trust that the Senate will respect the decision of the House of Commons, as the public's representatives in our democracy, and pass Bill C-22 with expedience once it reconvenes in the fall.

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RE: Bill S-207 (Anti-Spanking Bill)

As a young Canadian who will likely be one of Canada's future parents, I would like to share my thoughts on Bill S-207, which would criminalize spanking in Canada. This bill was in committee before the Senate adjourned.

To be honest, I find the totalitarian slant to this bill rather disturbing. In a 2002 poll, 72% of Canadians said they wanted to retain the right to choose spanking as a form of discipline. This is not an issue regarding abuse, but rather whether parents will be allowed the option to use reasonable physical force as a tool to discipline their children, or whether the federal government will make this decision for them. Canadian children are already protected from abuse in the name of “punishment” by child welfare laws.

Bill S-207 raises valid concerns about the government's trust in its citizens to make choices for the well-being of their children. My parents used spanking responsibly. Far from being abuse, if anything I am better for it. I find I have a more positive attitude toward my parents and authorities in general than most of my peers, an attitude we need to foster in youth for the health of our society. A study in Sweden linked banning spanking with a rise in violence, and a New Zealand study concluded that spanking does not produce aggression or anti-social behaviour later in life.

Protection of children as vulnerable citizens is extremely important. However, since children are protected from physical abuse in the Criminal Code of Canada, I sincerely hope the government will uphold democracy by respecting the majority. It is in our country's best interest for the federal government to leave the decision of how to discipline where it belongs: with individual moms and dads, who know their children best.