It doesn’t feel good to stand up for the rights of someone who writes/says repugnant things, but standing up for the rights of those with whom one disagrees is, in practice, standing up for everyone’s rights.

A few key issues this raises:

1. Government-imposed speech codes are ridiculous, especially when they apply to people going about their everyday lives.

2. In addition to opposing “hate speech” codes, it’s useful to keep an eye on where libel/slander laws are headed. In particular, the concept that you cannot libel a class or vague group of individuals (that is, a group whose individuals are not specifically identified) is an important concept in American law, and not every country recognizes this reasonable limitation.

3. The best way to handle disagreeable or offensive speech is with more speech, not less. Point out what’s wrong with people who are wrong, instead of silencing them.

“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too.” —Voltaire

“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.” —Thomas Jefferson

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” —Voltaire

Apologies, but others have articulated these points with much more concision than I could ever hope to achieve.

Hats off to Ezra Levant for denormalizing the Canadian “human rights” commissions. The right person in the right place at the right time. Thanks for taking up the charge, Ezra. Intellectual honesty is rare, exceptional, priceless.

Hell, that’s my stock in trade – It’s usually my default mode, right along side angry, argumentative, misanthropic and bitchy.

Looks like Vera won’t be visiting Canada any time soon.

If you are not up to speed on the multiple Human Rights Commissions throughout Canada, you need to tune into their shenanigans. They are the love child of the rape of sanity that is known as political correctness.

We too often refer to 1984 and “Doublespeak” in a mildly concerned manner. Canada has put the most mindless and dictatorial censorship blocks in place and groups like CAIR are free to run amok.

When you trade common sense (guided by a healthy serving of skepticism) for a panel of moderators working from “feel good” loose guidelines, you get liberal chaos, which is called the “human Rights Commission.”

I would dearly love to hear anything in support of this type of free speech abortion.

Show me someone who supports mandatory speech codes and/or political correctness, and I will show you an actual fascist – a worshipper of State power, whose true aim (whether admitted or not) is to destroy human freedom.

Nevermind, of course, smoking bans, trans-fat bans, soda bans, foie gras bans etc. etc. etc. and now this.

I’m confrused.