The fundamental right to speak your mind is under attack, and its supposed champions are leading the charge against it. This is how we lose democracy, and freedom.
There has always been bigots and people prepared with fervour to shout their tribalist views into the wind. One could choose to listen to walk the other way. Today with fewer people educated at all in history or philosophy and more craving like toddlers nothing but attention we find ourselves here. Educated people must speak out in the real world. Free speech is a crucial in a democracy as you say and it's time our political leaders in Canada addressed this publicly, providing context and some understanding to those who merely follow the crowd. The mob rule in the US is a huge concern. I have no doubt John Q Public is concerned but hardly knows what to think amidst all the noise. Thank you David for your thoughtful piece.
I whole heartedly agree David. Listen to all voices inclusively and carefully. In America, those on "left" are all "Antifa now because the left dismissed "them" categorized & labeled "them", dehumanized "them" as " a basket of deplorables" as "moronic anti-vaxxers" And NOW in America with the right having more power it is projecting that dismissive categorization back on the Democrats as the deplorables. When the whole way we categorize-label and dismiss, the whole way we tend to attend to the world is deplorable. Canadians only have slightly better attending habits than my American examples. So, we too need to look seriously at how we attend, categorize dismiss and dehumanize with our reactionary responses.
I feel the climb here is beyond steep. The impluse to censor as opposed to simply exercise one's right to ignore speech that one finds odious is deeply ingrained, certainly more so than when the Smothers Brothers were booted from CBS back in 1969.
It is important for all of us to educate ourselves on two things: 1. the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and what it has to say about free speech; and 2. the Jim Keegstra case.
It is amazing that the so-called “right” lauds the so-called “free speech” of Kirk, then curtails any criticism. I guess though, that is the modus operendi of all fascist governments.
There has always been bigots and people prepared with fervour to shout their tribalist views into the wind. One could choose to listen to walk the other way. Today with fewer people educated at all in history or philosophy and more craving like toddlers nothing but attention we find ourselves here. Educated people must speak out in the real world. Free speech is a crucial in a democracy as you say and it's time our political leaders in Canada addressed this publicly, providing context and some understanding to those who merely follow the crowd. The mob rule in the US is a huge concern. I have no doubt John Q Public is concerned but hardly knows what to think amidst all the noise. Thank you David for your thoughtful piece.
I whole heartedly agree David. Listen to all voices inclusively and carefully. In America, those on "left" are all "Antifa now because the left dismissed "them" categorized & labeled "them", dehumanized "them" as " a basket of deplorables" as "moronic anti-vaxxers" And NOW in America with the right having more power it is projecting that dismissive categorization back on the Democrats as the deplorables. When the whole way we categorize-label and dismiss, the whole way we tend to attend to the world is deplorable. Canadians only have slightly better attending habits than my American examples. So, we too need to look seriously at how we attend, categorize dismiss and dehumanize with our reactionary responses.
Right-Left, they use the same tactics and complain when it is used against them.
I feel the climb here is beyond steep. The impluse to censor as opposed to simply exercise one's right to ignore speech that one finds odious is deeply ingrained, certainly more so than when the Smothers Brothers were booted from CBS back in 1969.
I hope it is not too late. People in the USA still believe they can course correct in the upcoming midterm elections
It is important for all of us to educate ourselves on two things: 1. the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and what it has to say about free speech; and 2. the Jim Keegstra case.
It is amazing that the so-called “right” lauds the so-called “free speech” of Kirk, then curtails any criticism. I guess though, that is the modus operendi of all fascist governments.