In the plaza before the General Assembly, a podium has been erected, from whence a forest of microphones emerges. Tilly appears from within the Assembly buildings. He’s dressed in a gorgeous new light gray suit, exquisitely tailored, complete with a matching gray tie on a vibrant blue shirt. He’s exceedingly well-groomed, and sports a fresh haircut, which despite his thinning hair gives him a distinguished widow’s peak. He strides confidently forth, notes under one arm, and flashes a half-grin as he surveys the assembled crowd. In short, he appears to be a man In Command. He clears his throat – the grin vanishes – and he begins somberly:
“Since the dawn of the Enlightenment one of the greatest aims of free societies has been to secure and guarantee the right to freely practice one’s religion. It is no coincidence that freedom of religion is entrenched in our constitution before even freedom of speech, or similarly in South Africa’s constitution, or in America’s First Amendment. What are the words that accompany the free exercise of religion? Belief. Thought. Conscience. The most personal and internal of our characteristics, inalienable, the most fundamental and basic of those things which make us who and what we are. It is fitting, then, that this right to free exercise should be among the strongest and best-protected in our Republic.
“And so it is. ‘The free exercise of religion shall not be restricted,’ the Charter of Rights tells us. Millions have died for one religious cause or another, but millions more have died for the promise implicit in those nine words! No government organ, they say, no mere politician or agent, no person, no one shall presume to dictate how one may pursue one’s religious beliefs, or not. A breach of that promise cuts to the very core of the individual. Thought, belief, conscience, speech, religion – it is the confluence of these that is the wellspring of all other rights that are guaranteed to our citizens. What good is the right to vote if you cannot speak in favor of one candidate or another? What good is the right to an education if, to accept it, you must deny who you are, your basic identity? Is there any mandate in our constitution that is more compelling, more immediate, than the right to believe, practice, and speak as one might? I submit to you that there is not!
“This is a hard road, and a dangerous one. We may be educated by the pitfalls of others who have walked this path before us. Should anyone who claims to have crafted their own religion be entitled to tax exemptions and holidays as they see fit? No. Should a person be allowed to pursue unfettered a religion that involves drug use or human sacrifice? No. Where does one draw the line in these cases? I do not know. But they may be drawn from case to case by the wisdom of our High Court, and checked in turn by the legislative branch, and our ultimate accountability to the people, our sovereign. It is imperative that we protect and further the rights of all of our citizens no matter their color or their creed, their self-definition, their politics, or their age. That is the mandate of our constitution, it is the mandate of good government, it is the mandate of the people, and it is the right and moral thing to do!”
Now Tilly leans forward on the podium, meeting the gaze of each of the assembled listeners in turn. “Then what has happened in Nouvelle Aquitaine? Why has the High Court said that merely upon a showing of rational basis, a province may infringe on this most basic of our liberties? I say to you, my fellow Eutopians, that the answer is fear! Fear on the part of Nouvelle Aquitaine’s students, directed at those who are different. Fear on the part of the school board of violence between students, and the possibility that they might be liable in the event of serious injuries or death. Fear on the part of the High Court that a firm decision for either side would lead to continued violence. And I can relate to that fear. The government must prevent violence between its citizens wherever it may. But this is not the way!
“It is time to conquer our fear! It is time that Nouvelle Aquitaine take responsibility. If your children fear difference, they must be educated! They must know that they are more like Muslim students than different. They must know that the headscarf is to Muslims as the yarmulke is to Orthodox Jews or the cross-necklace is to Christians – the outward sign of an inner faith. And they must learn the importance of the right to believe as one will and practice as one will! A school uniform policy is a shameful means of avoiding the responsibility of educating our children properly, and tramples on our most basic rights and fundamental freedoms. I call on the High Court, the General Assembly, and the President to stand against this injustice. It will not be an easy fight. The provinces will oppose infringement on their unfettered right to control education, and they are right to do so. But in the end, if our society is to truly show its respect for individual rights, Nouvelle Aquitaine’s stance must be overturned.
