Peter Worthington: "Get rid of damned section 13"

Peter Worthington is a great journalist, with about a half century in the business. He was one of the founders of the Toronto Sun, and he's still one of their most popular columnists.

Here's his column on the Canadian Human Rights Commission, entitled "End threat to free speech". Some excerpts:

...it is not "hate" that Section 13 was used to oppose, but free speech -- making censorship into a weapon.

The fact that every Canadian media outlet -- plus the Conservative Party's policy convention (including Justice Minister Rob Nicholson) -- and a phone list of others want this section repealed, or at least modified, should be enough to persuade Parliament to repeal Section 13.

One hopes every publication in Canada picks up the theme and harps on it until government undoes the damage done by this unnecessary legislation. Most newspapers have already opposed the abuse of hate legislation, but now that the CHRC's commissioned report urges the same thing, there is ample reason to follow up and ensure that Moon's gritty recommendations are not ignored or diluted.

Abolishing Section 13 would also put an end to the human rights police -- the "thought police" -- who now have the power to censor the Internet and media.

...Get rid of damned Section 13.