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Author Topic: Canada abolishes free speech.  (Read 28128 times)
Brother Buzzard
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« on: June 12, 2008, 08:40:45 PM »

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/deafening_silence.html

But that's all right. Who really needs the right to sing I Want My MTV by Dire Straits anyway?
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« Reply #1 on: June 12, 2008, 09:50:39 PM »

What was it Pastor Niemoller said . . . . ?

"When they came for the Communists, I didn't speak up because I was not a Communist.
When the came for the Trade Unionists, I did not speak up because I was not a Trade Unionist.  When they came for the Jews, I did not speak up because I was not a Jew.  When they came for me, there was no one left to speak up at all."

If the least popular ideas cannot be freely expressed in a public forum, then ALL freedoms are in jeapordy.  POPULAR speech does not need constitutional protection!!

Think about that the next time you hear a liberal complain about "hate speech."
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« Reply #2 on: June 12, 2008, 10:32:20 PM »

Quite frightening, but not really unexpected. I don't want to get into a liberal/conservative debate, but the political left has long held the monopoly on speech wars. Anything that doesn't fit into the accepted belief system is labelled "hate speech" and denounced. Now, apparently, it's begun being denounced before "human rights tribunals." I don't have time in my life to waste energy on hating anyone, yet I have been accused of being a "hater" because I disagreed with someone and was unwilling to give in.

Granted, any site named "Real Clear Politics" is probably a little suspect, so I'm not 100% convinced that this is actually happening, but as I said, I wouldn't be overly suprised if it was.
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« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2008, 10:59:49 PM »

Canada once had free speech?

Then why is there no Canadian porn? 
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2008, 11:00:03 PM »

I can't speak to the specific examples, but the columnist has a pretty good handle on the issue in general. Interestingly enough, the views getting people into trouble are not necessarily unpopular, but it is the super-sensitive politically correct minority causing all the trouble with the help of a flawed charter of rights and freedoms. Basically, charter rights in this country have been twisted to the point that protecting one person's freedom means taking away another person's freedom to disagree with them or engage in any activity that might make them uncomfortable.
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« Reply #5 on: June 13, 2008, 01:15:22 AM »

Canada is a liberal country, but the term liberal and progresses is being bastardize to mean restrictive and oppressive, which is just a sickle and hammer alway from what they are becoming.
In America the liberals want this thing called the "Fairness Doctrine" which is not fair in the least, it regulated what can be said on the radio. If you speak a conservative view you have to allow equal time for a liberal view. Only the liberals want this law which flies in the face of the first amendment.
Here in America the liberals want to talk about fairness and freedom out one side of their mouth and tell what light bulbs to use and cars to drive, out the other. You can have gay marriage and your gay pride parade, but don't you dare have a Christmas party at a school ... it's a winter festival... whatever.
Sounds to me like Canada is turning into portions if the left coast, where you can parade up and down the street dressed like a transvestite freak with a dildo strapped on, but you'd better not say a prayer in school. Either I'm getting old or this world is going to hell in a hand basket because I just don't get it. We, both Canada and America allow every possible religious freedom there is, provided you're not a Christian. They'll run around saying war is murder but you'd best not put up a sign that says "Thou shall not kill".
Hypocrisy at it's finest.
Political correctness run a muck.
Freedom in exile.

Perhaps both countries need to research their history and figure out what principles each country was founded on.   

I'm gonna stop now ... I'm babbling because I'm annoyed.
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« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2008, 05:38:07 AM »

Sounds to me like Canada is turning into portions if the left coast, where you can parade up and down the street dressed like a transvestite freak with a dildo strapped on, but you'd better not say a prayer in school. Either I'm getting old or this world is going to hell in a hand basket because I just don't get it. We, both Canada and America allow every possible religious freedom there is, provided you're not a Christian. They'll run around saying war is murder but you'd best not put up a sign that says "Thou shall not kill".

