The Christian and natural law traditions assert human beings are equal and valuable, not because of what they think but because of who they are.
Even when badly mistaken, their dignity requires respect for their freedom and conscience. A society becomes more just and civil as more people ascribe to this basic moral belief in human dignity and reflect that conviction in their lives and laws.
At its core, the right to free expression is a fundamental civil liberty. In a truly free society, people sometimes have to hear and see things that they do not like.
Freedom of expression seems to have reared its ugly head again. What seems somewhat troublesome is that suppression of movement and expression appears to be emanating from the higher centres of learning. One would think these institutions of higher learning would encourage freedom of speech and expression. Universities are supposedly areas of free ideas.
Following are examples of where suppression of ideas seems to abound:
The Board of Governors of the University of Calgary (U of C) charged eight Pro Life students and found them guilty of non-academic misconduct for having erected the Genocide Awareness Project (G.A.P) on the U of C campus in April 2010. These students have been threatened with expulsion from the university. What did these students do that was, in the eyes of the law, wrong? The issue is not whether one is Pro Life or Pro Choice, it is of freedom of expression. It would appear the rules are not being applied equally to all groups. The Board of Governors has not attempted to stop other groups from putting up displays.
The Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, in a former similar case, rebuked the university for its bullying and censorship tactics. I would suggest had the U of C not have objected to the display, it would have been in its location for about 10 days or whatever, then dismantled and no more would have been said. Also, by what right do they consider it their privilege to act so negatively? Justice Jo’anne Strekaf of the Court of Queen’s Bench, in a similar ruling, held that the U of C is “an agent of the provincial government in providing accessible post secondary education services to students in Alberta” and is “not a Charter–free zone”.
The arrest of five students at Carleton University in Ottawa for attempting to display anti-abortion posters on the campus raises the issue about how institutions of higher learning deal with the highly charged abortion debate. Were the students arrested simply because their opinions were unpopular? Again, where is freedom of speech and expression? It could be debated Carleton University acted outside of their policies and their authority as well. I would have supposed the university would have been a place of free ideas. Oh yes, it is a place of free ideas as long as they run parallel to those of the belching members of the group who supposedly occupy a seat around the table in the stale old board room of the Governor’s Office. Thank heavens we have young people who will think and act and have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the stodgy ‘olde tyme’ thinking.
At the University of British Columbia members of the student group Lifeline want to challenge long-standing restrictions which UBC has imposed against pro-life speech on campus. No other campus group is subjected to various restrictions as is this group. Is this democracy? Is this freedom of speech and expression?
Now we find that the University of Victoria is acting like a troll as well. Members of an organization called Youth Protecting Youth are responding to formal written complaints of harassment arising from a Pro-Life presentation made on campus in October 2010 called “Echoes of the Holocaust”. The complaints allege the U of Vic students who attended the seminar have been harassed because the presentation created a “hostile, intimidating, threatening or humiliating environment” in contravention of the university’s Clubs Policy. Garbage! If a student is sufficiently intelligent enough to be attending university, I would venture he or she should have the ability to come to their own conclusion regarding the presentation. Whoever made the complaint should, I suggest, grow up! The above-described presentation is little more than an awareness to express themselves guaranteed under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
These issues are particularly significant now given the recent events occurring in Egypt.
Free speech is under severe attack in Canada today in many areas including some university campuses, in the mainstream media, and other areas of public discourse. Free speech is the foundation of democracy. Free speech allows citizens to hold their governments accountable. It facilitates the search for truth. Without free speech, we cannot protect all of our other rights and freedoms. In a society that is supposed to value the concept of free speech, no one can realistically go through life and never see things that are offensive. Free speech and freedom of expression just does not work that way.
In Canada, we have some work to do yet.
