Colby Cosh offers words of wisdom about new restrictions on free speech in Canada (criminalizing "hate speech" against homosexuals):

....what's good for "equality" is usually very bad for liberty, and this case is no different. While Canadian politics have become consumed to obsession with the issue of homosexual marriage--the precise equivalent of a ferocious national debate on the merits of donkey baseball [1]--the Liberals have quietly extended the Criminal Code to outlaw a new class of "hate speech". "Supporters of the bill," the CBC notes, "said fears about censorship are groundless and that C-250 isn't meant to infringe on anyone's freedom of religion." Interesting bunch of "Liberals" we have in this country, don't you think? "Censorship? We just want to outlaw certain kinds of speech--you call that censorship?"

This, of course, is not a new topic on this blogsite.

What the hell is wrong with people, anyway? Freedom of speech works both ways. I mean, there is no one who hates anti-homosexual bigotry more than I do. It is one of the reasons I started, (and a year later, restarted) this blog. But when you silence people, when you stop them from speaking via hate speech laws, you create a completely Orwellian scenario of "thought-crimes." I cannot think of a better way to increase bigotry (and make it more malevolent) than to criminalize it.

It is not often that I find myself agreeing with World Net Daily on any issue pertaining to homosexuality (and I doubt Colby Cosh loves them either), but in this case, I share their basic concern. My quarrel here with some of these moral conservatives is that they seem more interested in having homosexuals taken off the list than they do getting rid of the noxious idea of hate speech crime itself. Still, criminalizing hate speech is wrong, and I think homosexuals (being the latest group to be fashionized by group-think fascism) ought to lead the charge to get rid of this tyranny.

What is it about free speech that so many gay activists don't seem to get? Do they forget that had it not been for free speech, homosexuality would still be the love that dare not speak its name?

Ironically, of course, Muslims are in a double category of being both haters (of homosexuals, Christians, and Jews) and targets of hatred. But (according to WND, anyway) Muslims are probably more protected against hate speech by Christians than vice-versa.

Pretty soon, white people will have no choice but to demand to be placed in a protected category. Like this poor girl.

Years ago, I had a bumpersticker that read "HETEROSEXUALS HAVE RIGHTS TOO!" and I was told that my car might get vandalized if I displayed it, so like a coward I put it on my wall. Now I want it back!

The world is getting more and more ridiculous by the minute.

[1] NOTE: Since Colby brought up the subject of donkey baseball, I did want to remind my readers that this is not a mere figure of speech, but a glorious athletic tradition, as well as (in this country, at least) a political tradition. Get the official donkey baseball hat here.

UPDATE: In this absolutely devastating post, Arthur Silber demonstrates an effective way of dealing with hate speech -- without (gasp!) any help from the government. No "human rights commission" or "hate speech court" could possibly come close to Arthur's moving and eloquent defense of his dignity. If bigotry were ever forced into the closet by these stupid hate speech laws, it would avoid the bright light of scrutiny provided by people like Arthur Silber -- much to the detriment of all. Go Arthur!