Thou shalt not remain neutral
Student teacher, Lindsay Shepherd, was chastised by school authorities after she aired a video during two tutorials. The clip featured University of Toronto professor Jordan B. Peterson and involved a debate on gender-neutral pronouns. For context, Peterson’s full debate can be viewed here: Genders, Rights and Freedom of Speech According to a report by The Star: The excerpt from TVO’s current affairs program The Agenda shows Peterson, who has famously refused to use gender pronouns other than “he” or “she,” defending his position against a professor who argued it was necessary to use the pronouns that a person prefers to be…
What’s next for the YES campaign?
It’s amazing how quickly the “YES Equality” advocates have turned into the exact opposite of what they supposedly professed. “NO Equality” is on the rise and I suspect, given their recent victory in the postal survey, campaigners will be looking for new battles to fight. In fact, we’re already beginning to witness it unfold. Just take a look at some of the material being pushed on social media. Magda Szubanski wants a marriage bill with #NoExemptions. That means, tolerance and acceptance are not enough. She demands participation, whether you like it or not. This totalitarian mentality extends beyond the Twitterverse,…
For we are dumb and policed
“For we are Young and Free.” What a lovely line. I think of swimming at the beach, a cheering crowd at a concert, a happy family eating Christmas lunch. Or we might think of the freedom to live where we want, to study what we want, to work where we want, and to buy what we want. Below these delightful tip-of-the-iceberg freedoms, lie the four foundational freedoms of conscience, assembly, religion, and expression. Freedom of conscience is your freedom not to be coerced to act against your convictions about what is good and what is evil. Mel Gibson’s 2016 movie Hacksaw Ridge, for…
What Happens When Google Disagrees With You? James Damore’s Story
James Damore, was the senior software engineer at Google. That is, until he was fired for doing, what he now describes as, the unforgivable. Damore’s actions were considered so controversial that the incident remained headline news for days. If by chance, you’re not familiar with Damore’s dismissal, you might be wondering what injustice he had been committed to warrant such a response. In his own words: “My crime: I wrote an internal document, that among other things, suggested that men and women, on average, are different. Like I told you, unforgivable.” Yes, that is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds.…
New Attacks on our Freedom of Conscience
Last week the Federal Group denied service to a Coalition for Marriage gathering. The Plenary Hall at Wrest Point Casino was booked and paid for, and then cancelled forty-eight hours before the event. The University of Tasmania was approached. The Stanley Burbury Theatre was free, but the University also denied service. The event “did not fit within the terms of hire for university facilities.” Thankfully the Vice-Chancellor reviewed the refusal, and the evening went ahead. We could say a lot about the Federal Group’s discourteousness, cancelling very late a booking made in good faith. And we could say a lot…