“But it does not end there. I must confide, my fellow Eutopians, that I fear for our country. We may win the fight for our right to practice freely – I hope we will. But what then? What of the next fight? We in the federal government must take responsibility too. If we demand that the provinces educate their children in diversity, then we must show our dedication to that goal! We must fund programs to teach diversity! We must pay incentives to the best teachers to teach in underfunded districts! We must, in short, do all of the things that only we can do. The government of Nouvelle Aquitaine can make a better Nouvelle Aquitaine; the government of Jacobia can make a better Jacobia – but only together can we – all of us – make a better Eutopia.
“Who will do it? Three years ago I came together with a group of elder statesmen, people who have served Eutopia faithfully through good times and bad. We saw a lack of experience in politics and hoped, prayed that we could rectify this. We hoped, more than you can imagine, that in three years we could transform Eutopia, shepherd her through her immediate problems, and hand the reins to a new generation. Eutopia has come far in those three years – but not far enough. The next generation of politicians has come far – but not far enough. The cry has gone out for good governance, for experience, for hard work, for self-sacrifice, and though not without trepidation, I feel I have no choice but to accept that call. It is therefore with pride and eagerness, willing and able to confront the challenges of the next Term, conscious of our past but with great visions of our future, that I, Hawkton Tilly, officially announce my candidacy for the office of President of the United Provinces of Eutopia." Tilly allows his confident pronouncement to ring across the plaza for a long second before continuing.
“There is a long road ahead. I have no party behind me, yet – I will find one if I can, or build one if I must. I have but a handful of supporters behind me so far – but I am confident that more will come. I know I am not alone in my desire to defend the rights of individuals, to make Eutopia safe, to rebuild our economy, and to reaffirm our alliances with our neighbors and the world. We can show compassion to our youngest, our poorest, and our weakest; we can give them better lives. We can defend our home against our enemies, we can end their crimes, we can bring them to justice – and then we can show them, too, compassion. We can rejuvenate our economy while never forgetting those who came before, who have already given their best years to our nation; while never forgetting our veterans; while never neglecting our quest to uphold and protect the indomitable Eutopian spirit. We can do it, together, and I look forward to the opportunity to aid the cause as your next President. Thank you, my fellow Eutopians.”
“Since the dawn of the Enlightenment one of the greatest aims of free societies has been to secure and guarantee the right to freely practice one’s religion. It is no coincidence that freedom of religion is entrenched in our constitution before even freedom of speech, or similarly in South Africa’s constitution, or in America’s First Amendment. What are the words that accompany the free exercise of religion? Belief. Thought. Conscience. The most personal and internal of our characteristics, inalienable, the most fundamental and basic of those things which make us who and what we are. It is fitting, then, that this right to free exercise should be among the strongest and best-protected in our Republic.
“And so it is. ‘The free exercise of religion shall not be restricted,’ the Charter of Rights tells us. Millions have died for one religious cause or another, but millions more have died for the promise implicit in those nine words! No government organ, they say, no mere politician or agent, no person, no one shall presume to dictate how one may pursue one’s religious beliefs, or not. A breach of that promise cuts to the very core of the individual. Thought, belief, conscience, speech, religion – it is the confluence of these that is the wellspring of all other rights that are guaranteed to our citizens. What good is the right to vote if you cannot speak in favor of one candidate or another? What good is the right to an education if, to accept it, you must deny who you are, your basic identity? Is there any mandate in our constitution that is more compelling, more immediate, than the right to believe, practice, and speak as one might? I submit to you that there is not!
“This is a hard road, and a dangerous one. We may be educated by the pitfalls of others who have walked this path before us. Should anyone who claims to have crafted their own religion be entitled to tax exemptions and holidays as they see fit? No. Should a person be allowed to pursue unfettered a religion that involves drug use or human sacrifice? No. Where does one draw the line in these cases? I do not know. But they may be drawn from case to case by the wisdom of our High Court, and checked in turn by the legislative branch, and our ultimate accountability to the people, our sovereign. It is imperative that we protect and further the rights of all of our citizens no matter their color or their creed, their self-definition, their politics, or their age. That is the mandate of our constitution, it is the mandate of good government, it is the mandate of the people, and it is the right and moral thing to do!”
