Okay, I did it again ... Blew my stack ...

I confess, I blew my stack again, and hung up on someone.

It was a Conservative party organizer who wanted my vote (and a donation, I expect).

I started by politely pointing out that I'd had to petition to find out if I was on Lynch's List of supposed enemies of the state who are citizens of Canada - a list totally supported by the Conservative party's government, so far.

At least, what have they ever really done to rein these people in?

Having dealt with that, I just was not in any mood to hear a spiel for money from the government's Party.

Okay, so go ahead and tell me that the Liberals would be worse. Well, how worse is worse?

Sure, the Liberals, when they come to power, could give every single one of the Canadian Human Rights Commission's self-styled Nazis the Order of Canada. I would think that a very bad idea, but how would it directly affect me?

When the Prime Minister's Office fails to act in the face of rampant abuse, while claiming to support traditional Canadian values like due process - values that date back to Magna Carta - that does directly affect me.

A friend writes to advise me about the Ontario Human Rights Commission's new ramped-up powers. I wonder if they will develop an enemies list too? If so, I sure hope no Ontario political party tries phoning me for support or donations.

The excellent Franklin Carter at the Book and Periodical Council's Freedom of Expression Committee also suggests a number of other interesting links, as follows:

CANADA

Kalvin Reid comments on Brampton's To Kill a Mockingbird dispute. His opinion appears in The Standard of St. Catharines, Ontario:

[From Denyse: Apparently, you can't any longer discuss a novel whose express intent is to denounce racism if racist terms are used in it. Gee, wow, that is sure going to help fight racism. Fighting in total darkness is a really smart move compared to fighting in daylight.]

ELSEWHERE

Yale University Press prepares to publish a scholarly book about the Danish "Mohammed cartoons" but declines to show readers what they look like. Patricia Cohen reports in The New York Times.

(From Denyse: Anyone who buys the book would be well advised to have their financial affairs put in the hands of a trustee. Who cares what a bunch of eggheads think about cartoons you can't see? How do I know the eggheads ever saw them themselves? They may say so, but who knows if they won't print them?)

Middle Eastern and North African countries are among the most heavily censored regions in the world, according to a report prepared by the OpenNet Initiative. United Press International summarizes ONI's report.

(From Denyse: The fact that they are among the least developed countries in the world is relevant. If people decide to spend their time censoring other people's ideas, they will not spend it developing their own ideas in a sophisticated way. That is a fundamental principle of life that no one can evade, no matter what their religion or culture. No one can bend the arrow of time.)

Ian Harris comments on the U.N. Human Rights Council's campaign to criminalize "defamation of religion." His opinion appears in the Otago Daily Times of New Zealand.

(From Denyse: My own view is that a religion that can't be defamed can't be believed either.)

Find out why there is an intelligent design controversy: