See what happens when you simply fight back?
The Canadian Human Rights Commission has dropped a complaint by a homosexual activist against Catholic Insight a Toronto-based national Catholic news magazine. A year and a half – and many thousands of dollars in legal fees — after a nine-point human rights complaint was filed by Edmonton-based homosexual activist Rob Wells, Catholic Insight has been informed that the case has been dropped. However, a judicial review before the Federal Court is still possible should the complainant pursue that avenue.
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“It is chilling to think that a publication can be hauled before a government tribunal simply for reporting to interested citizens developments in these areas of controversy,” said Father de Valk. “This matter underscores once again the necessity of urgent reform of the Canadian human rights system.” He added that, coupled with a series of actions launched by a Toronto-based homosexual activist, Catholic Insight has been unnecessarily burdened with $20,000 in legal fees to date.
Given the consistently unsuccessful nature of these homosexual activist attacks upon it, Catholic Insight will now examine the prospects of launching countering legal actions against those who have been unnecessarily harassing and financially burdening the publication, said Father de Valk.
You can contact Catholic Insight here. Don’t miss Fr. de Valk’s brave and invaluable essay, “Fascism Has Come to Canada.”
Deborah Gyapong writes:
This is good news. It means that the political campaign for freedom of speech and freedom of religion is working. It means the CHRC does not want to be seen to treat big fish differently from little fish. It does not want to be seen as operating outside the rule of law. That is a good thing. It means the CHRC wants the scrutiny to go away and fast.
But Catholic Insight is still reeling under $20,000 of legal bills. The process is the punishment.
Thus the process–the ability for the CHRC and its provincial counterparts to pass judgment on speech or religious doctrine even to the extent of vetting and dismissing complaints—has to be removed.
But given that much of the persecution of Christians has to do with other aspects of human rights law, aspects that interfere with the rights of religions to determine morality codes among participants who work for charitable organizations or churches for example, the whole system needs to be investigated and reformed. Of course the Ontario Human Rights Commission is to blame for the draconian decision on Christian Horizons, violating that charity’s ability to make sure its workers adhered to its evangelical religious mores.
We need a Royal Commission to not only look at the laws governing these bodies and how they have co-opted real human rights but also how the system has become corrupted by ideologues and unaccountable practice.
Yes, all those things are necessary and good.
But what we REALLY need, and still aren’t getting, is an informed and outraged citizenry.
In recovery, I heard the story of a family in which the father had molested every daughter, except one. In adulthood, they traded their stories, and discovered that the daughter who hadn’t been raped was also the only one who’d fought back and simply said “No.”
Three things are needed to fight an HRC complaint:
1. Money
2. Will
3. Talent
Marc Lemire readily admits that while he has the will, he doesn’t have Ezra Levant or Mark Steyn’s talent for imaginative, devastating counter-argument or their valuable connections.
The Knights of Columbus had the money and the talent (what else ARE they but a bunch of lawyers, fer chrissakes?) but they were too sucky to mount much of a fight, to their everlasting shame.
You’d think that money would be the big factor, and so many people cry poor when their backs are up against the wall. But people: you’re gonna have to pay a big fine anyway — why not get a lawyer from the start and possibly win the damn thing??
You don’t want to “get in trouble”? You’re already in trouble. Why not just get in MORE trouble?
Why? Because they don’t have the will. They are wimps and cowards who just don’t see the big picture. Who don’t have a sense of honor or heroism, and just want to lead a quiet life.
People say to me: Kathy, it’s easy for you to say. You aren’t being fair.
Really?
I’m probably the most antisocial, least pleasant person you and I know.
Yet somehow, over the course of 44 years, even I have managed to accrue enough decent connections and sheer good will to make fighting a SLAPP lawsuit possible. All while having recently lost my day job, and carrying consumer debt and a mortgage.
Many people who cry poor are doing so because they can’t admit they lack the WILL to fight. They know they could get donations or even free legal help, but what it is too late for them to get are balls and that is too embarrassing for them to admit.
And if more people had had balls — if more people had said “Merry Christmas” after their bosses told them not to, and spoken up at stupid workplace “sensitivity training”, and defied the p.c. status quo in any number of ways over the course of the last twenty years — it is very possible that none of these Human Rights Cases would ever have come to be, and I wouldn’t be getting sued right now.
You can always get another job. You only have one conscience.
And for chrissakes: STOP JUST QUOTING Pastor Niemoller about “doing nothing” — and DO SOMETHING next time — the VERY next time — you hesitate to express your opinion because you’re afraid of the thought police.
