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LIBERTIES: Testing the Limits of the
Law. 17 Selections on Major Civil Liber-
ties Issues. British Columbia Civil Liberties
Association. Edited by John Russel. New
Star, 1989. Available at the People’s Co-op
Bookstore.

Canada’s law against hate propaganda,
enacted in 1971, is being challenged in the
Supreme Court of Canada as an infringe-
ment of the freedom of expression. The
challenge has been launched by. William
Keegstra, the Alberta high school teacher
who was convicted in 1985 of wilfully
promoting hatred against Jews (for which
he was fined $5,000). The provinces of
Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba and
New Brunswick, and a number of interest
groups, will argue before the court that the
law is necessary in multicultural society.

However, the Canadian Civil Liberties
Association will contend in its brief that the
law prohibiting hate propaganda, “may be
more dangerous to minorities than to peo-
ple such as Mr. Keegstra ....”” As I under-
stand the CCLA position, this body is, in
effect, calling for the law to be struck down.
Its brief maintains that Canadians should
fear the exercise of freedom of expression
(Keegstra’s expression, in this case) less than
government attempts to impair it.

I found an earlier statement of this posi-
tion in an article by John Dixon in Liberties:
Testing the Limits of the Law, recently pub-
lished by New Star books. The book is
mainly a collection of statements and arti-
cles on civil liberties from the files of the

‘ British Columbia Civil Liberties Associa-
tion.

*..Dixon.writes:.“‘Bluntly.we hold that the

_ wilful attempt to promote hatred against an

‘identifiable group is immoral, but also

argue that the expressions that form such
attempts must be protected from legal sanc-
tions or obstruction.” In short, it is wrong to
take legal action against disseminators of
hate propaganda.

According to Dixon’s logic, our freedom
is placed in jeopardy when we permit laws
to be passed that restrict the right to spread
the kind of anti-Semitic propaganda
peddled by Keegstra. Frankly, I cannot
accept that.

To be fair to Dixon and the BCLA, it
should be noted that he makes a distinction
between expressions (writing, speaking) and
actions (violence) in furtherance of hateful
ideas. However, in my opinion, this is a
specious form of logic. If 10,000 hate leaflets
were distributed in Vancouver — against
Chinese, East Indian or Jewish people, for
example — that would be an action delib-
erately designed to bring a minority into
disrepute and to cause them harm.

It must also be remembered that hate
propaganda fertilizes the soil for acts of
violence against minorities. There is a
strong case, based on Canadian and inter-
national experience, to enact, maintain and
enforce tough legislation against the
authors and distributors of such propa-
ganda in any form. The nation that allows
its minorities to be the subject of this type of
propaganda ultimately places the freedom
of all of its citizens in danger.

Contrary to what Dixon writes, Ger-

’ many demonstrated how the anti-Semitic

propaganda of the Nazis helped them to
come to power in a country where the
labour and democratic forces were unable
to unite effectively against the threat to
democracy. RFs Rae oe ‘
The. book has some interesting pieces,
from a liberal point of view, on AIDS, the

Season’s Greetings
to all Tribune readers

peace activists
and supporters

©, fill! y

lt

Federation

of

Russian
Canadians

the season to our members,
friends and supporters.

extends warmest greetings of

Canadian Yugoslav

Community
Association

Season’s

Greetings
from the

Centre for

need for civilian review boards to handle
citizens’ complaints against the police, drug
addiction and prostitution. All stress the
need to protect civil liberties. However, I
don’t believe our society would concur in
the proposition that we should accept legal-
ized houses of prostitution.

All in all, lam disappointed in the book.
Much of the material is dated, in terms of
late 20th-Century perceptions, and a good
part of it is written in legal rather than a
popular form.

Socialist Education

— Jack Phillips

Best Wishes
for a peaceful
New Year

to our supporters and friends
from the membership of the

Ukranian Seniors Club

Best Wishes for a
Peaceful New Year |
from
Canada-USSR Friendship Society

Fraser Valley

Promoting education | ¥
and understanding.

Season's Sreetings

and wishes for peace
in the New Year.

Finnish Organization of Canada
Local 55

Association of United
Ukrainian Canadians

Greets our members and friends during this
festive season. A healthy, happy and
prosperous New Year to you all. May 1990
see the people of the world live in peace
and friendship.

You are invited to our “Malanka” (Ukrainian New Year). Saturday, January 20, 1990.
Location: Russian People’s Home, 600 Campbell Ave. Sumptuous 22 course traditional
Ukrainian feast, two orchestras.

Admission: $25 each. Cocktails: 6 p.m. Programme: 6:30 p.m. Dinner: 7 p.m.

Advance tickets: 253-3032, 879-2089, 298-6191.

Pacific Tribune, December 18, 1989 e 29