That's about it in a nutshell. Interesting that you mentioned the values on which the country was founded. What really gets my goat is that folks on the left are constantly talking about Canadian values, but they don't seem to recognize any values that existed prior to the late 1960s. To some people, being Canadian means never taking sides and being the world's doormat. In this view, the only country we are allowed (expected) to criticize or oppose is the one directly to the south. Apparently, being a bunch of pussies is what the world respects us for. Hey, who doesn't like somebody they can walk all over. Sheesh.
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« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2008, 07:13:28 AM »

One could justifiably make the argument that we in the US don't have "Free Speech" either.  Even if you throw out the social phenomenon of "Political Correctness" and the instances where that has been codified (Hate Speech), there are very real, freedom limiting powers of the Federal Government in place.

Specifically, I refer to Executive Order E.O. 10995 issued by Kennedy.  This order, never rescinded by a subsequent President, allows the president to take control of all media during a declared national emergency.  It can be argued that this includes all media: radio, television telephone and Internet.

The scary part of this is that "national emergency" as defined here is declared by the President (per the 1933 War and Emergency Powers Act), and has never been precisely defined by the courts.

Be careful who you put in the Office of the President of the United States.  It would make your blood run cold to know the things "they" can control quasi-legally by simply declaring "National Emergency."  And to make that declaration, the President does not have to justify it to ANYONE.

I'm at the point that I see all our freedoms as suspect.  If we only have any given freedom or set of freedoms at the "mercy" of the Government, they aren't really freedoms are they?
« Last Edit: June 13, 2008, 10:34:04 AM by ulthar » Logged

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« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2008, 09:05:34 AM »

Sorry...what does forcing one's religion on everyone else have to do w/liberal vs conservative?  Or free speech for that matter?  I know a great many conservative atheists, for example.  Just because a guy I know is a fiscal conservative means he's gotta be a right-wing Christian?! Preposterious.

Why the persecution complex?  The whole "if you don't let my theological worldview dominate everyone then I'm being persecuted" thing?  Winter festivals are inclusive of many religions, not "instead of" geesh.  Saying "Happy Holidays" includes "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Hanaka(SP?) -it's just a polite way to say have a good holiday no matter what you might believe - it's not an attack on Christianity.  Hell Christmas was hijacked from Pagan Winter Solstice celebrations anyway -it was easier to convert the natives if you just renamed their holidays.  What about my Jewish friends? How're they supposed to feel about that?  Last I checked, most places have "Christmas" parties and everyone seems ok with that.  But you need to put yourself in other peoples shoes and not look at every little thing in a lib/cons viewpoint.  I know a great many very conservative totally republican Jewish folk.  Just because you're not Christian and don't want that viewpoint forced upon you doesn't make you a commie pinko socialist hippy-mouf demonized lib'rul.

And no one says you or any student cannot pray in school -it's only teachers can't force anyone to pray, which anyone of any religion (or lack of) should agree.  How would you like it if your children went to a public school and were forced by the teacher to pray to Islam?! I'll tell you this right now, no one better ever try to force my child to pray to anyone...that option should be up to each individual.  If you wanna force kids to pray, take 'em to private religious school.  Kids are allowed to pray on their own anytime they want, as long as it isn't interferring with class and or causing a disruption of course.  Last I remember, one could pray in school w/o anyone actually even knowing about it since it's usually a private communication anyway.  Bottom line, we're not trying to take away your kids' rights to pray in school -they can do that anytime they want.  The school's just not supposed to force or lead prayer of any kind (that includes to the other gods) as it makes those other kids (Jewish kids as one example) feel like total outsiders if they don't go along with it.  Having respect for other religions doesn't mean everyone hates Christianity.

If you want kids to learn about the bible and force them to pray to whichever god then keep it where it belongs: at home or in church.   I've never met or talked to a liberal in my life who wants to get prayer out of school -but no one, religious or not, conservative or liberal wants to be told how to worship and that's what that forced prayer is.  Not to mention not everyone prays the same way in Christianity either. 

