Anyone who reads this Blog or knows my work as a reporter over 38 years is aware of how much I value our liberty … especially freedom of speech.
And how much I appreciate and NEVER forget the sacrifices of the 111,000 Canadian men an women who died in two World Wars, along with the thousands of others wounded or who came home, but still bear the burden of the horrors they witnessed and endured .. and still remember too vividly.
Not to mention those who also gave us their best in Korea, the Middle East, Bosnia, Somalia, Afghanistan and other fields of conflict and turmoil around the world.
It is because of them I can write this Blog .. and you can read it, without fear or censorship. We must NEVER forget the price others paid for the rights we enjoy.
So I celebrate free speech in Canada and wherever else we can promote it.
And yet, I believe we should deny that right INSIDE Canada for American Baptist Minister Fred Phelps … as incongruous as that sounds.
Phelps is the head of the controversial Westboro, Kansas church, who’s “ministry” includes showing up at the funerals of U.S. soldiers and proclaiming their deaths are proof that God hates America for turning away from Him; he and his followers have picketed funerals of murdered gay men and announced their demise as punishment for their evil ways; and his group had apparently also planned to picket the Winnipeg funeral of Tim McLean, beheaded on a Greyhound bus last summer … but never showed up.
Phelps not only pickets in protest, he and his supporters have shouted slogans most of us would find repugnant and even horrific; their placards almost turn stomachs … all protected by the right of free speech (although I believe even U.S. courts have placed limits on their permitted proximity to the mourners etc.)
Now Phelps reportedly has a new target: news reports say Phelps plans to come to Canada to picket a play entitled The Laramie Project, about the aftermath of the Wyoming murder of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard. The play is scheduled to be performed in Vancouver later this month.
Should we let him into Canada to carry out his protest? I say No.
This is not a question of free speech in Canada. If any Canadian citizen or landed immigrant or any other legal resident here wants to protest and picket and shout outside the play … I would support their right to do so, right up the absolute limits of Canadian law.
But I don’t think any foreigners have the RIGHT to demand entry into Canada to promote their own points of view or protest our actions, our inactions, our laws, our lack of laws on any topic … or a play being performed in a theater.
Let them protest our failings in their own countries in their own forums, or outside our consulates or our embassies etc. I would support their right to do so.
But neither Phelps, northe KKK, nor the American White Supremacists or the European Neo Nazis or any other foreign group has an absolute RIGHT to demand entry here to condemn or proselyize their views within our borders.
I recognize, of course, the slippery slope of this position: some might want to keep Phelps out for his offensive position and actions; while others might want to similarly exclude George Bush or Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, I don’t think it’s that difficult to make the distinction between legitimate free speech, of even widely disparate views, and what most Canadians would find to be simply “nutbar” expressions of extreme hatred and prejudice.
If he tries to come here, Canadian Border Services should keep Phelps out … and, if he doesn’t like that decision, he can appeal to the Courts.
Or maybe he could even take his exclusion as a sign of God’s wrath directed against him … for his evil and quite clearly Devilish ways!
Harv Oberfeld
8 responses so far ↓
1 tripleman // Nov 11, 2008 at 2:10 am
I think enough of them were barred from entering to protest Tim McLean’s funeral, that the few who did make it never showed.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080807/funeral_folo_080808/20080808
As much as I can’t stand that group and fundies in general, it is a slippery slope.
My greatest hope for the US is that, with Obama being elected, reason will once again start to play a role in society and that wing-nuts like Phelps will just slip from memory…
2 Patrick Bell (NOT the MLA) // Nov 11, 2008 at 2:58 am
Yup, Canada has EVOLVED way beyond that sort of 13th century behaviour. If this guy had it his way he’d be leading the crusade to have gays burned at the stake Salem style. Keep him out!
3 Gary E // Nov 11, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Here, here Harv. O am in 100% agreement on this. We have a right in this country to free speech but others don’t have a right to come here and spew their hatred. We will protest in our own way thankyou very much.
4 FFFish // Nov 11, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Darn straight, yew betcha. Phelps is not welcome here and we are under no obligation whatsoever to allow his ilk into the country.
5 A. G. Tsakumis // Nov 12, 2008 at 5:14 am
If find it astounding that in this day and age there are still those whom cannot (or will not!) seperate freedom of speech and hate.
There is little difference, frankly, between “I do not approve of homosexuals or their lifestyle” and “God burns fags in hell”; or “I do not believe in the Holocaust” and “The kykes are wrong”.
People must realize that the former comments are the genesis of a slippery slope, and, often, a precursor, to the second ones.
I have often written about how people who denigrate homosexuals shouldn’t be scorned, but pitied. Even banished from public discourse. I am very pro-Israel and have dran similar fire from those who consider “Brother Osama” a simple wanderer or lost soul…sure..
I have no idea why we would allow this ignoramus majoris to cross our border…to do what? Lie? Bullshit? Don’t we already employ politicians to do that?
Regardless of how he operates (eg. attending funerals, and protesting, etc.) he does not belong in civilized society.
Inbred, backwoods liars were the same people that hung “niggers” in the South not too terribly long ago.
But we rose against them and now a black man will occupy the residence of the West Wing.
Why are we so ignorant of the gay causes? They are no different than our own. Instead of bloody parades that mean nothing, we should be lobbying govt for greater protection and awareness–AND NOT TOLERANCE. We must we be “tolerant” What does that mean? What’s so offensive to be tolerant of? That kind of lingo doesn’t help.
We do this to ourselves.
It’s depressing…
(Response: Well said, Alex! As usual. ho)
6 LP // Nov 12, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Alex,
What a brilliant response! Thank you for your thoughts.
7 A. G. Tsakumis // Nov 13, 2008 at 9:06 am
You’re welcome. I just find it ridiculous that for years we have been spouting this “tolerance” horse manure…
You tolerate chemotherapy, a rash, a bee sting, etc.
You needn’t tolerate a homosexual. You love him like your friend and embrace what binds you.
I always found it utterly contemptible that we allowed for such words and then wondered why people were still so unkind.
We set their minds and then question how that happened.
I lived with a gay man. He died from AIDS (rather rapidly) while we were still roommates. It was one of the saddest experiences of my life.
So when I attack the pride parade for it’s hypocrisy, I thin of him, the same way I think “gay rights” should be everyone’s rights and stop segregating.
Should gay men eat at another table? No? Great, then they shouldn’t have different rights either.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s based on some sort of religious doctrine or personal prejudice, we’re all the same.
Get over it people…we have bigger issues…two countries on this planet openly crave another Holocaust; children are dying across the globe from hunger; AIDS, has in fact, spiked, yet again..
All of which proves my point that God is indeed a golfer and takes extended vacations…
8 Donald // Nov 13, 2008 at 4:51 pm
This guy heads a nasty little cult, so typical of extreme right-wing fundamentalist so-called Christian church. As a cult, he and his group are extremely dangerous and should be barred for entering Canada.
We got enough of our own wackos to deal with.
Leave a Comment
CAPTCHA Code is needed.