Heritage Minister James Moore is angry. Apparently, a Canadian punk rock group, Living With Lions, who received a government grant, trashed Christianity and the Bible on their latest album.
Ezra Levant reached into his bag of prose and called them "a bunch of losers".
James Moore issued a statement calling the CD “offensive” and “simply wrong” and expressed his “profound disappointment” with the grant.
But where was his outrage last week, when we learned that taxpayers helped to sponsor the Islamophobic Geert Wilders, as part of the Tulip Festival?
Moore could have stopped his appearance, but didn't. The Right refer to Wilder's hate filled diatribes as "freedom of speech". Why then is Living With Lions not given the same consideration?
They are an anti-establishment punk band, who would appeal to a very small demographic, though the headlines will probably help them sell more albums.
However, there is a troubling double standard taking place in Canada today.
Geert Wilders fine, George Galloway out. Hate speech at a Tulip festival fine, young people expressing themselves silenced.
Welcome to Harperland.
It's happening, Emily. Free speech is only for friends of the Harpies.
ReplyDeleteDon't they understand punk rockers will grow up? Whereas a hatemonger like Wilders thinks he's already grown up, so he's unlikely to change.
Thanks Em! It's everywhere, more & more. I just remembered this piece I'd seen in Maclean's recently about James Moore, where they praise him as a "new & different kind of Conservative" (i.e. open-minded). But in that piece, he identifies himself as a libertarian - so obviously doesn't believe in gov. funding for anything ..??? Except Geert Wilders, despicable man, etc. This is new? They're all wingnuts, as far as I can tell. (Sorry, I don't have the ref to the Maclean's article, but it was at the end of April, I think).
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be a difficult four years. A new direction for Canada.
ReplyDeleteStop reacting to "their" agenda. Take charge and make "them" react to to forces of true democracy reasserting themselves. The time is now, not in four years.
ReplyDelete