Blogging for Sanity or NOT
I first came across a case of a friend being harassed by the Ontario HRC a couple of years ago, and thought it would go away. It was so absurd. But, it didn't go away. It got worse for her and her family. You can read what I wrote about it here.
I thought it was an isolated incident in Ontario, a mistake really. Then I heard Ezra Levant on the radio. So, I went to see him, Kathy Shaidle and Salim Mansur speak in London Ontario in the Spring, and bought Kathy's and Ezra's books. The place was packed, and people were really worked up about the Human Rights Commissions, and if what Ezra, Kathy and Salim were saying was true, there was more to this than one isolated case in Ontario.
I started to do my own research, which I urge you all to do as well. I found case reports just by looking for them for all provinces and the Canadian HRC. I found annual reports of the HRCs gushing with the good news of their successes in defending our Human Rights, or so they said in flowing prose.
I found at the Canadian Human Rights Commission level testimony in the Lemire Case here that free speech is an American concept, and that truth is less important than how people's feelings might be affected by what is communicated. If that is not the most absurb testimony from people entrusted by our government to protect our human rights I have ever heard, I do not know what is.
This is just the tip of an iceberg that I cannot fathom how to get around,over or under.
In the mean time, while discovering this, I started to blog what I was finding, and got more disgusted as I worked at it. But, what was also happening was that my health was deteriorating simultaneously. Because of the brain injury I sustained several years ago, I can only focus for a few hours a day on things I have to put my thinking cap to. When I do that though, it means that I use those brain cycles that I need to be present to the rest of my life. One of the other things that happens for me is that when i see something that really grabs my attention, and this whole thing does, I become obsessed with it, and have found it hard to put down or away. The result for me has been an increase in severe headaches, and a need to look at this differently if I am going to accomplish anything.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So, I intend to keep eating the elephant, just one bite at a time, and remembering to chew my food slowly, instead of gulping it like I have been. I will probably only blog once or twice a week, so that I can keep up with the other things in my life that I need to as well.
Canada was a prime mover in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and we should be proud of our work in that, as we should be of our own Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
But, those are first principles, and they are getting lost in a set of bureaucracies that have lost the way. The HRCs are being driven by the need to make people feel that they are not being disciminated against. Feelings do not work that way. I have done enough therapy myself over the years to know that feelings have very little to do with the present moment usually. They are often based in history, and do not interpret the present moment very well. Yet, our HRCs are prosecuting defendants based on the feelings of complainants all the time.
First Principles. People should not be discriminated against PERIOD. By the way, that includes me, even though I am a white anglo saxon male heterosexual Christian. I have a right to not be discriminated against, and more than that I have a responsibility to not discriminate against my fellow man.
the obverse of the First Principles are as important as the First Principles. We all have a Responsibility to respect the rights of our fellow man.
Our HRCs are not helping this to come about. So is there a better way? I'm thinking about it, and will get back to you. I'm just going to take my time.
"I REALIZE THAT THIS IS A NAIVE STATEMENT ON FURTHER THOUGHT. MORE TO COME LATER. SEE THE COMMENT I GOT IN RETURN AND POSTED."
You said: First Principles. People should not be discriminated against PERIOD. By the way, that includes me, even though I am a white anglo saxon male heterosexual Christian. I have a right to not be discriminated against, and more than that I have a responsibility to not discriminate against my fellow man.
ReplyDeleteThen I ask you a couple of questions:
1. If I own a basement suite in my home, should I be within my rights to refuse a gay couple to rent my suite because of my personal and religious beliefs?
2. If a youth pastor who has worked at a church for years opens up about being gay and having sexual relations with other men/man should the church be able to fire him?
It would also appear to me that according to the Bible God discriminates.
As a Christian, I am to be an example of Christlike love my brothers and sisters and of service to my community. I am to be loving, giving, caring and encouraging but I am to discriminate against right and wrong and in doing so I will inevitably be put into positions where I must explain my beliefs and even set boundaries that will be perceived as bigoted, hateful, judgemental etc etc to some.
Anyone who thinks that we can be Christians and be liked or accepted by everyone is incorrect and probably not living out their faith the way called to within God's word.
Scripture is clear that we will be persecuted on earth or righteousness sake and for believing in Jesus.