Friday, October 24, 2014

And Thus It Begins

One of the misgivings I expressed in yesterday's post seems to be a little closer to reality today.

The National Post headline reads:

Conservatives mulling legislation making it illegal to condone terrorist acts online.

Says John Ivison,
The Conservatives are understood to be considering new legislation that would make it an offence to condone terrorist acts online.

There is frustration in government, and among law enforcement agencies, that the authorities can’t detain or arrest people who express sympathy for atrocities committed overseas and who may pose a threat to public safety, one Conservative MP said. “Do we need new offences? If so which?”

Sources suggest the government is likely to bring in new hate speech legislation that would make it illegal to claim terrorist acts are justified online.

The Prime Minister told the House of Commons on Thursday that Canada’s law and policing powers need to be strengthened in the areas of surveillance, detention and arrest. He said work is already under way to provide law enforcement agencies with “additional tools” and that work will now be expedited.

Hopefully, even the naive and guileless will want to ask themselves, after reading the article, if it is wise to let government decide what constitutes unacceptable speech?

I assume no further comment on my part is needed.

4 comments:

  1. I don't think it is wise to allow this government to make any more decisions at all regarding our opinions. Really? They are going to legislate our opinions now? Seriously, does this not become more and more reminiscent of the beginning of one of the most heinous periods in the last century?

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    1. Exactly my sentiments, Karen. And the sad part is, I doubt we can hope for any opposition from either of the two major parties. I'm sure they are very much assessing which way the public opinion winds are blowing.

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  2. If Canada would have stayed away from the current Iraq war then these terrorist acts could have been avoided, Lorne.

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    1. Quite possibly, LD. The incursion certainly seems to be a lightning rod for our domestic unhinged and alienated.

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