That’s big bucks
The word is going out-
( hattip:SUZANNE )
Source link:
http://www.freedominion.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=84457&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=360
Free Dominion’s light shines strong
By Judi McLeod
Thursday, July 19, 2007
In a world where increasingly powerful politically correct times can wipe out the work of a lifetime overnight, a chill runs down even the bravest human spine when the Human Rights investigator comes to call.
“We have been waiting for six and a half years and the day has finally arrived, somebody is going to try to silence Free Dominion using the Canadian Human Rights Commission,” writes Free Dominion website owner Connie Wilkins.
Arriving like the proverbial freight train, a letter, which appears to have been written on official Canadian Human Rights Commission letterhead stationary, demands quicksilver response. Indeed, a check on the date indicates that the defendant was supposed to have responded to it on the day of the letter’s arrival.
The letter reveals the last name of the complainant but gives absolutely no details regarding the nature of the complaint.
So without even knowing what the complaint is, Ms. Wilkins will have to hire herself a lawyer and spend time defending herself.
The system came crashing into her life and the freight train will remain in the front room of her house for the foreseeable future.
In a leftwing dominated Canadian media, Free Dominion provides a voice for Conservatives. Conservatives, whose political leaders seem to be coming on as Liberals.
As someone posted to Free Dominin today: “I can’t decide (if) this is legitimate or not, but either way it’s a pretty pathetic excuse for due process. A “full response” in less than two days to an unspecified complaint??? Come ON!”
“Liberals don’t like opposing opinions. If it doesn’t fit with their own thoughts, then it should be silenced. How typical,” lamented another.
Perhaps it was bureaucratic oversight rather than political agenda that Human Rights officials did not send the complaint to the accused. Surely any Canadian body would not seek to make doubly sure the defendant couldn’t possibly meet their deadline!
What is happening to Free Dominion takes me all the way back to 1992 when my monthly newspaper Toronto Free Press, then known as Our Toronto was called before the Mayor’s Committee on Race Relations.
Our then Socialist associate editor Michael Lockey had written a parody on a Premier Bob Rae song called “We’re All in the Same Boat Now. Although was something of a political animal, Lockey’s Our Toronto columns were based on local history and humour. He had lost a bitter New Democrat Party nomination against NDP giant Jack Layton and ran in an unsuccessful bid as Toronto mayor. When we took him on we thought someone else “picking” on Smilin’ Jack besides Judi McLeod would take us over the line of overkill.
Then Coun. Rob Maxwell had brought the charges against Our Toronto before the committee. As far as we could make out, Lockey crossed the racist line when he said there was no black and white in the rainbow.
My arrival at City Hall as a branded racist remains indelible in my memory. Our Toronto volunteers, (Bless them!) of all colours and ethnicities refused to let me take it alone.
I had worked for days on the response, which I was convinced, would clear Our Toronto’s name.
None of the volunteers was allowed to speak and incredibly, when I was called before the judge and tried to explain that I had people who were willing to speak out on my behalf, not the least of whom was Michael Lockey, the judge repeatedly told me: “Shut up and sit down!”
I think he likely meant, “Silent, sit down!”
Completely overwhelmed, I stood there mute with my lawyer shouting at me from the background, “Judi, make him tell you what the charges are!”
We never did find out and only months later came to understand that city councillors had decided that our publication should not be available at every police station during monthly delivery. (Eventually the cops fought it and won). Our Toronto was only one publication available at local police stations.
It was my first real personal taste of what can happen when you get caught up in the system. People believe you are a racist only for having been branded one.
But by a strange coincidence we missed the drubbing expected from the mainstream media.
As things were to turn out, the same night we were before the committee, Toronto cyclists looking for grants decided to sing their requests to city councillors meeting in their chamber. That was real news and that night’s television coverage featured the cyclists in full Pavarotti form.
Our Toronto’s encounter with the down the hall Mayor’s Committee on Race Relations, was presented almost as an afterthought. Purple with rage by the time he was able to stand before the judge, Lockey was giving His Honour a real dressing down about the unfairness of branding good people as racists, when city TV caught up with proceedings.
City TV presented the story as the diverse goings on at Toronto City Hall, with one clip of the cyclists singing like angels and another of Lockey looking angry as a devil. The message? Don’t go calling Our Toronto racists because they sure know how to defend themselves.
Free Dominion is in a vulnerable position. Connie and company continue to allow Conservatism an unwavering voice. Anyone with the courage to do that is destined to find trouble.
In Connie’s words: “Somebody has likely decided that because they can’t defeat some argument presented by someone at Free Dominion they will instead try to silence the whole site. It isn’t going to work.”
Discouraged and lost, some people walk away at the first sign of trouble.
Not Connie Wilkins. She stands tall as the Sequoia.
“We will be keeping everybody posted on each development as it occurs. If this persecution actually proceeds it will not be under the cover of darkness, we will keep a very bright light shining every step of the way.”
Connie’s bright light burns bright. Let’s shine all of our lights on Connie.
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/judi071907.htm