Right-to-offenders, unite

People who support Ezra Levant are demanding a "right to offend," says Omar Soliman.

The thing is, I agree wholeheartedly. Without the right to offend people, freedom of expression is meaningless. I'm sad that Soliman doesn't seem to understand this, nor the distinction between criticism and censorship:

Funny, then, that this very same crowd has rallied hardest in favour of Ezra Levant and gang.

They veer recklessly from social conservative to libertarian—from radically limiting freedoms (as did Levant and company on the question of gay marriage) to radically promoting freedoms (as he now apparently does on the question of free speech).

The absurdity of this approach is simple: you can’t be a social conservative and a libertarian at the same time. You can’t be the apostle of liberty on one hand and a fierce critic of it on another. You can’t call the complainant an “anti-semitic imam,” and then turn around and support the right of anti-semites to spew their hatred. It’s flawed logic.

But I’m not surprised. In March 2005, in response to a Liberal ad that read, “It’s the Charter, stupid,” Ezra created a pin that read, “It’s the Stupid Charter!” How about that for a defense of Charter rights?

In May 2004, he accused Macleans—the same Macleans that he now conveniently defends—of being “pro-radical Islam and hostile to the war on terrorism.”

Where were the free speech fanatics then?

The "free speech fanatics" were probably defending Ezra Levant's right to say what he believes. Is this the new test for freedom-of-expression hypocrisy? That if you've ever criticized anyone, anywhere for any reason, you have no right to speak out against state censorship?

As for the gay marriage issue, I can't speak for Levant or his other supporters, but I wholeheartedly support giving gays and lesbians the right to marry. There's a kernel of truth to Soliman's argument about social conervatism and free-speech activism - but it's a bit presumptuous to call opposition to gay marriage "radically limiting freedoms," considering that the very idea of gay marriage was laughable just 15 years ago. (Making homosexuality itself illegal - as it was, not long ago - is something else entirely.)

As a fellow conservative, I and many others wish Ezra well. But as a Muslim, an Arab, and a Canadian, I can’t help but wonder what my country might look like if his ignoble “right to offend” movement wins the day.

And I can't help but wonder what my country might look like if the right to offend is taken away.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at February 9, 2008 10:31 AM