Canadian Freedoms

Here is a post at Reason on Jennifer Lynch, the Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Those of you following this may remember that she is the one who went after Mark Steyn and Ezra Levant, and lost.

From one of the Commenters:

Ms. Lynch apparently just doesn't get that whole free speech thingee. No surprise there. A whole lot of people, left and right, some well meaning, some less so, don't understand why free expression is the most important right that a human possesses.

Remember, in Canada, if you feel offended by what someone says you can go to the Canadian Human Rights Commission and they can, at no expense to you, haul that person into a hearing and if they find against that person prohibit him or her from saying such hurtful things again. And, the person hauled before the commission gets to pay for his or her defense.

I tagged this "First Amendment," but remember, in Canada there is no such thing as a First Amendment, in any form. As Ms Lynch says:

Tolerance and open-mindedness are ideals to which Canadians have subscribed, and are part of the quest for equality that has come to define our country all over the world. They are the foundation of the Canadian Human Rights Act, whose promise is to give effect "to the principle that all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have" without discrimination....

There is no hierarchy of rights with some rights having greater importance than others. They work together toward a common purpose.

It is up to legislators and courts to find the appropriate balance that best protects the human rights and freedoms of all citizens.

You get some free speech, but not so much that you might offend me.

Or put another way (quoting from a Wikipedia article on this Canadian organism):

In an exchange during the Marc Lemire case, lead CHRC investigator Dean Steacy was asked "What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate?" Steacy responded: "Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value. It's not my job to give value to an American concept." (The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms refers to "freedom of expression" whereas the U.S. Constitution refers to "freedom of speech.")

I guess we could put that down to a common language and border and a total separation of ideas.

Regards  —  Cliff