Cowichan businesswoman Kristi Koons said she’s alarmed and concerned over the fact that she and another two women were asked to leave a town hall featuring federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on June 10 because of the T-shirts they were wearing.
Koons said she was quiet and respectful at the town hall, which was held at Mellor Hall at the Cowichan Exhibition grounds and attracted more than 1,000 people, before a group of men and RCMP officers approached her and said she was not welcome at the event because of her T-shirt.
Koons’s T-shirt featured half a rainbow pie, with the slogan: “Equal rights for others does not mean fewer rights for you. It’s not pie.”
She said after some discussion, the RCMP respectfully asked her to leave the town hall, as well as two other women at the event that were also wearing T-shirts with slogans that some at the event didn’t like.
“I found it alarming,” Koons said.
“I’m an engaged community member and I often sit at (discussion) tables with people that have many points of view. I work hard to try to bridge the gaps and I have big worries these days about where we’re heading, particularly with what’s going on south of the border.”
When Conservatives talk about"free speech" they are referring to hate speech and misinformation.
When Conservatives talk about “Free Speech” we should start shipping them to the states because we don’t have that in Canada.
You mean hate speech. Yes, anyone who whinges about us not having free speech is talking about hate speech and they should be shipped off to the US.
No I mean Free Speech. We do not have that in Canada. We have Freedom of Expression which is limited by law.
But yes, we both agree regardless of how we are saying it they should be shipped south.
Freedom of expression is limited by law?
Freedom of speech is the freedom to voice ones thoughts.
Freedom of expression is the freedom to voice as well as use art and other mediums to channel that expression. Expression is almost always more permissive than speech.
In the US, the first amendment is pretty easy:
However in the US this freedom of speech has been treated as freedom of expression.
EDIT:
Misunderstanding on my part. Leaving up so everyone can see the egg.
Yes. Most Canadians understand this.
I am not sure who you are arguing with but you should probably read the thread before jumping into the pool bud.
I’m not arguing anything I’m trying to understand. Yes I know it’s Canada, so that’s why it’s weird to me (I’m from the U.S.)
The document which governs this in Canada is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, part of the Constitution Act. The relevant portion is right at the beginning: “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” In other words, rights are not absolute, which allows things like laws against hate speech to be passed. Among the rights guaranteed by the Charter is “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication”. Freedom of speech is a subset of that.
( Full text of the Charter )
(In fact, even in the US, the right to freedom of speech is not quite absolute, as there are laws against libel and slander.)
Apologies for the misunderstanding! Your comment read a little combative to me, and that was my bad.
Yes, in Canada we have Freedom of expression limited by law which includes speech, art, and any other way one can think to express themselves. Generally speaking the only laws that limit Freedom of Expression are Hate laws, with an unfortunate exception for Religions which will hopefully stop in the future.
It is far more permissive than Free speech. If I am understanding your Constitution correctly I am allowed to say “Fuck the Police” in public, but if I say it on an album or put it on a sign it becomes covered by propaganda laws and most recently anti terrorism laws.
Is that correct? Or can you explain it better to me because I try to keep out of US Civics when they don’t impact me.
I actually don’t know that myself. I thought you could put Fuck the Police on an album or sign.
The things I know of is inciting violence, threats of committing a crime, and libel.
nah, you already shipped enough conservative to states that did so much damage to the US. ted cruz, j peterson,etc.
Dont forget the Elongated muskrat.
They’re referring to only hearing what they already think. They want the world to be an echo chamber of their own beleifs.
There was a time when conservative speech didn’t mean lies, hate speech, and misinformation.
There was a time conservatives saw Russia as the threat it is, too.
That time’s just perpetually in the past. Not sure if I should add “/s”
When was that exactly? As far as I can remember, it’s all that its ever been. Trying to scare people into voting against their best interest and pinning folks against each other at the benefit of the rich ruling class. It’s always been like that.
Just dogwhistles for it.
I can’t remember who it was, but some comedian had this really funny bit that stuck with me ever since. It’s the same jist as what your said but their delivery was hilarious to drive home the point. People only hark on about free speech when they’re saying something shitty.
The phrase I heard was, when it comes down to it, free speech absolutists mostly want the freedom to say bigoted shit.
I’m pretty big on free speech, but if there aren’t limits, it gives a platform for terrible people to gather and reinforce each other, which only helps terrible people.
What they really want is freedom from the consequences of saying their shitty opinions out loud.