Far from seeing Canada on a better path since the publication of his first book on the subject, many of the problems that Mr. Gairdner identified have grown worse in the intervening 20 years and new problems have emerged. Mr. Gairdner’s book presents another opportunity for Canadians to understand what ails us and to work towards solutions. This effort must begin with a willingness to openly discuss many subjects that have become sacred cows, considered third rails in Canada’s stifled political discourse.
Mr. Gairdner invites us to join him in tackling these sacred cows to thereby encourage our politicians to shake off their fear of third rail issues so we can get back on track to an improved Canada.

Hosted by the International Free Press Society on Thursday, January 27th in London, ON. Information here

The 1980s song Money for Nothing by the British rock band Dire Straits has been deemed unacceptable for play on Canadian radio.

Ka-ching!

Enter if you dare…

A letter to the President of Waterloo University.

Beginning November 7th. Click here for details.

Philippe Karsenty, internationally known media analyst and founder of Media-Ratings, a media watchdog which monitors the media in France and who exposed the false allegations that Israeli soldiers killed a 12-year old Palestinian, Mohammed al-Dura during a gun battle in Gaza in 2000.

Star Phoenix;

The provincial government plans to introduce human rights legislation that will dissolve the Saskatchewan Human Rights Tribunal in favour of having a court hear the complaints.
Justice Minister Don Morgan said the change, among other reforms to the Human Rights Code, is being undertaken at the suggestion of Judge David Arnot, chief commissioner of the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. The commission is the body that receives human rights complaints and occasionally refers a matter to a tribunal for a hearing.
“There seemed to be a lot of support for going forward with it so we felt it was an appropriate piece of legislation to bring at this time,” said Morgan, whose Sask. Party government signalled its intent in the throne speech to move forward with changes, which were first discussed in the spring.
“It will allow for a more streamlined process, more mediation and more expedited handling of files. But the most significant thing is it will no longer be the human rights tribunal. The complaints, when they’re referred on, will go directly to the Court of Queen’s Bench,” Morgan said.

PJM ;

In the conclusion to a bizarre trial — in which the prosecution already called for the acquittal of the defendant — Wilders’ lawyer Abraham Moszkowicz today asked for dismissal of the three judges, and his request was approved by the dismissal commission of the court. Now, the trial will have to start over from the beginning.

I got to tell you, if I see amphibians who are in Crocodile garb and I think, you know, they’re identifying themselves first and foremost as Crocodiles, I get worried. I get nervous.

Via EBD;

Mark Steyn gives an funny, eloquent, stirring, and ultimately important speech (MP3, audio only, *very* quick loading for those on slow connections) in front of an audibly delighted audience at the Danish Free Press Society. A must-listen for SDA readers.

“Not showing up to riot” is a failed conservative policy.

Lars Vilks, of Sweden, is an academically trained art theorist having earned a PhD in art history from Lund University in 1987. In 1988 he moved to Norway and worked at the Oslo National Academy of the Arts until 1993. From 1997 to 2003, he was a professor in art theory at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts. A self-taught artist and mostly an outsider in the Swedish art scene, he creates various types of art ranging from sculptures and paintings to drawings. When his work is discussed by media and art world insiders, it is seen as deliberately provocative.
He has described himself as an equal opportunity critic of religion having criticized all religions in one way or another in his work but in 2007, he crossed the rubicon when he produced a series of drawings depicting the prophet Mohammad as a roundabout dog.

He’ll be speaking in Philadelphia, Ottawa, Toronto, and Boston Sept.30 – Oct.4. Details at the International Free Press Society website.

*
Also, today’s required reading.
Update: Looks like everyone got what they wanted – submission! Sure glad that’s over, so that moderate Islam can get back to its regular enforcement schedule.
I hope you all enjoyed the spectacle of western world leaders stepping up to display their sharia compliance bona fides as much as I did. “Don’t do it or they’ll hurt us.”
We’re all so much safer for it, yes?
Following is my (slightly edited) emailed response to a friend in media, who remarked privately, “like i said kate..the whole so called principled stand was a hoax”…
I don’t care if Mickey Mouse had sparked the controversy. The issue is the reaction of our political and media betters.
Shameful and frankly, frightening. As one of my commentors just remarked, “Islam has now been officially sanctioned as the most powerful religion on earth and if we offend it they can kill us and we deserve to be killed.”
They should have kept their mouths shut, at the very least. They have an obligation to defend our constitutionally protected rights to freedom of expression.
Instead, they have telegraphed to barbarians – some of whom have the arsenals to do real damage – that they will cow into submission the acts of even the most lowly and unimportant of our citizens to avoid confrontation.
Indeed, the fact that it WAS this fringey pastor who set this international incident off is the most disturbing aspect of all. Unlike the flag burners and bible burners and crucifix defilers that number in the tens of thousands, he did nothing but state an intention. And look at the force they brought down on him to prevent it.

I can only aspire to becoming as good and generous a person as Ezra Levant;

Gentle reader, do not gloat. It might be tempting to smile at the fact that Moon, who has tried so hard to defend the legitimacy of human rights commissions, is now getting the kangaroo treatment himself, and at the hands of Barbara Hall, no less. But schadenfreude is unbecoming. Just because Moon believes politically correct hunter-killer bureaucrats should be sicced on you and me, doesn’t mean we should descend to that level and cheer that they are now being sicced on him.

No, it doesn’t.
But we will.

Apply for a job as a Bylaw Officer for the municipality of Clarington.
Be sure to mention how many tattoos you have, any history of animal torture and arson, and your score on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist.
Tell them you’re applying because you read about how Clarington employees get to harrass harmless local taxpayers like the Jaworski family, and you’d like to take part in these Gestapo adventures, too!

No, really. Contact info at this link.