And as far as posting the 10 commandments - it's not a monopoly on morality since most cultures and societies have a taboo on murder, just as one example.  What business does "worship me and no one else" have in a public school system or court system anyway? Last I checked we were free to worship who we chose if we choose at all.  Wasn't that part of the beloved 1st Am. too?

How would you like the Wiccan morality list posted at school next to the Ten Commandments? How about the tenats of the Satanic Bible (which if you ever read you'd realize most people actually follow, Christians included) -how would you like your children being forced to accept them as the "norm" for moral behavior?  Much as people don't like to accept it, our civilization/country was not based or founded on the 10 Commandments; it was based on Roman laws that just happen to coincide with some of those Commandments.  Religion does not have a monopoly on morality.  You can ask some Native Americans on how well this country was founded on "thou shall not kill or thou shall not steal."

"We, both Canada and America allow every possible religious freedom there is, provided you're not a Christian"

Bulls**t.  The majority of this country is of Christian denomination and you're telling me somehow the minority of non-Christians are persecuting you?  Hell you have no chance of being elected President unless you're a Christian as just one prime example.  Do you have non-Christians knocking on your door and trying to deconvert you?! I've actually had the opposite -some Jehovah's Witnesses just this last week.  They were polite enough I guess but no one came to cart them off to jail for prostylizing.  I see bumper stickers all the time praising the lord and Jesus but you can't bet your ass if there was a non-Christian bumper sticker on a car in my part of the country (a purple state) that car would get trashed so fast!

As for "the world is going to hell in a handbasket" -it's a common emotional response we all seem to feel as we get older ...it seems that way throughout all time -all generations feel this way about the newer generations.  It's that damned rock'n'roll music lol.  Heck, some religions are completely based on "the world's about to end" when in fact, lifespans have increased, medical technology is much more improved, people are fed more as a whole than say a 1000 years ago, and things like infant mortality rates aren't near what they used to be, at least in our part of the world.   

Sorry for the rant but it ruffles my feathers when I get told incorrectly what "we" supposedly believe and then torn down for it.  Maybe someday you might actually ask us how we feel rather than reading some sensationalist piece where some extremist viewpoint isn't touted and equivocated as the norm.  Mind telling me what else I supposedly believe?  I suppose if those concepts where parroted to you over and over, it's no wonder you don't like liberals.  I wasn't aware I had those opinions on radio stations, parades, and the like.  As far as I'm concerned Michael Weiner Savage can say whatever the hell he wants; I'll just find a different station or just turn it off.   And I had no idea that I felt that way about laws making people use certain light bulbs <shrugs> - I suppose I learn something everyday.

See, that's the problem with letting others define you.  You know, we could be not so nice too and equivocate a few out-there republicans and pigeon hole the whole group as those extremists? How would you like that?  Yeah Conservatives are all a bunch of incestious, country-music lovin, education-hating, soft-on-fascist, racist, wife-beating, war on the poor, totally sexist greedy bastards.  Yeah not very accurate is it?  Now how about I get a radio station and a lot of funding and just parrot that message over and over and over and over and offer no alternative viewpoint.  Think that might skew perceptions on just what an actual conservative stands for? 

I remember the last electon cycle, the local Christian radio stations were tirading against Kerry for being of the party of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll -not any picture I had in my mind of John Kerry at all (I could picture John Kerry smokin a doobie at an Anthrax concert hahhaha).  Oh it went on and on how he was going to force gay marriage, nevermind the fact that he stated he was against gay marriage, but don't let that get in the way of some good ol' demonization.  I kept thinking, where are these people getting these ideas?! Who's paying for this stuff.  Who's listening to it? lol.  But they certaily have the right to say what they want.  Then I used my right to turn the station off.
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indianasmith
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« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2008, 09:27:50 AM »

Excellent rant, Clockwork!!!!

