Tom Says: “This is scary stuff…”
Herein I issue a warning to those involved in both the broadcasting and newspaper fraternity… You can put a fork in free speech, because in Canada — It’s dead — It just hasn’t been buried yet.
Am I ever glad that I’m coming to the end of my radio career rather than just getting started with designs on becoming a talk show host. Thing I’ve said in the past would now land me in front of a Human Rights Commission having to use my own money against the unlimited public purse which is available to what I’d like to call the “Thought Police.”
Now, think about this very carefully… If broadcasters or newspaper writers should say or write something that offends one of the 33-million people in this country, their career could come to a screeching halt. If a listener or reader feels offended, he or she need only send a written complaint to some local Human Rights Commission and lay a complaint.
You can be summoned to a meeting with a Human Rights Officer, (at your expense I might add) to try and explain your thought process which led to you making the statement which ruffled the feathers of one of your listeners or readers. This is absolutely ridiculous and is perhaps the biggest threat ever to the talk show portion of Canadian radio.
It could mean companies are now going to have to have lawyers on retainers just to deal with those “Thought Police.”
I have always laboured under the apparent misconception that one of the things we are guaranteed in a free and democratic society is the right to free speech. I fully understand we have laws which cover liable and slander and we have similar laws to prevent us from spewing hate and when these things happen the person liable or slandered has every right to go into a court of law and prosecute an offender. But to be called to a Human Rights Commission hearing by someone who is offended by something said or written is totally beyond my simple comprehension.
The only thing I know for sure — It’s going to get worse.
I’m Tom Young.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Tom,
I agree with you completley. People need to get their heads out of their asses and realize that if they don’t like what is said on a show or whatnot they simply need turn it off. or maybe even do that difficult thing that the few reasonable people do…think on what was said and deal with it as a reasonable adult.