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Canadian Hate-Speech Law Violates Charter of Rights

Posted by timothy on from the problem-with-liberty dept.

MrKevvy writes "The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal has found that federal hate-speech legislation violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the equivalent of the US Constitution's Bill of Rights. This decision exonerates Marc Lemire, webmaster of FreedomSite.org, but may have farther-reaching consequences and serve as precedent for future complaints of hate-speech."

5 of 651 comments (clear)

  1. The tide is turning against lefties by bonch · · Score: 0, Troll

    Sorry, lefties. Your crazed desire to give the government as much power as humanly possible to regulate everybody's thought and living patterns to match your own is failing.

    Behold crazy statements like this:

    "Hateful words do have an effect. ⦠The Internet cannot and should not be a wild frontier where anything goes."

    Regulate those hateful ideas off the internet! Let the government decide what is hateful and what should be allowed! Nothing could possibly go wrong!

    1. Re:The tide is turning against lefties by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1, Troll

      Um, you do realize that lots of people bashing your exalted Dear Leader Bush were harrassed by the FBI, not to mention all the legally protesting people at the RNC convention who were arrested and thrown in prison on false charges (though later released)? And then, of course, there is anti-flag burning legislation always brought up by Repugs. In red states, you can't lead anyone in a school prayer unless it is to the Protestant Fundamentalist version of God.

      Citations?

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    2. Re:The tide is turning against lefties by dmadzak · · Score: 1, Troll

      Yeah, because REPUBLICANS have done nothing to increase the power of government.

      Fixed that for you. Republicans != Conservatives at the Federal level.

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      Spelling and grammar mistakes specifically left in to give the grammar and spelling nazis a meaning to their life.
  2. Re:Let's hope... by PieSquared · · Score: 0, Troll

    You're free to talk, but you aren't guaranteed the respect and cooperation of an audience. Especially if they're in a required lecture rather then something extracurricular.

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    Does a line appended to your comment give your post meaning in and of itself, or only in relation to those without?
  3. Re:Let's hope... by Scrameustache · · Score: 0, Troll

    After about 10 minutes the students started shouting at him so he could no longer finish his prepared remarks, and he asked, "Don't you believe in free speech?" and one of them yelled, "Not when it's hate speech." The professor then walked-over and apologized to the speaker.

    [...] speech is not free, if you're only allowed to say what is "approved" speech by whatever group is in power (the students).

    If everyone is free to say whatever they want even if it offends someone, they the students are free to say "boo" all they want even if it offends that guy with the microphone.

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    You can't take the sky from me...