Matthew Steinbach opinions@theotherpress.ca The erosion of free speech In Canada ;, sisie:ks:sn0»s up the complaint against him right then and there, apologized for wasting his time and mailed him a cheque for his legal expenses. Canam sure are a privileged bunch; we as a nation have one of the highest living standards and material comfort the world has ever known, and blessed be the many of many of us whose weightiest decision may be which video to watch at the end of the day. But our contented complacency may be our own undoing, as there are those in our society with an agenda aiming to force their will on the public. As Canadians we like to think that freedom of speech is one of our core values. Yet, Canadians are restricted in what we’re allowed to say. We’ve become soft like jelly and quiver at distasteful remarks. Of course, in many cases they should outrage us. But we should never, ever run crying behind the skirt of a bloated nanny-like government. Yet again and again that’s what we do; we’ve set up kangaroo courts such as the human right tribunal to slap the face of those who make offensive remarks. In one such case, Ezra Levant of the now-defunct Western Standard had been fighting a battle on behalf of all Canadians against the ludicrousness of anti-free speech advocates. In February 2006, Levant republished the infamous “Muhammad editorial cartoons” that depicted the Islamic prophet in unflattering ways. The Islamic Supreme Council of Canada filed a complaint with the Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC) against Levant and an inquisition began. Levant was forced to rack up one legal expense after another to defend his right to free speech and by proxy, the rights of all Canadians. Ingeniously, he videotaped his hearing which revealed several shocking excerpts from the meeting: the AHRC interrogator asks Levant, “What was your purpose for publishing these cartoons?” Remember, the AHRC is an arm of the Canadian state; for a state to investigate a journalist over his journalistic intentions is a truly frightening prospect, something out of totalitarian dictatorship in another, darker era. Levant, a talented debater, takes the AHRC to task pointing out contradictions between its mandate and the charter of rights and freedoms—at one point the interrogator lets Levant know that he is “certainly entitled to his opinions.” Oh, the irony. If that were true she would have torn Similarly, in another AHRC complaint, Steve Boissoin, a Christian pastor, was condemned by the provincial and prohibited from publishing disparaging remarks about homosexual activism— meaning he was a Christian convicted of holding a Christian view. He was ordered to apologize and to refrain from speaking or publishing such remarks in the future. Whether you agree with his view or not is not the issue. The issue here is, of course, centred on a person’s right to speak his or her own thoughts, regardless of whomever’s thin-skinned virgin ears may be within range. The strength of any society is in its ability to withstand criticism of its core beliefs. If you can do that, then that reinforces the idea that your beliefs are worth having. The alternative, as we have seen, is this culture of victim-hood that is being fostered, where anyone who feels insulted by another’s off-kilter public comments can cash in. Successful complainants are often entitled to thousands of dollars in compensation because someone has gone and hurt their feelings. If that weren’t enough, now out at Queen’s University, the school has recently hired what are called “Dialogue Monitors,” students in the employ of the university, paid to eavesdrop on casual dinner hall conversations, scanning for viewpoints that dissent from political correctness and liberal sensibilities then stepping in as “facilitators,” to “fix” the conversation. It’s all presented with a sugary coating and full of warmth and cuddles of course. It’s not invasive or punitive, they claim. They’re simply there to “facilitate” constructive conversation. But the reality is if you speak a thought that doesn’t fall under proper university-sanctioned guidelines for acceptable speech, expect to have to answer for it. This thought- policing under the guise of tolerance may have a place in a dystopian world of Orwell, but it has no place in a proper Canadian institute of higher learning. I would like to be sure that the administration, faculty and students at Douglas College would never allow such gross violations of academic and personal freedom occur at New West or David Lam. Our ancestors fought and died so that we wouldn’t have to answer to the state for our beliefs and views. Yet, there are plenty of organizations and individuals out there who seek to chip away at and erode what should be the most basic human right of all; so don’t just sit there—say something! This December 1° is HIV/AIDS Awareness Day By Priscilla Bartleman Hovaus awareness day started back in 1988. It is a day for education, fundraising and fighting prejudice. HIV/AIDS awareness is something that I hold close to my heart—not just because of personal connections, but also because it is a world epidemic that needs to be brought to everyone’s attention. Some people think that it does not affect them, that it is something that only affects developing nations. While a majority of infections are in developing nations, it is a global epidemic, and with the numbers sitting at about 33.2 million infected people and 2.5 million of those being children, it is something for us all to think about. Did you know that half the people who are infected are under the age of 25? And that they are killed by AIDS by the time they are 35? Yes, there are many people who live for a number of years with HIV and we are fortunate for the health care and the non-profit organizations we have here in Canada. These support systems are a great source of support for people and families of people living with the virus. It is not just about us, though; it is about the world as a whole and it is something that we can fight with more education and research, and less prejudice and ignorance. It can happen to you; it is happening all around the world, and we each need to take a role in fighting for the cause.