Marie-Line Gentes has withdrawn her complaint against Free Dominion and requested that the CRHC take no further action against the site.
The right result, I suppose, although frankly I would have liked to see Mark and Connie squirm a bit more.
Meanwhile, Ivor Tossell's Thursday column in the Globe offered probably the most common-sensical take on this whole debacle:
...in the end, websites deserve to be tarred with the crowds they attract. Daily Kos isn't a hate site, but if it fosters a culture of wing nut commentary, it deserves the stigma it gets.
So it should be with Free Dominion. On its owners: shame, for creating such a nasty place. But let the Whatcotts of the world face the law for their words on their own.
Finally, the most interesting thing about this are the meagre numbers Free-D managed to conjure for their Facebook Group and Petition: about 200 members and 100 signatures. Pretty sad for a forum boasting (allegedly) upwards of 8,000 contributors.
Maybe it really is a case of 200 wing nuts with 40 sock puppets apiece.
Interesting discussion over at Free Dominion. The announcement declares it as a victory resulting from the "glaring light of public exposure [which] is toxic to these groups". Hardly, but time to move on to the next free speech issue.
ReplyDeleteTi is gonna be pissed.
I am!
ReplyDelete...I love Flanders's petition...it had for or five anonymice on it, but he erased all my pranks.
FD will be shut down eventually. I mean, the boobs over there already call us fascists, so what do they have to complain about?
I think the likely reason for the withdrawl is that the complainant was scared to death by those insane creeps and their threats.
ReplyDeleteJust because they did a little housecleaning in public doesn't mean she was really left alone.
At the end of the day, FreeDominion isn't principled or conservative. It's just a hate site filled with appalling people engaging in mutual masturbation.
Its ability to mobilize, organize and influence is a fantasy.
And God, is it dumb. Listen to what this loony hysteric says:
ReplyDeleteI am convinced the the CHRC and Ms. Gentes decided to kill the process, precisely because of the glaring light it would have cast on the CRHC, (and by extension Ms. Gentes). It would have exposed the CRHC to negative publicity and exposure of it's faults and imperiousness. It would have exposed the CHRC for precisely what it is, an undemocratic star chamber accountable to no one. Even compliant, supine Canadians are not ready to accept that.
Star Chamber? Compliant,supine Canadians?
Medicate and/or institutionalise these people before they become a complete burden on the Welfare State!
I wish someone would interview Gentes so the speculation around her motives, why the complaint was withdrawn, etc. can be put to rest. Maybe some "citizen journalist" or even everyone's favourite "boy detective" could get cracking on that...
ReplyDeleteRT,
ReplyDeleteI would like to hear from her too.
I think it's less than 200, BCL. I was one of the people who signed the petition -- not because I agree with what's said at FD, of course, but as a matter of principle. But I'm taking my name off it now that the complaint has been withdrawn.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha. Looks like some people here have to withdraw their comments about the site will be closed eh? Yup. I told you so! Yes, Freedominion.ca is a principled site. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOh, if they're such a hate site, why don't you make a complaint? Come on, do something about it. Can you back up your comments about threats? Of course you can't and so you just aimlessly spout off here. Any takers??? I thought not.
ReplyDeleteGet a hobby, hate-bag. She withdrew the complaint; the HRC didn't rule on the merits of the case.
ReplyDeleteFreeDominion is a hate site. No doubt about it.
ReplyDeleteReality Bites said...
[...] "filled with appalling people engaging in mutual masturbation".
deferring to your expertise in this area...
is reality bites gay? not that there is any wrong with that. i'm just asking.
ReplyDeleteis reality bites gay? not that there is any wrong with that. i'm just asking.
ReplyDeleteDo you normally ask such personal questions of people you don't know?
If there is nothing wrong with it, there is no need to ask now, is there?
Carmen