I am certainly an advocate of free speech. After all, it's pretty important to our industry.
Sometimes people say stupid things. I'm not easily offended, but when it comes to intolerance and hate, my normally cool blood will boil.
There have been a number of tragedies in the past week, and as always, where there is misery, there is someone trying to salt the wounds of those who are hurt. That's what online comment sections are for.
On Sunday there was a tornado in Goderich, Ont., a neighbouring town to where I grew up, about a 15 minute drive straight toward Lake Huron.
It did some serious damage to the octagonal square in the central part of the town, injured about 40 people and caused one fatality: Normand Laberge. While most of the comments on the news story showed some care and concern, there were others that thought now was the appropriate time to show how much they disliked the now former NDP leader Jack Layton, who died on Monday.
A commenter on The Globe and Mail's website for the tornado story said, "To [sic] bad for 61-year-old Normand Laberge, he sounded like a real hard working Canadian. Not like some carrier politician that was he!! [sic] bent on destroying this country."
Not really the time or place for this comment. Here are two people who died young, and for some all that comes to mind is how to use one tragedy to make a political point about another.
Free speech is all well and good, but there is a fine line between free speech and just being plain evil. American religious zealots who picket soldiers' funerals have every right to do so, but that's a pretty evil thing to do.
Relishing in the death of a man whom you don't know runs along those same lines. Sure he was a public figure who is open to fair comment, but there is a difference between attacking a politician's stance on an issue and attacking his person.
Let's face it, I'm not a particular fan of our nation's prime minister, but I would never wish any particular ill will towards him.
I just don't understand how there is still so much hate towards a man after he succumbs to cancer. Death, after all, is the great equalizer.
Certainly, free speech shouldn't be encroached upon only when somebody says something that upsets me. I may think a comment is out of line, but there are still 10 people who agree with it for every time I disagree. What I consider an evil act, someone else considers a bold statement of truth.
It reminds me of the saying that everyone has a right to share their opinion, but that doesn't include the right to be heard.
