Macdonald bites, chews, spits out…
I’ve always liked Neil Macdonald from the CBC. His coverage from the Middle East, where he lived with his wife and children, was always interesting to me. You always knew that people’s lives were in jeopardy and he made me feel the I knew what was going on, with just a few words.
Today, I find a brief article where he mentions free speech as seen in Canada or the USA…
In Canada, such a proceeding is evidently unremarkable. With the exception of Maclean’s and the National Post, the two national outlets that Steyn writes for, coverage in the Canadian media has been notably limited.
Here in the U.S, though, where freedom of expression and the public right to know is taken very seriously, it is front-page news when an organ of government — a neighbouring Western government at that — hauls a journalist before its bar to judge his writings.
The article is balanced and raises the same questions as anyone: Why is Mark Steyn in court at all?
Macdonald believes that we should have debates in our free society. And I agree.
…until I see Hezbollah flags in Montreal. That’s when I wonder if it’s free speech or if it could it be considered aiding and abetting a recognised terrorist group (which happens to be muslim).
Hezbollah is on Canada’s terrorist organisations list since 2002.
Image isn’t everything, but it does mean something. When Hassan Nassrallah’s face apprears on a billboard, when Hezobollah’s flag apprears on our streets, when I see a full niqab on the streets of Montreal, I know that some Canadians don’t feel Canadian. They see themselves as Muslim first.
Debate isn’t enough. Steyn did debate these individuals but was taken to court anyway. If it first you don’t succeed, try, try them again.