If you missed reading through one the links in my last post, the Harper Tories are trying to force Bill C-304 (which would repeal the hate-speech provision in the Canadian Human Rights Act) through the Senate before their late June convention so they can toss some red meat to the mouth breathers and prorogue parliament. It is imperative that the Liberal Senators not allow this, even if it means sitting into July or later. A prorogation could push back the bill’s passage another year or two. It would be interesting to have the gov’s “soft on hate crimes” record available (Read more…)
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So I was checking out the wifi at my new place by downloading a few software updates and got something from Norton that I didn’t want (and have since uninstalled). I find out about it when I cruise over to FreeD to wallow in teh crazy and see this (looks better when you click on it): Now, FreeD’s been pretty tame lately, especially since they kicked out Ed Kennedy. And really, even at its worst, it was 95% lunatic conservatism, only 15% actual hate. But whatever. The folks at Norton have them on their official shit-list. Whether they are deserving (Read more…) Dawg has the details. But, as to the reason given by the AG’s rep for NOT going forward the first time, that he “was afraid Levant would make a big noise about [the charges]“, I frankly think not. That’s because, for one thing, Ezra’s career is on the line. Nobody in broadcasting will hire a guy with a hate-speech conviction. Ezra will grovel and beg and eat sand if that’s what it takes to wriggle out of something like this. And, for another thing, Ezra’s preferred style of noise making–smear everyone left, right, and center–has left him with facing . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: Ezra Facing 2nd Hate Speech Charge? Dr Dawg, and Haroon Siddiqui in the piece Dawg references, think that the Ontario Attorney General, John Gerretson, will not file hate speech charges against Ezra Levant for his anti-Roma screed of six months ago. However, the following except from a missive by Gina Csanyi-Robah of the Toronto Roma Community Centre, re her meeting with police and the AG’s people on March 14th, seems to indicate that no final decision has yet been made: This is dated March 20th, so I would assume it is the latest information available. Its also easier to read if you click on the image. Americans love their Constitution and beloved Bill of Rights. However it has one fatal weakness in that it’s provisions are unrestricted without the requirement that such rights as freedom of assembly and speech and the right to bear arms be exercised responsibly. This leads to the inability to restrict hate speech including the desecration of funerals by lunatics claiming to be acting on behalf As a follower of both US and Canadian politics, but a Canadian resident, it is a source of national pride that much of the most abhorrent aspects of the culture wars in the US are, thankfully, absent in Canada. For all our faults, our elections don’t seem to have an over abundance of old conservative white men who can’t quite restrain themselves from talking about “legitimate rape” and the “gift from god” that a rape baby presents. Even our socially conservative Prime Minister has, as a credit to his political savvy if not his ideological tendencies, clamped down on debates over abortion (Read more…) Denise Helms is one of the worst people on the planet. Correction: the worst person in the world. Seriously. After President Obama won re-election on Tuesday, the 22-year-old California woman took to the social media to express her anger and frustrat… . . . → Read More: Canadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Racist Threatens Obama, Doesn’t ‘Understand What She Did Wrong’ [VIDEO] As part of a new bill enhancing the powers of the immigration minister, Jason Kenney has revealed new guidelines he would apply to deny entry to foreign nationals. Currently, visitors can only be denied entry for criminal or national security reasons. Kenny’s guidelines would allow the immigration minister to bar: • People who promote terrorism, violence or criminal activity.• Corrupt foreign Well,it finally happened: On Thursday October 11, 2012, Toronto’s Roma Community Centre officially reported a hate crime to the Toronto Police Services and an investigation is now underway. This was in response to overtly racist, prejudicial, and demeaning statements made by Sun News Network commentator, Ezra Levant, which were broadcast live on television throughout Canada. And indeed the Toronto police have confirmed that an investigation is underway. The way these things work is they will interview everyone involved, including Ezra, and then decide whether or not to approach the attorney general. So Ezra will get a chance to do . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: Ezra Levant…My Part In His Downfall The latest update on the saga of Arthur Topham can be found here. For those unfamiliar with his story, a hate speech complaint (criminal code section 319) was recently filed against him after the repeal of section 13 made it impossible to deal with his wildly antisemitic writings via the HRC/tribunal process. While Mr. Topham still cannot post to his Radical Press site he is being allowed to use email. The most important bit from his email to the gang at FreeD is: Just prior to the Thanksgiving weekend the local Crown Council Jennifer Johnson sent Doug Christie an email . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: Arthur Topham Update It has now drawn a complaint to the Alberta law society: Roma Community Centre (RCC) of Toronto, Ontario, wishes to file a complaint with Alberta Law Society (ALS) against Ezra Levant. According to the ALS Code of Conduct, “Alberta’s lawyers are expected to conduct themselves and their law practices in ways which are highly ethical and above reproach.” We believe that Mr. Levant demonstrated highly unethical attitudes and behaviour in a recent broadcast of “The Source with Ezra Levant” (Sept. 5th, 2012, at 5 p.m. EDT, Sun News Network). We also feel that for a member of the . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: Update On Levant’s Roma Rant When Deboaned noted in my comments section that police were “taking an interest” in Levant’s anti-Roma screed, I didn’t think much of it. But now I am informed by usually reliable off-line sources that, indeed, the CBSC/CRTC complaints are essentially filed and the police have been approached. I don’t know if, typically, the fact of an investigation is made public until charges are laid/not laid, but apparently behind the scenes, wheels are turning. …can be found here (warning: it may meet the legal def of hate speech). Meanwhile, no word about what Fox News North plans to do about The Ez’s latest transgression. Kind of what the way they behaved when he defamed George Soros. First silence, and then a grovelling apology on Ezra’s behalf. Of course The Ez won’t ever admit anything. So I would implore Marvin Levant, Ezra’s dad, who I know reads this blog, to intervene somehow. Your kid’s out of control. You want him living in the basement again? Then let things slide. Otherwise slap him around a This is hate speech par excellence! A Facebook Page, Montreal Official, portrays incoming Quebec premier Pauline Marois as Adolph Hitler, and as asks: “How long will it take her to fuck up Quebec?” If you thought that wasn’t insulting and un-Canadian enough, try imagining 133 172 people “liking” the page. Photo: [Facebook] Now, compare the photo-shopped image with the one below. Our (Rob) Ford, the (Lord) Mayor of Toronto, a rabid right-wing, poses with Jon Latvis, a member of the neo-Nazi band RAHOWA (Racial Holy War). The photo is also available on Latvis’ Facebook profile, with the caption, “Me meeting with . . . → Read More: Canadian Progressive: An Un-Canadian Insult: Pauline Marois Portrayed As Hitler On Facebook A screen shot of the blank spot on Ezra Levant’s website: no link, the plug pulled, presumably by Sun News Network. Below: Mr. Levant in full rhetorical flight. Where is Ezra Levant’s Sun News Network rant on Roma immigration to Canada, which has been depicted as ethnic stereotyping to foment hate? For that matter, where is the uncharacteristically silent Mr. Levant? Just a week ago, on Sept. 5, the Sun News Network commentator – who as Rabble.ca’s Karl Nerenberg astutely observed yesterday, has carved himself a niche as the “nasty buffoon of the Canadian Right” – delivered one of . . . → Read More: Alberta Diary: Who’s censoring Ezra now? Has Sun News Network seen the light? Gina Csanyi-Robah of the Roma Community Center writes: As a result of Levant’s hate speech targeting our community, the RCC has been in contact with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and is currently writing formal complaints to the Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council, the Canadian Media Association, the Canadian Ethnic media Association, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. There are examples through the link. One of the nastier bits is: Being a Gypsy isn’t like being Black, or being Gay, or being a woman or even Romanian, where many Gypsies come from. Just like being from Sicily doesn’t make you part of the Mafia. . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: Ezra Levant In More Hate Speech Trouble First substantive story of out today’s Al-Quds Day T.O. event: A verbal spat between a man and a woman resulted in her asking him: “Would you like to kill all the Muslims in the world?” to which he replied “100%.” When asked about the exchanged words, JDL spokesman Meir Weinstein said “some studies have shown 10% of Muslims support terrorist groups.” At first glance this suggests that one of the JDL folks went “off message”. Presumably, in the hours and days to follow, Meir will explain at greater length. In honour of Pride Week here in Vancouver, I can think of no better time to wade into the growing Chick-fil-A row currently ruffling the feathers of our southern neighbours. For those who don’t follow American news (it’s not like we’re a different country or anything), Chick-fil-A is a US-based fast-food chain whose President, Dan Cathy, is known for supporting anti-gay Christian groups. The controversy boiled over in recent weeks with a couple of high-profile interviews in which Cathy expressed his opposition to gay marriage: “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the . . . → Read More: Song of the Watermelon: Free Speech, Hate Speech, and Chick-Fil-A On June 6th (the same night that the trans human rights Bill C-279 advanced to committee) Conservative MP for Westlock – St. Paul, Brian Storseth’s Private Member’s Bill C-304, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (protecting freedom), passed Third Reading in the House of Commons, and advanced to the Senate for ratification. Bill C-304 abolishes Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which pertains to electronic communication of hate speech. Sun Media commentator Ezra Levant barely got through taking credit for the bill’s passage before taking advantage of a recent censure of . . . → Read More: Dented Blue Mercedes: Hypocrisy on Free Speech and “Protecting Freedom.” The federal Conservatives quietly removed protections against hate speech online and over the phone from Canada’s Human Rights Act last week, stripping Human Rights Commissions of their power to investigate incidents of hatred or violence being incited against identifiable minorities. The first sign that this might not have been a good idea: White supremacists immediately started celebrating. Bill C-304: Hate Speech Clause’s Repeal Gives White Supremacists Rare Moment Of Glee White Supremacists might be happy about this, but the purpose of removing this clause was to allow the Christian Right to further spread hatred against the the gay community, same sex marriage and a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion. The Christian Right has been pushing for changes like this (removing this clause of the Human Rights Act) for years in order to spread their hatred. From Marci McDonald’s The Armageddon Factor: (2010, p. 276 hardcover edition): Indeed, as Christian nationalists … vent their views (Read more…) From Doug Christie’s newsletter. Updated from here. 319(2) is, of course, one of the Criminal Code hate speech provisions. Rob Nicholson responds to my email. Comments below: Correspondence from the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada Thank you for your correspondence concerning the Government’s proposed amendments to strengthen the hate crimes provisions of the Criminal Code. I regret the delay in responding. As you are aware, on September 30, 2011, Conservative Member of Parliament Mr. Brian Storseth introduced Private Member’s Bill C-304, An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (protecting freedom), into the House of Commons. The Bill proposes to repeal section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, which empowers the Canadian Human Rights . . . → Read More: BigCityLib Strikes Back: What Will Replace Section 13 Of The Canadian Human Rights Act Bill Whatcott, Canada’s most hysterical anti-gay activist, has headed to the Supreme Court of Canada. I’ve talked a lot about Whatcott in the past, but here’s a quick recap: He was fined in 2005 for violating Saskatchewan hate laws by repeatedly distributing fliers calling gay people child molestors, dismissing all gay people as “sodomites,” and [...] . . . → Read More: Slap Upside The Head: Thoughts On The Bill Whatcott Supreme Court Case If you lived in certain parts of Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto over the past decade, there’s a chance you’ve encountered or at least heard about flyers distributed by Bill Whatcott. These fliers are typically peppered with photos of naked or half-naked gay men kissing (or in at least one instance, engaging in oral sex), with |
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