Let the Call Go Out, To Friend and Foe Alike, That We Shall Pay Any Price For Liberty

By DemocracyRules

(Quotation from John F. Kennedy.)

The Canadian blogosphere is under attack from a serious lawsuit.

The Story So Far
Many years, ago, Canada became concerned about certain neo-Nazi groups and Holocaust deniers, who would not shut up.  Furthermore, Canada is loaded with minorities, some of whom sometimes feel discriminated against.  There is no question that racism, ethnocentrism, and discrimination exists in Canada.  The Government set up anti-hate legislation and Human Rights Commissions that were supposed to adjudicate allegations of discrimination.  Mainly this was for rental and workplace disputes.

The anti-hate laws and CHRC "seemed like a good idea at the time" (just as Stalinism once did).  However, the anti-hate statutes were seldom used, and the CHRC kept a low profile.  My favorite case was a group of female secretaries who worked in a women's counseling and referral center mainly run by lesbians.  The secretaries brought charges of sexual harassment against their bosses.

One person very active in bringing these cases before the CHRC was Richard Warman.  He previously worked for the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and he knew the ropes.

Canada, like the USA, has Islamists who are duking it out with moderate Muslim groups (For example, the Muslim Canadian Congress. The Islamists send them death threats and other charming communications.) 

The Islamists, based in various mosques in Canada, have had their own troubles with the CHRC.  Muslim women at a mosque in Edmonton brought charges against their Imam for sexual harassment and sex discrimination.

Then the Islamists started to use the CHRC as their own weapon.  They charged a newspaper publisher, Ezra Levant with hate for re-publishing the Muhammed cartoons.  They charged Mark Steyn, who write a column for MacLean's (the Canadian equivalent of 'Time'), with racism for quoting a Norwegian Islamist who glowed that Muslims were "reproducing like mosquitoes" in Europe.

These kangaroo courts actually took the Islamists seriously and undertook proceedings against these men.  Ezra Levant in particular relished the fight.  He is a feisty lawyer who dislikes the CHRC and Canadian regulations which stifle free speech.

The CHRC is becoming a laughing stock.  Their kangaroo court proceedings are mainly incriminating the CHRC as grand inquisitors and hypocrites who do little or nothing to advance the cause of human rights in Canada.

Now Richard Warman Goes Ballistic!
Today he has filed suit against a whole bunch of bloggers and others who have been reporting this story.  He is also suing the National Post newspaper (which has some good columns).  The list, thus far: Ezra Levant, FreeDominion.ca, Kate McMillan of SmallDeadAnimals.com, Jonathan Kay of the National Post newspaper and its in-house blog, and Kathy Shaidle of FiveFeetOfFury.com.

If you think American bloggers are poor, well they're rich compared to Canadian bloggers.  I'm not sure if a single independent Canadian blogger makes enough $$ to live on.  The market is one-tenth the size of the USA.

Richard Warman has previously sued libraries for carrying books he doesn't approve of, and he now wants to ban international websites he doesn't like from being seen by Canadians.

These websites will need financial help to win their case.  More details at Kathy Shaidle's blog, FiveFeetOfFury

A letter or email to the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper could help a lot.  Mr. Harper leads the Conservative Party, which has never liked these commissions and their ultra-left goings-on.  The Canadian government has tolerated the commissions because of proddings from groups like the Canadian Jewish Congress.  However, the CJC is very left-wing, and they obviously cannot see that there is a crazy "sorcerer's apprentice" quality to the Canadian Human Rights Commission shenanigans.

Pro Patria

NB: The views expressed by me, DemocracyRules, here and elsewhere, do not necessarily represent those of Gina Cobb or any other entity or person, living or dead.  My opinions are entirely my own.