I could nit-pick a few things you said, however I would like to point out that the original link about the abolition of Free Speech in Canada dealt with ministers, Catholic and Protestant, being brutally censored and jailed for simply preaching what the  Bible really says about homosexuality IN THEIR CHURCHES and in those churches' newsletters.

That is censorship of the most frightening sort, and there are some on the left who would LOVE to do that here in the name of restricting "hate speech".
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« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2008, 09:48:11 AM »

A long time ago in a land away ... there was a phrase "Freedom isn't FREE."

It meant that brave men and women fought to insure the freedoms of the populous, the freedom to choose, the freedom to speak, the freedom to worship, the freedom pursue happiness, the freedom to be free.

Then in the 1960 people started taking heavy doses of drugs, more so than in the past and freedom had lots of pretty colors.

Those people ages, their brain damage became apparent, freedom had a new definition. Freedom was indeed no longer free, and the original meaning was lost, now you were free to except what you were told to except, you were free to not say what you were told no to say, you were free to use the light bulb we tell we to use, the buy the product we deem safe for you, you are free to listen to us and believe all the bogus, unfounded, ineffectual, misleading BS we can muster ... and you are free not to believe it ... BUT if you don't, we'll label you a hater, antiquated and out of touch and the lemmings will be free to cheer.

Even this forum and many others is a microcosm of the absurdity of freedom, there are people that don't want political speech, religious speech, or anything else they don't agree with so instead of avoiding it they take there freedom to speak out to oppress the speech of others, by demanding it is banned. True hypocrisy ... you are free to say anything you want, as long as you are respectful and "I" agree with you is there motto. We even have a presidential canidate spending more time telling the populous and the media what they can talk about, then telling us were they stand on the issues.   

Quote
Bulls**t.  The majority of this country is of Christian denomination and you're telling me somehow the minority of non-Christians are persecuting you?

No I'm telling you that the courts are so afraid of religious extremist that they'll allow every minority religious freedom, but the majority Christian religion must be restricted so no to oppress the minority in some sort of twisted religious affirmative action.
Go ahead tell me I'm wrong.

As Indy said thanks for your rant, I'm glad you live in a country that allows it. The article in question was about religion this is why we're talking about that.

Quote
Maybe someday you might actually ask us how we feel rather than reading some sensationalist piece where some extremist viewpoint isn't touted and equivocated as the norm.

All we have to do is turn on the MSM media to do that, but to be fair ... how do you feel?
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« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2008, 09:49:37 AM »

Excellent rant, Clockwork!!!!

I could nit-pick a few things you said, however I would like to point out that the original link about the abolition of Free Speech in Canada dealt with ministers, Catholic and Protestant, being brutally censored and jailed for simply preaching what the  Bible really says about homosexuality IN THEIR CHURCHES and in those churches' newsletters.

That is censorship of the most frightening sort, and there are some on the left who would LOVE to do that here in the name of restricting "hate speech".

Yes that is frightening.  However, keep in mind, there are many on the right who would gladly agree with laws that executed homosexuals, but we both know the extremes on both sides are a minority and should not be equivocated to represent either side.
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« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2008, 10:06:35 AM »

"No I'm telling you that the courts are so afraid of religious extremist that they'll allow every minority religious freedom, but the majority Christian religion must be restricted so no to oppress the minority in some sort of twisted religious affirmative action.  Go ahead tell me I'm wrong."

I can't tell you anything since I don't really understand the syntax of your sentece.  If you're saying what I think you are saying, you won't mind if I ask for some support for your assertion?  I have a hard time believing that the courts in the US are bending over backwards to appease Daoists/Muslims/Atheists in order to restrict Christians.  Just how are Christians restricted how other religions are not?  And besides, that's not what your original assertion insinuated; sounded more like poor Christians are being persecuted by some minority unknown evil.  I mean you're free to view the world in such a paranoid state but it doesn't really reflect reality with a church on every corner of every village in this country (and ironically a bar on the other corner).

