Wildrose Candidate Ron Leech: I Can Speak For All Because I'm White

During the interview, Leech said, "I think, as a caucasian, I have an advantage. When different community leaders such as a Sikh leader or a Muslin leader speaks they really speak to their own people in many ways. As a caucasian I believe that I can speak to all the community."

Even better is party leader Danielle Smith's response:

"I'm not concerned about [his remarks]. I think every candidate puts forward their best argument for why they should be the person the way represent the community....

Apparently that's the best Ron could come up with.

Mark, They Can't Do Everything For You

Mark Steyn is wondering why the CJC (Canadian Jewish Congress) won't take this guy to task for some pretty obvious Anti-Semitism. But I think he answers his own question: the CJC is busy.

However, here's a partial list of Conservative types who have been attempting to get their heads around the whole HRC thing by pursuing complaints through various provincial Rights bodies:

Hamilton Right to Life
Failed Alberta Tory Candidate Ron Leech.
Failed Alberta Tory Candidate Craig Chandler.

So there you have it. A pool of good Conservatives willing to play the system in the name of (in all three cases) Christianity. If Mark is too lazy to do up the paper-work, maybe he can farm out his complaints to one of these fellows and they can carry the torch on his behalf. The last two especially seem to have time on their hands, and what's the real difference between Judaism and Christianity other than a few books in the Bible and the fact the Judaic wardrobe is a lot more rockin'?

In any case, the most interesting fact here is that, as Conservatives learn more about HRC mechanisms (through the writings of Mark and others), the more they seem willing to be co-optd by them.

All is well in our dear old Nanny State.

More Speechies Hop HRC Bandwagon

HAMILTON, ONTARIO, April 2, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Hamilton Right to Life has taken the city of Hamilton to task for pulling a series of pro-life advertisements from its bus shelters. The pro-life group has filed a complaint with the OHRC stating that the city violated the right to freedom of expression and denied equal treatment and the right to contract on equal terms because of discrimination against its position on abortion.

These folks join rejected Alberta Tory candidates Craig Chandler and Ron Leech in attempting to right perceived wrongs though provincial Human Rights Commissions. In the latter two cases, the beef is that the Alberta Conservative Party discriminates against Christians.

And cases like this were, according to Speechy lore, are supposed to amount to the Apocalypse, where Lefties like myself get our comeuppance at the hands of Christians and other right-wingers striking back via the very state instruments that have been used against them. Hanging us with our own rope, as it were.

Well go ahead. What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If the complaints noted above meet the criteria required for the HRCs to take action, then fine. If they do not--and I suspect they do not-- that just means that Christians, as well as Muslims and everyone else, are allowed to abuse the system with frivolous claims.

Incidentally, I don't find the image above particularly offensive. Hamilton was probably more worried about having their bus shelters vandalized by yahoos than about the explicit content of the posters.

Conservatives Drink The HRC Koolaid!

Craig Chandler and now Alberta pastor Ron Leech are threatening to file complaints with the AHRC against the Alberta PC party. Their beef? PC ALBERTA CHRISTIAN BIAS REARS HEAD AGAIN

And why not?

Meanwhile, one of Warren's ex-employees pens a wonderful take down of Ezra and Mark and the whole Speechynista gang. I don't think you can link directly to the blog post, but go there and read the entry "The "Right to Offend" Movement". In my favorite bit, Mr. Omar Soliman points out Mr. Levant's rather tortured relationship to the Canadian Charter of Rights. From Ezra's remarks to the AHRC:

In 1982, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteed, quote: 2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: a) freedom of conscience and religion; b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;
Those were even called “fundamental freedoms” – to give them extra importance.

But here's Ezra from 2005. I guess Freedom of Speech means freedom to contradict yourself whenever convenient.