Have Some Free Speech, Mr. Goldstein

Toronto Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein applauds the decision to bar book-burning pastor Terry Jones from entering Canada and criticizes those who defended his right to speak:

Indeed, this whole notion that protecting free speech in Canada means that Jones and those of his ilk are entitled to the resources of Canada — including automatic entry into our country and the inalienable right to access publicly owned property like Queen’s Park (where he was to “debate” an obscure imam whose anti-democratic ideas are as virulent as his own) is absurd. 

Decisions on whether to allow foreign visitors like Jones into Canada are tough calls, properly made on a case-by-case basis. 

But nothing compels us to hand Jones a megaphone to help him personally spread his messages of incitement and hatred against Muslims and Islam into Canada. 

Nor does it mean, as Jones’ cheerleaders contend, that we must give him a state-approved loudspeaker to teach Muslims a lesson about how the West values free speech, given that Jones’ advocacy of Qu’ran burning has led to rioting and murder by Islamic terrorists around the word. 

In fact, the day we start lumping all Muslims in with the actions of Islamic terrorists, is the day free speech really will die in Canada.

In fact, Mr. Goldstein, this whole notion of protecting free speech in Canada means that if Zafar Bangash and his "Israel-is-a-cancer" crew are given an annual pass to spew their zany Khomeini Zionhass on the grounds of Queen's Park, and if George Galloway, a supporter of eliminationist Hamas and an employee of the Ayatollah's Press TV, is allowed entry into Canada, it is hard to argue that Terry Jones, as outrageous and unpalatable as some of his views are, should be denied the same freedom.

See, that's the real point here--that certain hate-speakers are being silenced whereas others are given free reign to speak.

Surely you can see that that is far more threatening to our body politic than the ravings of an overheated pastor (or, for that matter, those of an "obscure" imam--who is not so obscure, really, since he appears regularly on Toronto's most popular talk radio show).

As for your final statement about the "lumping"--not only is no one doing any such thing, but even if they were, doing so epitomizes what free speech is supposed to be about in a free society--i.e. the ability to say any dang-fool thing you please. It is only in places which abjure free speech, for example in lands where sharia holds sway, that the freedom di tutti freedoms is a goner.