You didn't comment on your misrepresentation on the "leftwing" stance of the prayers-in-school topic.  I gather you admit it was a misrepresentation or are you going to continue to parrot that lie that "we're taking prayer outta school" instead of the real stance "we're trying to prevent forced prayer in school."?  Do you not agree you don't want your children being told how or what to worship?  Do you not agree that it's totally up to parents and the children themselves as to how, what, and when they are to worship?

Buzzwords like freedom ...that's really funny.  The "good ol' days" when only white males were free.  Perhaps you forgot that "freedom" didn't apply to everyone back in the "good ol' days."  Freedom is a nice word and a great concept, but we're only really free to pay our taxes and die; that's about it.  Freedom becomes redefined just as many words do over time.  The current adminstration is great with the doublespeak, for example.  Patriot Act...yeah it's patriotic to accuse your own citizens of treason while Dick Cheney himself relocated his company headquarters offshore to get out of paying his fair share of taxes while you and I are being honest and paying ours. Question: do you think it's patriotic of Dick Cheney to do such a thing? 

And perhaps you're unfamiliar with the history of drug abuse.  People have been abusing drugs since civilization began and at all levels of society.  It didn't just start in the 60s with the hippies lol.  Actually, in my red rural area of this purple state where I reside, alcohol is quite popular of drugs that are heavily abused and has been for quite some time.  Mental disorders due to drug abuse have also been around just as long but of course, before the mid 1800s, before Psychology, one of those "evil" sciences was around, they were yet to be diagnosed and more often attributed to evil spirits, possession, or some other such nonsense.

So MSM is the only sensationalist media huh? Nevermind the constantly negative, bait n switch Fox News, or the radio programs that are oh-so-positive.  No they don't have a biased slant at all <sarcasm>.  I love how they have questions in their ticker most of the time "Is France going to Attack us?" pulling every persuasion tactic in the book, every strawman, and every negative paired stimuli.  No, they'd never have an agenda.  I'll tell you one thing: I don't watch either of them.  Some of us don't waste money on Cablevision which is just more channels of crap to flip through.  For the record, I get most of my news from PBS and NPR where they typically give a  viewpoint from all sides of the spectrum and not just parroting a canned response.  But I also consult periodicals from the library from time to time and/or select locations online, although one has to be careful when any hilljack can post whatever on a blog w/o any scrutiny, peer review, or credibility.

As for the Bible saying Homosexuality is bad; it does...and in the same book it also says mixing fabric is wrong, touching pig skin is bad, and it also describes how God wants you to properly sacrifice animals to him.  So why isn't there such a fuss over football games, nylon fabrics, and the lack of animal sacrifice?  Seems some folks have a fixation on other people's private sex lives hmmmm?  I have yet to hear you conservative Bible believers cry how football is an abomination ...especially when they air it on a more-than-weekly basis during some seasons!

And again I will reiterate: what does a religious stance have to do with liberal vs conservative when either party member could be of any religion?  What does denying speech have to do with political affiliation when both sides have some freak jobs who are guilty?  What's with this constant "blame the libruls" especially when they haven't even been in controll for the last 8 years.  I think I see -if you try to deny someone any freedom of speech, you are my enemy, whichever party that may be? In this case, it's leftists? 

I checked out that article and the author seems slightly biased with phrases like "as that great Leftist sage, Mao Tse-Tung" as if all of us leftist think this guy is "great" any more than rightests think "Adof Hitler" was great.  Do you see my point with the whole Fallacy of Equivocation I mentioned before?  These tactics lead me to believe the author in question is less than disengenious and therefor not worth taking seriously.  I kinda wonder if what he says about the situation is actually what actually happened in the way he said it happened.  The best thing to do is research the topic from multiple sources and find out how it really went down.  I mean, I'm not saying it didn't happen, just saying it's hard to trust someone when they come off like that.

