Canada and free and not so free speech

Our lesson for Dominion Day comes from Jennifer Lynch, QC (Queen Censor): Words and ideas have power. That power, while overwhelmingly positive, can also be used to undermine democracy and freedom... Hateful words have the power to harm. They can isolate and marginalize our fellow citizens, not because of what people have said or done, but solely because of their personal characteristics, such as ethnicity, religion, race or sexual orientation.   Hateful words can harm. So if you write a piece for Maclean's quoting hateful words like "mosquito" and "sheep" you'll be investigated by three different "human rights" commissions. If you publish some anodyne cartoons in The Western Standard with accompanying hateful captions about "freedom of speech", Shirlene McGovern will haul you in for interrogation. If you're a stand-up comedian and you put down two drunk lesbian hecklers using hateful words like "drunk" and "lesbian", you'll be put on trial by the Government of British Columbia. If you write a hateful letter to a small local newspaper in Alberta objecting to "the homosexual agenda", you'll be given a lifetime speech ban.   But, if you're Salman Hossain and you want to expound on the benefits of killing Canadian troops and shooting Jews, party on: 'I hope the German brothers were gonna blow up US-German bases in their country. We should do that here in Canada as well.   Full post here.   Thanks Grant.

Posted via email from Garth's posterous