Get rid of destructive human rights commissions BY KATHY SHAIDLE, CANADA.COMAPRIL 26, 2011 Kathy Shaidle: "We Canadians think our culture is superior to the more litigious one in the United States. But are tens of thousands of dollars doled out for 'hurt feelings' anything to feel smug about?" Did you hear the one about the country that fined a stand-up comic $15,000 for heckling back at a heckler? Where? North Korea? One of the "dumber" regions of the U.S.? No and no. The answer is: Canada. On April 21, a verdict came down in a human rights tribunal case dating back to 2007. That was when Guy Earle, a stand-up comic, got into an altercation with a couple who'd dropped in on his open mike night. Lorna Pardy and her (then) partner exchanged words with Earle while he was onstage. According to Earle, Pardy threw a drink at him. He broke her sunglasses and remarked upon Pardy's sexual orientation after she and her partner began making out in the front row. It wasn't pretty and it sure wasn't comedy. Sounds like a matter for management, maybe the police. But the British Columbia Human Rights Commission? Pardy thought so. She complained to the BCHRC about Earle's "homophobia," insisting she'd subsequently suffered "post-traumatic stress disorder." Now Guy Earle is out $15,000, the club owner another seven grand, and both men have already spent thousands in legal fees. Pardy? Her legal fees are covered by you, the taxpayer. That's just one of the quirks that make Canada's unelected, $200-million a year human rights ideological complex a blot on our international reputation. Another commission, in Alberta, tried to prosecute Ezra Levant, who now broadcasts on Sun News, for printing the so-called "Mohammed cartoons." Levant's legal bills topped six figures; I imagine Earle's are comparable. Earle now says he wants to appeal to the Supreme Court - if he can afford to. He has a new baby to feed. So my challenge to Canadian candidates is: abolish the corrupt, costly state-censorship bureaucratic apparatus we call Human Rights Commissions. When we encourage citizens to pose as victims with chronically "hurt feelings," and reward them with thousand-dollar settlements for whining and tattling on each other, the social fabric is torn. There's a chill in the Not So Great White North, all right. Watch what you say, comedians. Careful what you publish, publishers. Be "nice," everybody. Or else. We Canadians think our culture is superior to the more litigious one in the United States. But are tens of thousands of dollars doled out for "hurt feelings" anything to feel smug about? Alas, I know, having covered these cases for years, that most of my fellow Canadians - hooked up to a lifelong I.V. drip of political correctness and "do something!" do-gooding - are nodding and answering "yes." Kathy Shaidle blogs at <http://www.fivefeetoffury.com/> FiveFeetOfFury.com - a blog, a lawsuit, a way of life -- now in its 11th year. Her latest book is The Tyranny of Nice (Interim: 2008). C Copyright (c) Postmedia News [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, discuss-os...@yahoogroups.com. -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor biso...@intellnet.org http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: osint-subscr...@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtmlYahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: osint-dig...@yahoogroups.com osint-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: osint-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
