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Letter to the editor

Letter to the editor of Maclean’s magazine
Re: That poor woman down the street, Mark Steyn, April 2, 2008

Dear Editor:

Freedom of expression is the life blood of democracy. So too is freedom from the harm caused by hatred. Unrestrained hate undermines the dignity and respect to which all human beings are entitled.

Restraining expression in order to avoid the harm caused by hate is a difficult issue with which democracies constantly struggle. Mark Steyn apparently believes that the Canadian Human Rights Act goes too far. But the fact is that Parliament has enacted, and the Supreme Court has confirmed that, in limited instances, it is justifiable to restrict expression to prevent exposing citizens to hatred. This is not the arbitrary view of the Commission. It is the law of the land.

A principled debate on where to draw the line between freedom of expression and freedom from hate is welcome. That, after all, is what freedom of expression is about.

While strong opinions are to be expected, debate should be based on facts, not speculation. Mr. Steyn makes claims about the investigative techniques of the CHRC. However, he provides no substantiation for these claims and instead cites unsubstantiated theories circulating on the internet. The Commission has denied these allegations of improper investigative techniques.

Why is this all important? Because words are important. Mr. Steyn would have us believe that words, however hateful, should be given free reign. History has shown us that hateful words sometimes lead to hurtful actions that undermine freedom and have led to unspeakable crimes. That is why Canada and most other democracies have enacted legislation to place reasonable limits on the expression of hatred.

Jennifer Lynch, Q.C.
Chief Commissioner
Canadian Human Rights Commission