Another policy that won't be debated....

Edward Greenspan was in Israel this week lecturing on democracy and free speech. He spoke out against making speech a crime:

Greenspan recalled that when Daniel Pipes was invited to speak at York University in Toronto, the venue was switched to a curtained off section of a basketball court because of threats against him and the audience from pro-Palestinian activists. Nevertheless, before his talk began, a policeman from the Hate Crimes Unit came to warn him that he would be held criminally liable if he advocated genocide or hatred of a specific group in his speech.

In Canada, he said, "the distinction between talk and action has almost disappeared." Indeed, there seems to be no reason to stop them since speak out to protect the weak, salve hurt feelings and weed out hateful ideas. "They wanted to try to make Canada a nicer place in which to live," he said. "Somehow, they suggested the idea that liberal means nice, that the liberal, intellectual system fosters sensitivity, toleration, self-esteem, rejection of prejudice and bias."

But Greenspan said he did not agree with this approach, adding that it sometimes requires offensive behavior and the trampling of feelings to get to the truth. He said there are five decision-making principles in contention in North America today, but the only one acceptable to him maintained that checking of every opinion by every other opinion through public criticism was the only legitimate way to decide what was right.

Greenspan charged that Canada had abandoned that principle for the following one: People who hold wrong and hurtful opinions should be punished as criminals for the good of society. "This most dangerous principle has now been established as a social right," he said. "Thou shalt not hurt others with words."

Greenspan said this attitude has been a menace in Canada for the past 10 years, not only to civil liberties but also to everyone's right to liberal inquiry.