Monday, October 5, 2009

HRC's - To Serve and Protect?

Nope - "Controlling Human Emotions in General and Extinguishing Hatred in Particular"

I have taken a few days to read and digest Dr. Barry Cooper's "Canada’s “Schauprozess” —Show Trials, Free Speech and Canadian Human Rights Commissions", a report he prepared for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. He is at the U of Calgary, since 1981, and hold degrees including a PhD from Duke University. He has been around the block, and has published 25 books and about 150 articles on various political science related topics.

So, his 22 page expose of HRCs in general and the Canadian HRC in particular here, is worthwhile reading, though no surprise in either context or content to those who value free speech, and follow the blogs. He echoes Ezra Levant's words, quotes bloopers from Dean Steacy about free speech as an American concept, and details some of the actions of He Who Will Not Be Named In my Blog. His distrust for J Ly is also documented inside, including her "reverse chill", and her file of 1,200 things.

But, in that he is published by the Frontier Centre, it will be read by people who have had no idea of this until now, which is good news, and we sure could use a little good news today, or any day for that matter.

One thing I had missed back in 2008 was an article of Mark Steyn's that Dr. Cooper quoted, and references to Barbara Hall and new in the summer of 2008 policies of the Ontario HRC.

Here is some of what Mr. Steyn had to say in his April 23, 2008 article:

Beginning on July 1, under Ontario's "human rights" reforms, Commissar Hall will have far greater powers to initiate prosecutions against all and sundry. Under the new proposals, " 'hate incident' means any act or omission, whether criminal or not, that expresses bias, prejudice, bigotry or contempt toward a vulnerable or disadvantaged community or its members." "Act or omission"? Of course. The act of not acting in an insufficiently non-hateful way can itself be hateful. Whether or not the incident is a non-incident is incidental. I quote from "Concepts Of Race And Racism And Implications For OHRC Policy" as published on the OHRC website:

"The denial of racism used by so many whites in positions of authority ranging from the supervisor in a work place to the chief of Police and ministers of government must be understood for what it is: an example of White hegemonic power over those considered 'other.' "

This, of course was part of the splitting of the HRC into 3 disparate parts, so they could appear to be at arm's length from each other.

Dr. Cooper was called by the Alberta HRC to opine on the Boissoin letter, and I will look that up soon to see what he had to say, though he makes a general reference to his testimony in the document.


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