Jan 25: Instead of 95 Theses, One Order & One Motion?

The LPC & Opposition have occasional difficulties with coherence. To be taken seriously, one has to be coherent. What is at issue? Refusing Parliament's authority, ie. preferring authoritarian logic to democracy , and so abusing constitutional fundamentals, like conventions around use of prorogation, to escape Parliament's judgment, whence Harper's Snow Months. If the Opposition are agreed that Parliament should resume Jan 25, as scheduled, and it is the Cons' fault it isn't, then the Opposition should make that clear by showing up for work. They should meet, all of them (and maybe André Arthur, populist he is, may come too) in the lobby of the House, or in a room that looks directly on Parliament, with media in attendance, and vote a motion, amongst themselves, of censure of the Govt for illegitimate prorogation & summoning Govt back to work (a show of hands will do). They should then proceed, sombrely, in single file, to the doors of the House, and one by one, knock on the doors, summon the Govt to open Parliament, wait three seconds, and getting no response, each post a copy of either this ad-hoc motion of the Opposition or the original House Order the Government persists in defying. They should then assemble back in the lobby and declare that while they greatly disagree with one another on any number of issues, they are all democrats. Then they can announce that each caucus will continue to work, and each proceed off to their own caucus-open roundtable meetings, but not before announcing that the Afghan Committee members will continue to pursue the torture issue.

The example of the 95 Theses has immense weight within Western culture, and is a potent touchstone for protest against corruption of core institutions and abuse of power*. There is no English Civil War, no Glorious Revolution, no eventual liberal & democratic revolutions throughout Europe, the West & now the World, without it. It lies at the back of political subconscious of most politically aware citizens. Similar acts have taken place in all societies, Jewish & Muslim & other, throughout history. When a great wrong is committed, the protestors make their views known before the guilty institutions, and post their views in as prominent and symbolic a place as possible. We know Socrates because Plato was so angry about his death, he rushed off to get his version of it inscribed in tablets and placed in all the most potent temples, Athena's in particular.

*Catholic theologians have long since confirmed that Luther was mostly right, in their view, in his original complaints. It's the subsequent schism and different logics that continue to divide them from Protestants. So 95 Theses do not themselves represent an attack on modern Catholicism, and of course, at the time, Luther was attempting to reform his own Church. Hence "PROTESTants", "Reformation", etc..