The State Of Free Speech In Canada Is Not Good
Here is Ezra Levant, publisher of the Western Standard, appearing in a hearing before a Canadian government “human rights commission.” Levant is being questioned for publishing the now-infamous “Mohammed cartoons” in his publication, something Canadian Muslims took offense too.
Pay particular attention to the second segment, where Levant was asked what his intent was in publishing the cartoons.
Is anyone else wondering why a supposedly free and liberal western democracy is questioning someone about the intent of their speech? Would it matter if Levant’s intent was to make Muslims angry? It apparently does in Canada given that they have a “human rights” bureaucracy tasked with interrogating and prosecuting people who do offend others, but it shouldn’t.
Free speech means free speech, up to and including speech that offends us. We all agree that there are certain specific exceptions to this, such as libel, but in general letting citizens say what they want when they want to say it is a bedrock part of being a liberal democracy.
For instance, I detest some of the things John Edwards says. When he starts spewing his populist rhetoric about robber barons and “two Americas” it really gets under my skin. But anyone trying to deny Edwards his ability to say those things would find no bigger enemy than me, a person who probably couldn’t even agree with Edwards on whether or not the sun was shining. Because despite the fact that I disagree with Edwards, I cherish his right to free speech as much as I cherish my own even though much of what he says offends me.
I feel the same way about members of hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Most of the time I don’t give the rantings of those semi-literate, mouth-breathing bigots the time of day. But if someone tried to stop them from engaging in public discourse I’d be on their side. Because, again, the larger issue is free speech.
In Canada, the government has taken to harassing people who say controversial or provocative things because it offends certain segments of the country’s population. They’re doing it to Mr. Levant and they’re doing it to Mark Steyn. If I were a Canadian I’d be very, very worried.













