Civilizations die from suicide, not murder

Mark Steyn does well to quote Arnold Toynbee in a sharp riposte to the CIC over at Macleans.ca

More over here at Steyn's blog.

My concern in the whole situation boils down to this: When one is prevented from spreading lies, one can be prevented from telling truth. It sounds obvious and trite, though so many believe that it is "wrong" to offend, and that this sin trumps all. Is free speech hate speech if it offends? Is it so very wrong to offend? If we have the decency to avoid offense in most cases, will we not have the wisdom to speak painful truth?

I don't believe that it is enough to defend Mark Steyn or Maclean's. Rather, I believe it is vital that every right-thinking soul actively pursue the enemies of free speech in the marketplace of ideas and in their comfortable seats in Parliament.

The authority of non-elected Commissioners over Canadian's most basic freedom is a very real threat. The results of any decision will affect far more than Mark Steyn or Maclean's. This is no time for the old Canadian game of "compromise", forgivable when the issue is a 6% wage gap. Compromise is folly, it is cultural suicide when the basic human right of free expression is at stake.

Joseph Hayyim

Posted by Joseph Hayyim at January 12, 2008 03:31 PM