RACISM CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

Should nazis be outlawed in Canada?

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

here is considerable debate
in Canada these days around
the question of whether the neo-
nazi movement, currently active
in the country should be outlawed,

Varied views have been ex-
pressed on this subject in the
‘recent period arising from the
dissemination of hate literature
in our country,

A minority opinion, not openly
expressed because the climate
in our country is not condusive
to it, -undoubtedly supports the
aims and objectives of a nazi,
fascist organization, Anything
which advances democracy is
anathema to them and they would
dearly love to repeat what Hitler
fascism did in Germany,

I think it is safe to say, how-
ver, that majority opinion in this
country is opposed to naziism
and fascism and likewise opposed
to dissemination of hate litera-
ture, Where the majority falls —
apart is in the treatment of the
problem, one view being that to
restrict or outlaw such groups
is, in fact, abrogation of democ-.,

not to restrict or outlaw such
groups endangers democracy,

The first view holds that what
is required is intensive educa-
tion so that nazi, fascist views
will not be accepted by the Ca-
nadian people. The other view
holds that while it is in fact
necessary to strengthen demo-
cratic ideas among the Canadian
people so that they will reject
nazi or fascist views, this is not
in contradiction to, but should
be considered part of, measures
which would restrict and pro-
hibit their existence,

The first view holds that to
restrict or prohibit such groups
establishes a dangerous prece-
dent which could be turned against
other minority views or groups,

The other view holds that what
is involved is not abstract democ-
racy but what these nazi and
fascist groups represent, what
they stand for, what they advo-
cate,

Essentially these groups stand
on the same platform as Hitler
fascism, They stand for racism,

racy, the other view holding that for the superiority of one race

Labor mounts crusade

lans to mount a massive —

nation-wide crusade in the
ranks of organized labor in sup-
port of the Hall Royal Commis-
sion on Health Services (medi-
care) were the highlight of this
week’s session of the Vancouver
& District Labor Council,

A large turnout of VLC dele-
gates and visitors heard B,C,
‘Federation of Labor secretary
Pat O’Neal and George Home,
political education director of
the Canadian Labor Congress,
make stirring appeals to allsec-
tions of organzied labor to joinin
an all-out medicare campaign,

“It would be a serious mis-
take,” said O’Neal, “to classify
Premier Bennett’s proposals as
medicare, Labor must reject this
or any concept of medicine by

means test, as a substitute for
a comprehensive medicare plan
as recommended by the Hall
Commission,

“A health charter for Cana-
dians from Newfoundland to Van-
couver Island, this is what we
want,” the BCFL speaker con-
cluded,

The B,C, Federation of Labor
has also published a very attrac-
tive and informative folder on
“Your Right to Health” for mass
distribution, The folder outlines
in brief the Hall Commission
recommendations on health sery-
ices, and emphasizes that “the
greatest monument for Canadians
for the 1967 Centennial would be
a Medicare program, It would—
lift Canada into the 20th century
regarding health services,”

over another, They stand for per-
secution not only of a minority,
be it Negro or Jew, but for the
complete elimination of democ-
racy and the democratic rights
of labor and the people, They
stand for war and enslavement
of other peoples, *

A madman is not allowed to
run around, A criminal is not
allowed free rein, A murderer
is not allowed freedom and liber-
ty of action, An arsonist is not
condoned by society, There are

The BCFL is also instituting a

“mass postcard campaign; one ad-

dressed to Premier Bennett and
another to Prime Minister Pear-
son, both urging the enactment of
enabling legislation directed to-
wards universal health services
in Canada,

Speaking for the Canadian Labor
Congress, George Home com-

‘pared the position of 20 years

ago, when the premiers of B,C,,
Ontario and Quebec (Hart, Drew
and Duplessis) obstructed the
possible enactment of nation-
wide health services then, In this,
said Home, “a great opportunity
to win a national health program
was lost,

“Then labor failed to rally, It
can be a disaster, a sad day for
Canada, if we allow Bennett of

_

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~ Committee,

laws to deal with such individu-
als because their actions are
anti-social, No one argues that
to restrict their rights is to re-
strict democracy,

Why then take a different ap-
proach to nazis and tascists?
Their crimes are much greater
because what they tried to do and
what they now want to do again,
are crimes against humanity as
a whole,

Here we are not dealing with
a legitimate point of view, a
legitimate difference of opinion
on this or that question, This
point was made quite clear at
the Nuremberg trials of nazis
after the defeat of Hitler facism
_in the Second World War,

All the countries participating
in those trials—the USA, Britain,
France, the Soviet Union—de-
clared that the nazis had com-
mitted crimes against humanity
and solemnly pledged never to
permit it to happen again, The
world applauded them for taking
this position and nothing which
has happened since changes this
basic approach to fascism and

B.C,, Manning of Alberta and
Robarts of Ontario to destroy the
Hall Commission recommenda-
tions for medicare now,”

The CLC _ speaker reported
that the national CLC is launching
its campaign for medicare with
over half a million postcard peti-
tions to governments, and that
many central labor bodies are
already earmarking funds for a
big medicare campaign, The Tor-
onto Labor Council has already
apportioned $1,500 for this pur-
pose, “It can be won,” concluded
Home, “if we rally all the forces _
of labor to the job,”

VLC annual election of officers
—saw very few changes in the lead-
ing bodies, With the exception of
one new executive member, Len
Guy (ITU), replacing William
Black, who did not seek re-elec-
tion, All other executive officers
were returned by acclamation,
as were three VLC committee
chairmen: Jack Henderson
(Legislative), Bob Cook (Public
Relations) and Frank Kennedy
(Municipal),

For the Organization Commit-
tee chairman, incumbent William
Stewart won over Don McNiven
107 to 70 votes, On Grievance
William Chalmers -
won over incumbent Jerry Le-
Bourdais 96 to 70, while educa-
tion chairman incumbent John
Hayward won handily over W,
Wells by 114 to 57, The Creden-
tials Committee election was a
“land slide”with incumbent Jack
Lawrence romping back with 135
to 14 votes,

OAP petition forms were made
available to delegates for signa-~

‘tures, urging Hydro Authority to - |

provide substantially lower tran-
sit fares for senior citizens,
Many signatures were secured
during the VLC session,

January 29, 1

for medicare

naziism,

This is our position, The fas
cist mentality and outlook is
menace, a crime against human
ity and democracy,

In our view there is need for »
legislation to deal with them
But in order to make sure that”
legislation would not endanger the”
basic democratic rights of the
Canadian people what is legis-
lated against should be clearly ~
spelled out—advocacy of race”
hatred and of anti-Semitism, set-_
ting of one people against anothe
advocacy of genocide (that is, th
extermination of a.people), ad
vocacy of war to settle dispute
advocacy and organization of
private armies for purposes of
sabotage and violence against the ©
Canadian people, and so on, :

At the same time it is neces-
sary to clearly spell out th
democratic rights of the Canadi
people,

Such an approach to this prob
lem would, in our opinion, cor-_
respond with both the immediat 7
and long-term interests of
democracy, 4

PAT O'NEAL, B.C. Federation of Labor ©
secretary, told the Labor Council this. 1
week that labor must reject any con- ~
cept of medicine by means test as ¢
substitute for a comprehensive plan:
Labor demands ‘‘A health charter for
Canadians, ’ he said. ]

Correspondence to the VLC
from the B,C, Chapter for the
Abolition of the Death Penalty:
urging an end to this barbari¢ 1
form of punishment, was unani-—
mously endorsed by the VLC,

To this a delegate added, “Now ‘
let’s abolish the death penalty
imposed upon millions of Cana-
dians from the lack of medicare. —

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