Now Tilly leans forward on the podium, meeting the gaze of each of the assembled listeners in turn. “Then what has happened in Nouvelle Aquitaine? Why has the High Court said that merely upon a showing of rational basis, a province may infringe on this most basic of our liberties? I say to you, my fellow Eutopians, that the answer is fear! Fear on the part of Nouvelle Aquitaine’s students, directed at those who are different. Fear on the part of the school board of violence between students, and the possibility that they might be liable in the event of serious injuries or death. Fear on the part of the High Court that a firm decision for either side would lead to continued violence. And I can relate to that fear. The government must prevent violence between its citizens wherever it may. But this is not the way!
“It is time to conquer our fear! It is time that Nouvelle Aquitaine take responsibility. If your children fear difference, they must be educated! They must know that they are more like Muslim students than different. They must know that the headscarf is to Muslims as the yarmulke is to Orthodox Jews or the cross-necklace is to Christians – the outward sign of an inner faith. And they must learn the importance of the right to believe as one will and practice as one will! A school uniform policy is a shameful means of avoiding the responsibility of educating our children properly, and tramples on our most basic rights and fundamental freedoms. I call on the High Court, the General Assembly, and the President to stand against this injustice. It will not be an easy fight. The provinces will oppose infringement on their unfettered right to control education, and they are right to do so. But in the end, if our society is to truly show its respect for individual rights, Nouvelle Aquitaine’s stance must be overturned.
“But it does not end there. I must confide, my fellow Eutopians, that I fear for our country. We may win the fight for our right to practice freely – I hope we will. But what then? What of the next fight? We in the federal government must take responsibility too. If we demand that the provinces educate their children in diversity, then we must show our dedication to that goal! We must fund programs to teach diversity! We must pay incentives to the best teachers to teach in underfunded districts! We must, in short, do all of the things that only we can do. The government of Nouvelle Aquitaine can make a better Nouvelle Aquitaine; the government of Jacobia can make a better Jacobia – but only together can we – all of us – make a better Eutopia.
“Who will do it? Three years ago I came together with a group of elder statesmen, people who have served Eutopia faithfully through good times and bad. We saw a lack of experience in politics and hoped, prayed that we could rectify this. We hoped, more than you can imagine, that in three years we could transform Eutopia, shepherd her through her immediate problems, and hand the reins to a new generation. Eutopia has come far in those three years – but not far enough. The next generation of politicians has come far – but not far enough. The cry has gone out for good governance, for experience, for hard work, for self-sacrifice, and though not without trepidation, I feel I have no choice but to accept that call. It is therefore with pride and eagerness, willing and able to confront the challenges of the next Term, conscious of our past but with great visions of our future, that I, Hawkton Tilly, officially announce my candidacy for the office of President of the United Provinces of Eutopia." Tilly allows his confident pronouncement to ring across the plaza for a long second before continuing.
“There is a long road ahead. I have no party behind me, yet – I will find one if I can, or build one if I must. I have but a handful of supporters behind me so far – but I am confident that more will come. I know I am not alone in my desire to defend the rights of individuals, to make Eutopia safe, to rebuild our economy, and to reaffirm our alliances with our neighbors and the world. We can show compassion to our youngest, our poorest, and our weakest; we can give them better lives. We can defend our home against our enemies, we can end their crimes, we can bring them to justice – and then we can show them, too, compassion. We can rejuvenate our economy while never forgetting those who came before, who have already given their best years to our nation; while never forgetting our veterans; while never neglecting our quest to uphold and protect the indomitable Eutopian spirit. We can do it, together, and I look forward to the opportunity to aid the cause as your next President. Thank you, my fellow Eutopians.”