You know, just because some of us are left of center doesn't mean we're socialist.  We're ethical capitalists -we love capitalism and a free market.  Like I've said to my Micheal-Weiner-Savage loving friend, you'll never actually meet the liberals he's defineing -they don't actually exist (or if they do, they're a very minute miniscule worldview that they don't represent the group as a whole in any honest way).  It's a phantom menace. 

But then, they have to have an enemy...have to have someone and something to blame, else they wouldn't get ratings and they wouldn't get people fired up.  If you run out of an enemy, create one or fire up an old one. When's the last time you listened to a radio show like that and felt good about anything.  Why must they resort to dishonest persuasion tactics (almost by the book from a psychological standpoint) if their case is so well supported?  Appeals to emotion, the clasic strawmans, the yes-yes-yes phenomena, the bait-n-switch.
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« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2008, 10:10:47 AM »



Yes that is frightening.  However, keep in mind, there are many on the right who would gladly agree with laws that executed homosexuals, but we both know the extremes on both sides are a minority and should not be equivocated to represent either side.



Yes, there are nutjobs that think that.  And they are FREE to think all homosexual should be executed.  Not free to DO it.  Hopefully good men, no matter what political ideology is adopted, will draw the line and not let it be crossed.

There are also nutjobs on the Left or non-Christians that think all (a) Conservatives, (b) Christians and (c) Christian Conservatives believe this.

The big picture here is that this is NOT about the religious aspects of the discussion.  That's just the backdrop - who and what is under fire TODAY.  Beware of missing the forest for the beautiful row of trees.

This Post exemplifies the point very clearly.

Let us learn from the history of Germany in the 1930's.
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« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2008, 10:17:06 AM »

Exactly right, indiana. And it can also include religious scholars taking heat for making comparisons of different cultures and ideologies. But I think this thread has maybe gotten too focused on religion and on the whole liberal-conservative argument.

The interesting thing is that while these issues are often blamed on the various groups being "protected," the problem, in my experience, is more with over-sensitive bureaucrats and activists who belong to no such group. They take a very patronizing attitude, treating people as if they are incapable of dealing with their own differences.

One particularly good example was a guy who ran a diner in my hometown for many years. He was a Muslim from Cyprus running a business in a small town that was anything but cosmopolitan. But he was very friendly, community-minded, and well-liked. His biggest annual contribution was a free Christmas dinner on Dec. 25, open to anyone who wanted to come. He never tried to gloss it over by calling it anything other than a Christian holiday, but it was a gift to his Christian friends. One year, when Ramadan coincided with Christmas, his Muslim friends also came down from the city to break their fast.

That is a very real meeting of cultures, requiring no laws, no tribunals, no imposed restrictions.

Do we need some loosely-defined thing called a "hate crime?" Assault, uttering threats, vandalism, murder are already against the law, regardless of who does what to whom. Publishing false and defamatory statements about someone is already grounds for a lawsuit.

What I think of when I hear these things justified is some well-meaning person from an all-white neighbourhood carrying on a conversation with a black guy and never quite getting past noticing the difference. More than that, being careful not to say anything that would remind this fellow that there might be some difference between you and he, as if to acknowledge that he is black would somehow offend him. Might sound ridiculous, but it happens.

To me, these sorts of laws emphasize differences when we should be emphasizing what we have in common. And we are never going to work out those differences if someone is stifling real dialogue.
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    FROM THE BADMOVIES.ORG ARCHIVES
    ImageThe Giant Claw - Slime drop

    Earth is visited by a GIANT ANTIMATTER SPACE BUZZARD! Gawk at the amazingly bad bird puppet, or chuckle over the silly dialog. This is one of the greatest b-movies ever made.

    Lesson Learned:
    • Osmosis: os·mo·sis (oz-mo'sis, os-) n., 1. When a bird eats something.

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