Bull's Eye

Eye Weekly, Toronto's left-wing freebie magazine, gets it. They disagree with me and the late, great Western Standard on just about everything. But they know that if a conservative publisher can be hauled before the government today, it will be a leftist publisher tomorrow. Here's an excerpt from their latest editorial:

"...there are things on which civilized people from across the political spectrum agree, basic assumptions that are necessary prerequisites to the functioning of a democracy: that only open debate and the airing of conflicting opinions produces progress, and that everyone is entitled to due process before the court system. The things that keep us safe from totalitarianism are free speech and due process. That the human rights commissions of BC, Alberta and the federal government are even hearing these complaints endangers both.

...Human Rights Commissions, who may still serve some purpose as an informal way for victims of employment and housing discrimination to find redress, need to be reined in. They should have no jurisdiction to restrict or stand in judgment of freedom of speech and of the press."

Eye Weekly knows this isn't a battle between the left and the right on the spectrum of ideas. It's a battle between everyone in the spectrum of ideas, against those who would attack the very notion of a spectrum of ideas.

If a conservative, Calgary publisher and a leftist, Toronto arts magazine can agree that it's high time to amend the human rights acts to protect freedom of speech and the press, surely it's safe for legislators to attempt at least that minimal correction.