Democracy: We Deliver!

Recently there have been some rumblings among a minority of staff members at this school about the legitimacy of this publication. We have even heard of one teacher noting that freedom of speech does not cover things which are written down. This point, however, is actually rather irrelevant, as freedom of the press is included in the very same section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, that being section 2b, inalienable rights.

Whether one agrees with this publication or not is also irrelevant. We live in a democracy, and therefore, the public is very free with what they can do. By possessing these freedoms, certain responsibilities arise, but these responsibilities are rather limited. According to the Charter, there are only three restrictions on free speech/freedom of the press, those being hatred against an identifiable group (i.e. minority and religious groups), communication for the purpose of prostitution, and purposely spreading false news. If one was to read our publication and actually receive the meaning of the articles, they would not find any of the above criterion. All the claims made in The Jesus Issue were researched, and the point of the issue was to point out how the holiday of Christmas has been degraded of any religious message in favour of empty consumerism. It was not Anti-Christian, and it did not feature anything intentionally false.

This is not to say that one automatically has to agree with what we say, but as the enlightened philosophe Voltaire said, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” This is the impetus of democracy, the system of government we choose to live by, and I emphasize the word choose. For those out there who aren’t sure if they like democracy, here is a quick synopsis of what democracy entails. In this nation, we have freedom of speech which allows nazis to be nazis, and they are allowed to express their opinions on race without fear of censorship (to claim that their beliefs are fact is a different story, however). This allows the rest of the general public to know who these individuals are, and what their beliefs are. Many people do not like to listen to these extremists, but I for one would rather know who they are and have them out in the open than have them fester underground. Is television and the media becoming too “In Your Face”, as a recent CBS special asked? The answer is no, because media is a mirror of society, and as Emma Goldman once said, “society produces all the criminals it deserves.” If you don’t like our liberal society, then don’t blame Howard Stern, blame democracy. If one wants to make a change in society, they should attack the cause, not the effect. Long ago, those who founded this nation decided that they valued freedom more than anything, and that nothing should stand in its way. This notion has been breached twice in Canada’s history. The War Measures Act, enacted against Japanese-Canadians during World War Two, and in Quebec in 1970 during the FLQ crisis. These were two very dark times for Canadian society, and since 1970, the Act has been banned.

Therefore, each and every Canadian is saddled with one ultimate responsibility; tolerance. I don’t like nazis, but I recognize that they are allowed to say what they want. In turn, they realize that I don’t have to believe a single word they say. If I don’t like what I see on television, I won’t watch. No matter how influential media becomes, I can always defeat it by pressing a button or averting my eyes. If you don’t like democracy, then you shouldn’t live in a democratic society, and if you don’t like our publication, then don’t read it.