Criminalizing Speech: The Moral Panic Sets In

“Hatred means the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than dislike or disdain." Bill C-38 defines hate speech

Canada’s proposed Bill C-38 is a product of morally panicked people who think “too many people in Canada are victimized by hate speech and hate crimes and we have to make sure we are tackling this”. Whose hate? What is hate? Hands up if this reminds you of the U.S. Supreme Court trying to decide what constitutes pornography in The People Vs. Larry Flynt? 

Is this truly a crisis?  Not really. But having expanded hate speech from Holocaust denial to “suspend the financial records of people who criticize the PM” the radicals behind the legislation have been able to create “crisis” statistics for gormless media to regurgitate. But it’sjust a start on repressing speech.

C-38 wants to make even thinking about alleged hate into a crime— and it will allow a third party to anticipate this. “A person may, with the Attorney General's consent, lay an information before a provincial court judge if the person fears on reasonable grounds that another person will commit (a) an offence under section 318 [advocating genocide] or subsection 319" [inciting or promoting hate, promoting hatred].”

In doing so Canada’s Moral Panic Police have jumped the fence and are now about to root around in your recycling bin for material to use against you. The urge to cancel culture (it’s now a verb) pervades every corner of discourse these days. Thinking you’ll escape the moral arbiters is delusional. 

Example: This week I on was on the popular Toronto Mike podcast to talk about— wait for it— Tony Bennett versus Frank Sinatra with my old running mate Steve Paikin, he of TVO renown. I’d been on twice before and enjoyed the format. 

Unbeknownst to me, before we began Mike felt it incumbent to read a cheeky disclaimer: “The following episode of Toronto Mike is not an endorsement of Bruce Dowbiggin or his tweets. The host and producer of this podcast does not share in Bruce’s constant praise of Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis. Nor his support of the Freedom Convoy and recent criticism of Ukraine president Vladimir Zelensky. Peace and love and vaccinations for all… “

I give Mike credit (even though the Donald Trump shot is fantasy). He was resisting the moral panic police in having Heretic No.1 on his show in spite of what “Bruce is spewing on social media”. In this climate defying the mob is not an insignificant thing with listeners who say things like, “How can you have him on the show?

I also give him props for letting me respond before we delved into Tony’s bel canto and Frank’s phrasing. I referred him to a recent column I’d written on my Groundhog Day experience in understanding the West. I then reminded him and his listeners that Woke Toronto is a cult of elitist centralist snobs— just ask Jordan Peterson, a proud Albertan transplanted to Toronto. The West’s pushback is going to happen, says Peterson, “given Trudeau's antipathy toward the economic engines of the west. It's absolutely inevitable. Wake up, Toronto.”

Mike asked Steve if he thought my moving to Alberta had changed me. Steve smartly chose a safe ground between us, saying my politics had evolved over the years as I moved from Montreal to Toronto to Calgary. But unless I said something illegal he had no problems with me. Then we talked about Tony and Frank for 90 minutes. And I didn’t get cancelled. For now.

The takeaway is that, in a time of C-38 moral panic, when people are mortified to remove their face diapers, we now must have disclaimers when we leave our safe spaces to duel with contrary opinions. That’s if we duel with them at all. The bullies have cleansed public discourse.

As I wrote last year, veteran broadcaster Wendy Mesley losing her career in June of 2020 over using the N word in a story meeting is no longer an outrage. “Looked at from a June 2021 perspective it all seems of a piece. Snitches are now running amok, stories are progressive narratives and censorship of perceived enemies is cool. Snobs Rule. 

“Everything is identity politics. Try getting a white male bank president on the Corp or TVO these days. Easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than have an inappropriate political messenger soil the lineup sheet dominated by the downtown Toronto aristocracy. Most alarming is that the Canadian media, culture and government are all located there, imposing their tortured worldview on the nation.

Which brings us to the PM who consistently uses his own hate-speech aggressions on those he fears. Racist, Nazis, misogynists, science deniers, purveyors of misinformation and conspiracy theorists were just a few of the bouquets he tossed at the truckers who forced him into hiding. Yet Canada’s purchased media considered this petulance all part of his charm. And pounced on the truckers.

Apparently Trudeau’s charm escapes journalists abroad. Concurrent with Trudeau’s UK jaunt, watch this evisceration of the PM by Brits not resident in the 416/613/604.  (BTW: It was the second nomination for Plank of the Week for Trudeau.) Luckily for these Brits they’re out of the long reach of C-38.

So are Dutch journalists. Befuddled by Trudeau’s word salads, they were grimly annoyed at how PMJT won't any answer questions directly. But then, he is protected by a Media Party who use Trump as a punchline for their witticisms. But then apply an entirely different standard to Trudeau, master of disguise, occupant of hiding places, punchline to anyone outside the Canadian knowledge culture.

If Canadian media need help on punchlines or how to proceed maybe they could ask American comedian Andrew Schulz. Schulz has also been watching Canada’s PM in hiding and has some thoughts that might fall afoul of C-38. Will there be a hate-crime charge waiting Schulz if he ventures north to Canada for JFL in Montreal? Would the Liberals caucus not consider this mockery to be hate?

But Canadian self-pitying media are far too busy feeling the “hate” themselves after the Convoy fiasco. Edmonton bingo caller Sarah Ryan: “I am shaking I am so mad right now. When we got into journalism this was not the norm. This hate towards the media is being perpetuated by people in positions of power and it needs to stop NOW”. 

Sure. Just as soon as C-38 gets passed. 

{Update: Let’s not leave out Trudeau’s wonderful C-67 Bill which thrusts CRT into Canadian schools under the guise of racial harmony.}

Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the editor of Not The Public Broadcaster (http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com). The best-selling author was nominated for the BBN Business Book award of 2020 for Personal Account with Tony Comper. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, he’s also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. His new book with his son Evan Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years In NHL History is now available on http://brucedowbigginbooks.ca/book-personalaccount.aspx

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