Friday, October 24, 2008

Words and Rules   [Mark Steyn]

Professor Steven Pinker of Harvard University was asked about my recent travails with Canada's hydra-headed "human rights" monster and gave a splendidly straightforward response:

I was aware of the Steyn/Maclean's case.

It’s truly shocking that a supposedly democratic government has arrogated to itself the power to censor speech because some judge or bureaucrat thinks it may “expose a person to contempt.” This could outlaw any criticism of a practice that is statistically more common in some groups than others, such as slavery, polygamy, child abuse, ritual torture, gay-bashing, and so on.

It allows haters to decide who gets to say what — all they have to do is say, “So-and-so’s essay made me show contempt,” and So-and-so gets fined or jailed. And it opens the door to the government banning speech that upsets anyone, anywhere — as all-important speech is bound to do.

This is an atrocity against the ideal of free speech, and will make Canada a laughing stock among lovers of democracy and enlightenment.

Well said. I wish Canadian politicians and even my fellow media hacks up north got it as clearly as Prof Pinker does.

(See, e.g., this J-school piece.)

10/24 05:20 PMShare