Saturday, January 12, 2008

Ezra's Day in "Kangaroo Court" Lights up the Canadian Blogosphere

We discussed neoconservative Canadian journalist/lawyer Ezra Levant's issues with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission in a previous post.

He attended yesterday with counsel before the Commission for what he described as an "interrogation" by a "kangaroo court." He delivered an opening statement, which speaks for itself, excerpted in part below:

...I am here at this government interrogation under protest. It is my position that the government has no legal or moral authority to interrogate me or anyone else for publishing these words and pictures. That is a violation of my ancient and inalienable freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and in this case, religious freedom and the separation of mosque and state. It is especially perverted that a bureaucracy calling itself the Alberta human rights commission would be the government agency violating my human rights. So I will now call those bureaucrats “the commission” or “the hrc”, since to call the commission a “human rights commission” is to destroy the meaning of those words.

I believe that this commission has no proper authority over me. The commission was meant as a low-level, quasi-judicial body to arbitrate squabbles about housing, employment and other matters, where a complainant felt that their race or sex was the reason they were discriminated against. The commission was meant to deal with deeds, not words or ideas...

Buckdog is thinking of selling 'Free Ezra Levant' T-shirts.

BigCityLib is hoping he plays "banjo or juggles or something" in the promised and much-anticipated video.

UPDATE:

Dawg "sincerely hope[s] that the Commission lets him off. That would be just the comeuppance he deserves." He also notes that BigCityLib now has videos, but cautions, "Don't waste your popcorn."

Law Is Cool also weighs in with Mr. Levant's "proudest moment" and video links

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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3 comments:

bigcitylib said...

Quick update. I think I'm the first guy to actually post clips of Ezra from his appearance. A performance for the ages.

Mike Brock said...

Quick update. I think I'm the first guy to actually post clips of Ezra from his appearance. A performance for the ages.

Actually, Ezra Levant posted those himself on his blog. But who am I to criticize you for appropriating credit.

Anonymous said...

Careful Mike - he might take you to the Human Rights Commission for making him feel bad.