Some sanity north of the border

The Toronto Sun article No more witch hunts reports that Canadian Human Rights Act is on its last legs and will likely soon be repealed by the Harper government.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission was a nonjudicial kangaroo court that processed so-called 'hate speech crimes' with a bureaucrat presiding,  whackadoodle rules of evidence and 100% conviction rate over its 30 year history. As Ezra Levant of the Sun, and a one time target of the Human Rights Commission, explains:

Back in 1977, that law was focused on telephone lines and answering machines. But 10 years ago, it was expanded to include the Internet.

So it even covers things like whatever you post to your Facebook page. Section 13 says “it is a discriminatory practice ... to cause to be ... communicated ... any matter that is likely to expose a person ... to hatred or contempt.”

So if you publish anything on Facebook, or on your cellphone voice message, that might make one person feel bad about another, you’ve just broken the law.

Truth is not a defence to being charged with “hate” under Section 13. Fair comment is not a defence. Religious belief is not a defence. Telling a joke is not a defence. The law has nothing to do with truth or the right to have an opinion. It’s about whether or not you’ve offended someone or hurt their feelings.

Section 13 is an insane law. So un-Canadian, so contrary to our traditions of liberty that go back centuries, inherited from the United Kingdom.

It’s no surprise that this law had a 100% conviction rate in Canada for the first three decades of its existence.

I only wonder why it took Harper and the Tories so long to get rid of it.  Then again, I fear Obama has salted our Federal government with numerous bureaucrat traps similar to it that it is going to takes us years, if not decades to get rid of. That is, assuming we can ever get rid of them.

Anyway, congratulations to the Canadian government for rolling back the tide a bit.