The Chief Commissar of the of the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Jennifer Lynch, said she would not appear on CTV if it also had Levant on the show, as planned. CTV invited Levant anyway, and kept open its invitation for Lynch to debate him. Lynch still refused, but sent someone from her office instead, with the condition that Levant and he not speak at the same time. Yes, censorship from the censors.
Levant obliged, Tom Clark, the CTV interviewer, went along with the separate interviews, but you could see the sparkle in his eyes at the comedy-farce of it all, and Levant came out winning.
CTV of course disagreed with Lynch's demands based on its journalistic precepts of freedom of expression and freedom of speech. CTV is a private broadcaster, so it is independent enough to make decisions like this. Still, it is to be commended because it could have come up with any excuse to avoid controversy by having Levant on the show.
But, what if Levant had come to CTV with a different focus?
What if he said that the HRCs are there because they are trying to correct discrimination and inequality in Canada? And that the primary reason for this increased perception of discrimination is the high immigration rates into Canada of visible minorities, who are demanding governmental coercion to correct inequalities?
Steve Paiken was going in that direction in his interview with Levant a few days ago, when he asked Levant repeatedly what was wrong with trying not to offend different peoples, and punishing those who do. Levant doggedly responded by saying the HRCs are not the way.
But, the government has (and will find) other, subtle, ways to make people “nice”.
If Levant had come with that angle, I doubt even CTV would have been open enough to accept him as its guest.
That is why Levant's argument to get rid of the HRCs based on their obstruction of our freedoms of expression and speech is winning him allies in the left, and in the media.
But, once he starts getting into the sticky issues of how Canada’s very policies and fundamental institutions support the HRCs and other bodies which behave like them, primarily the immigration and multicultural ones, then everyone will do a Steve Paiken and say – Canadians just must be nice.
This is the real fight for Levant. This is the real challenge, which first he has to understand (and believe), and then embark on. It is a far less popular and a far more arduous journey, but one which will help Canada become really free again.
