Ezra Levant’s Blog

Charles Johnsonfollow me on twitter
Sun Jan 13, 2008 at 1:03 pm PST • Views: 426

Ezra Levant’s blog has more video of his session in the Alberta Human Rights Commission star chamber, and more comments on this gross abuse of governmental power. I liked this part:

I talked about the chilling effect that human rights complaints have not just on the victims — e.g. the people and companies named in the complaints, like we were — but on other media who see what could happen to them if they dare upset thin-skinned whiners. It’s similar to the phenomenon of libel chill, except it’s worse. Libel chill is when reporters are worried about writing a story for fear of being sued. But that’s not much more than a healthy fear — if a story’s facts are true, it’s defensible in defamation law. More than that, any would-be plaintiff would have to finance his own lawsuit, be subject to well-known rules of court, and have to pay the costs of any failed nuisance suits. None of those restraints are checks againt “human rights commission chill”: truth is not a defence; plaintiffs complain for free; taxpayers pay for the prosecuting lawyers; rules are arbitrary; legal precedents are not applied consistently; and instead of judges, tribunals are stacked with activists, many not even lawyers.

The worst part is that there is no deterrent to spurious complaints — there is no cost to making false accusations. That’s where the “human rights chill” comes in: why would any rational publisher or editor report on sensitive subjects (read: radical Islam) if they knew they would be tagged with a no-win complaint?

That’s the point I was making. And after I made it, Officer McGovern said “you’re entitled to your opinions, that’s for sure.”

Well, actually, I’m not, am I? That’s the reason I was sitting there. I don’t have the right to my opinions, unless she says I do.

He’s now posted six videos at YouTube; here’s the most recent, on the limits of free speech:

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 Frank says:

Never stop and keep going -- Giving advice to young musicians. early 80's interview with pennsylvania state police officer whom is also a zappa fan. originally to be shown to local high school students of the area but frank ended up on the subject of politics and you can just imagine why the kids never seen this video.