Dear Editor Calgary Herald:

I have heard nothing but condemnation for those who plan to protest at the world petroleum conference. The attacks by the media began in earnest even before the protests had begun. And, the level of bias has been staggering. Here is but a sampling of comments made: "recruiting tactics similar to pimps", "nothing but troublemakers and vandals" and "most of them are just protesting for the sake of protesting."

It makes me wonder whether the media has been paid up front for this kind of coverage or if they will be receiving their payments on an installment basis.

I am not a vandal, or a pimp. I am a Calgarian and I plan to protest this conference. And, yes, I know WHY I AM PROTESTING. I have a firm belief that we as Canadians should be deciding our own futures and not a room full of unelected global elitists.

That's why these protests are happening, the environment and human rights aside, because there has been an almost eerie trend, to circumvent national sovereignty. Well my Canada is not for sale. And, I plan to tell them that loud and clear at these protests. We don't need anymore world conferences of any kind. What we need are Canadian policies developed by and for Canadians.

The police it seems are being pumped up to pummel. I noticed that in the large picture of their mock protest, that they were wearing what appeared to be some sort of sap gloves. I think the big question, which the media has completely missed, is what exactly do the police have planned?

From previous examples of the new trend towards global everything, I think its clear that the police will serve the elite to whatever extent they are asked in order that they can quietly sip tea and decide our futures, without but a whisper from protestors.

Is this democracy? Is this what Canada has become? Did you know or even care that many people, who would like to protest this conference are afraid to exercise their democratic rights for fear of police violence?, or that police agitators have been used at past conferences to create conflict?

You can take your biased coverage and shove it where the sun never sets on freedom - communist China for example. It seems your coverage is more in line with their philosophy than what has traditionally been our own.

It seems we can hardly get through a day without hearing about laws and legal actions being taken against one of these (legal) industries. We live in fear of the legal system. What about individual liberties. The majority of provinces in Canada as well as the majority of Canadians are against gun control yet the supreme court upheld the federal government position. We must assert our freedom or complacency will make us all slaves. Stick it in your ear Ottawa...

A government afraid of the the people is a democracy

A people afraid of the government is tyranny