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| Canada https://mail.chicagofanatics.com/viewtopic.php?f=75&t=101883 |
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| Author: | Tad Queasy [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | Canada |
http://heatst.com/culture-wars/comedian ... ng-a-joke/ Comedian Fined $42,000 by Human Rights Tribunal for Telling a Joke Canadian comedian Mike Ward was fined a whopping $42,000 by Quebec’s Human Rights Tribunal for jokes he made about a disabled boy. The child, Jérémy Gabriel, who suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome, is a bit of a national celebrity in Canada after he sung for the pope in 2006 essentially because everyone thought he did not have long to live. Ward’s joke was a rant about how the child was supposed to die, that he “stole a wish” and is unkillable. Sure, not in great taste, but certainly not in violation of the kid’s “human rights.” His joke was never televised, but after he talked about the bit in an interview, Gabriel’s parents found out and dragged the comedian to the human rights tribunal last month. He fought the fine, but lost in court. Ward told Spiked that he plans to appeal the decision, and if that fails, will try to bring the case to the Supreme Court. “If I lose that I’ll just move to Syria or Saudi Arabia, or some other country that respects free speech as much as Canada does,” he said. |
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| Author: | denisdman [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
I am not well versed on Canadian law in that regard, but I know the UK has very strict libel laws. Our views on free speech are much more expansive than the rest of the world. Most other countries have tighter rules around privacy and attacking individuals. |
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| Author: | Phil McCracken [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:20 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
Tad Queasy wrote: http://heatst.com/culture-wars/comedian-fined-42000-for-telling-a-joke/ Comedian Fined $42,000 by Human Rights Tribunal for Telling a Joke Canadian comedian Mike Ward was fined a whopping $42,000 by Quebec’s Human Rights Tribunal for jokes he made about a disabled boy. The child, Jérémy Gabriel, who suffers from Treacher Collins Syndrome, is a bit of a national celebrity in Canada after he sung for the pope in 2006 essentially because everyone thought he did not have long to live. Ward’s joke was a rant about how the child was supposed to die, that he “stole a wish” and is unkillable. Sure, not in great taste, but certainly not in violation of the kid’s “human rights.” His joke was never televised, but after he talked about the bit in an interview, Gabriel’s parents found out and dragged the comedian to the human rights tribunal last month. He fought the fine, but lost in court. Ward told Spiked that he plans to appeal the decision, and if that fails, will try to bring the case to the Supreme Court. “If I lose that I’ll just move to Syria or Saudi Arabia, or some other country that respects free speech as much as Canada does,” he said. This seems just as bad as the jackhole fascist despot in Turkey locking up people for saying mean things about him on facebook. The extreme left and extreme right are so much closer than they realize. |
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| Author: | Zippy-The-Pinhead [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
denisdman wrote: I am not well versed on Canadian law in that regard, but I know the UK has very strict libel laws. Our views on free speech are much more expansive than the rest of the world. Most other countries have tighter rules around privacy and attacking individuals. I thought London tabloids were renowned for their crazy headlines. Although I suppose it's not libel if it's true... 
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| Author: | leashyourkids [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
Terrible guy, but this shit scares me. |
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| Author: | Tad Queasy [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
leashyourkids wrote: Terrible guy, but this shit scares me. Exactly. I might not think he's funny but, as you said, this shit scares me. |
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| Author: | Phil McCracken [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 12:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
Tad Queasy wrote: leashyourkids wrote: Terrible guy, but this shit scares me. Exactly. I might not think he's funny but, as you said, this shit scares me. 
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| Author: | formerlyknownas [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
denisdman wrote: I am not well versed on Canadian law in that regard, but I know the UK has very strict libel laws. Our views on free speech are much more expansive than the rest of the world. Most other countries have tighter rules around privacy and attacking individuals. Isn't that amazing, Denis? I had no idea about this until a few years ago at a teaching in-service. The person leading the in-service was British and said that in the bleedin' UK you can get in legal trouble (fines, prison, only 71 virgins as opposed to the 72) for insulting someone or their religion (or being understood to have insulted them). It strikes me as Orwellian. |
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| Author: | denisdman [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
I read the Economist front to back each week. And from the European perspective, they are amazed at our attitudes toward free speech. They just can't grasp at how liberally we allow free speech in terms of how we attack public figures. But America is quite unique in many respects including the separation of religion from government and gun ownership. |
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| Author: | Don Tiny [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:28 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
Tad Queasy wrote: leashyourkids wrote: Terrible guy, but this shit scares me. Exactly. I might not think he's funny but, as you said, this shit scares me. Because it rightly fucking should. If this story came out of China or Best Korea, the reaction would be something like 'well, obviously those weirdo fucks would do something like that'. This is from fucking Canada though ... that's the worst part of it for me. The reasoning being that some jerkoff's shit joke caused damage to this other guy to be a violation of his dignity is physically sickening. I'd suggest that having some nominal tribunal decide that you're so fucking feeble that a joke has caused you so much pain that the government is going to levy a $42,000 fine in your favor should probably a bigger blow to your so-called dignity than some shitty bit about how he thought you were dying but it turned out you're just weird looking could ever be ... and then they say this kid gets bullied now b/c some unknown comic (literally) does a 4-minute hunk about the kid? Right, right. I'm sure the kid was the toast of the hallways prior to that, but once that joke was out there, well, shit, now it's 'Open Season' on Toucan Sam or whatever his name is. Plus, there's nothing too terribly Orwellian about having to stand for trial in front of something called a "Human Rights Tribunal". Maybe the whole continent needs a good plague, not just this frigging country. |
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| Author: | FavreFan [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 8:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
leashyourkids wrote: Terrible guy, but this shit scares me. Terrible guy?  It was a solid joke. People suck. |
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| Author: | Peoria Matt [ Fri Aug 19, 2016 8:41 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Canada |
Maybe Kevin James could go up there. |
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