Barbara Hall: I Decide What You Can Say In Ontario

In 1953, author Ray Bradbury warned us about the Barbara Hall's of the world. In his landmark book, Fahrenheit 451, he described a society where "firemen" are not what they are today, but rather are agents of a totalitarian government which deemed that "all books are restricted, individuals are [considered] anti-social and hedonistic, and critical thought is suppressed."

Thankfully we're not there yet, but never forget the old proverb, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." In an ominous parallel to Bradbury's use of the word "firemen", Barbara Hall is the chief commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Human Rights? Anything but. A more accurate name for it would be the Ontario Self-Righteous Wrongs Kangaroo Court and Star Chamber! For it has become clear that Hall and her commission see absolutely no problem trampling on the free speech rights of anyone who is not in lockstep with their views.

And she is not apologetic in the least. Using terms like "social justice" and "unfair bias", she and her pack of fellow anti-free-speech commandants go forth, strongly believing that it is their right and duty to tell people what they can say and ultimately, what they can think.

As I've stated before, I am especially sensitive to the issue of free speech because of my paternal heritage coming from Germany. No, I am not going to call Ms. Hall a Nazi because there is no fair level of comparison. But please read this excerpt from an excellent article on how the Nazis gained control of Germany prior to World War 2. From the article we learn that control was gained by:

(a) Control of mass media. All the means of communication were monopolized by the government. The press and the cinema had to show pictures glorifying the Nazi movements. The Ministry of Propaganda, in the hands of Dr. Goebbels, worked to build up the popularity of the Fuhrer.

(b) Control of education. Education, from kindergarten to university, was a toll for indoctrinating the young. Boys (10-18 years old) were sent to the Hitler Youth, girls (10-18 years old) to the Hitler Maidens. School textbooks were re-written along Nazi lines (e.g. race study was emphasized). University professors were required to wear swastika and take an oath of allegiance to Hitler.

Clearly we're not there yet but Ms. Hall and her ilk are planting the seeds. Those seeds need to be dug up and destroyed before they can do any more damage.

To learn more about this issue, please read here and here and here.