McLean's: Protest While You Still Can

The title of this McLean's article says it all: Human rights commissions are undermining the fundamental Charter rights of all Canadians. Protest while you still can.

The net result of allowing Section 13(1) to stand is that all manner of political and social and religious debate is now vulnerable to censure under Canada's ill-defined human rights apparatus. To engage in free and wide-ranging discussion on issues of politics, race, religion, terrorism, fanaticism, foreign policy, or domestic policy is to court being stigmatized as a bigot. That risk will chill discussion of the war in Iraq, the push to introduce sharia law in Ontario, Canada's anti-terrorism act, or Quebec's reasonable accommodation hearings, to name just a few examples. Given that the commissions are not led by judges, but are increasingly staffed by political activists — who aren't required to respect normal rules of evidence, courtroom procedure, or the defence of truth — the system seems fundamentally skewed against anyone who finds themselves accused.

More >>>

First they came for the independent journalists and "politically incorrect" bloggers. Unless you want them to come for you - protest while you still can.