|
Every so often, amongst all the support Maclean's and I get around the world from the US to Australia, I'm reminded of how few Canadians yet appreciate what's going on in their own country. The gentleman below, Peter Staniek of Montreal, is a regular reader and correspondent of SteynOnline so presumably he's more up to speed on the "human rights" commissions than the average Quebecker. Yet he writes to berate me for my "negative" "inappropriate" comment on this column in The National Post:
Mark, I am generally on your side of this situation - and I believe so is the National Post - for you to negatively comment on this fellow's article is not appropriate.
After all, Zundel and characters of their ilk, who publicly advocate a racist propaganda ought not be allowed permission to do so - never mind freedom of expression.
The article clearly stated that all we would need to do is to train and ecucate the folks at the HRC to act in accordance with their mission - and hopefully chastise them for their inappropriate zealousness - but not to demonize the institution as whole, after all it is also there to protect your own freedom of expression.
Hmm. "Zundel and characters of their ilk." Well, now that's an interesting expression. Who decides who gets admitted to the ranks of "their ilk"? The Human Rights Commissions. Can they be "trained and educated" as you suggest? Right now they're rogue agencies running around the web as Nazi fantasists spreading more "hate" than they actually prosecute and illegally hacking into private citizens' Internet accounts. And all they're concerned to do is protect their racket and (if Barbara Hall gets her way) expand it.
As to the idea that they're protecting my own freedom of expression, it's distressing to see a regular reader get things so upside down. No. They're taking away my freedom of expression. Next month the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal will issue a ruling that will make it, in effect, illegal for me to be published in Canada. In denying me my freedom, they are, of course, also denying you - yes, you, Peter Staniek of Montreal, PQ - your freedom: the freedom to make your own judgments as a free-born citizen about what you read. The loss of Steyn from Maclean's and any other print publication in Canada is no big deal in the scheme of things. And you are certainly free to go on the Internet and visit this website - at least until the CJC and its allies achieve the control over ISPs that they've been seeking, at which point you'll get an "access denied" screen when you try to click through to SteynOnline. With "protectors" like that, who needs the Chinese politburo?
But here's the thing. For you even to frame the issue as one of HRCs "protecting" your right to freedom of expression is a sign of how corroded civic discourse is in Canada. Your right to freedom of expression is not the gift of hack bureaucrats. You're a free citizen of one of the world's oldest settled democracies. Don't do yourself a disservice and reduce yourself to some stunted ward of the Trudeaupian nursery. Otherwise you'll end your days in a society transformed beyond recognition.
Win a few, lose a few: Sean Berry appears to be having better luck than I, and advises: "Keep talking."
Oh, and here's what I said that Mr Staniek found so "negative" and "inappropriate". It was - in full - this: "'Expert' defends status quo."
Oh, dear, it's so easy to be offensive in today's Canada. Perhaps I'm well out of it.
|
