“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” John Stuart Mill..The recent ruling of an Ontario court presided over by judge (ex-Toronto Star attorney) Justice Paul Schabas, did not think the mandatory re-education ordered by the College of Psychologists for Jordan Peterson was an infringement of his rights..Justice Schabas wrote: “It does not prevent Dr. Peterson from expressing himself on issues of interest to him and his audiences; rather, the decision is focused on concerns over this use of degrading or demeaning language.”.Of course, it begs the question of who exactly is to define what language is considered degrading or demeaning. Most professions have a regulatory body to ensure their members are competent and protect the public from malpractice..But no one gives up their right to free expression because they become a member of a regulated profession..In what amounts to an Orwellian outcome, the ruling is more about using Peterson as an example to silence professionals across various disciplines — doctors, lawyers, teachers and accountants — who are being told to shut up or else..Historically professionals such as doctors and lawyers have been part of the public discourse on social issues and in today’s world of social media it would be of great benefit to society for real experts to provide commentary on a range of issues allowing for a more enlightened perspective, especially on sensitive topics..The court has decided to place a regulatory cloud over professionals that anything they say deemed unpopular, especially during a time when government and powerful corporations have accepted woke policies, can lead to suspension or job loss.. Lindsay ShepherdLindsay Shepherd .There are endless examples of talented people losing their jobs for questioning the woke establishment..Medical doctor Matt Strauss is in a litigation battle with Queen’s University alleging he lost his job at the university’s medical school for expressing contrarian views about the COVID-19 pandemic..Former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day appeared on the CBC’s Power & Politics and compared racism to his own experience of being mocked for wearing glasses while growing up and was forced to resign from the Telus Board of Directors. He has since had to profusely apologize, to rejoin the chattering classes..Lindsay Shepherd, a teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario was reprimanded for showing a video of Jordan Peterson debating gender pronouns. The university accused her of creating a toxic environment and failing to condemn Peterson was compared to Hitler. The meeting between Shepherd and Laurier University superiors reeks of 1984 Newspeak and is available on YouTube..The woke elites have put a target on Jordan Peterson’s back for espousing a conservative point of view..Most people do not have the financial wherewithal to fight back and are forced to issue apologies just to get back in the career game..Peterson is rich and famous with seven million YouTube followers, his podcast has been downloaded 55 million times, he speaks in front of audiences of two thousand-plus people and his book 12 Rules for Life has sold 5 million copies. He has the intellect and resources to defend his reputation..One of America’s foremost intellectuals Camille Paglia has said he is “the most important and influential Canadian thinker since Marshall McLuhan. Economist Tyler Cowen has dubbed him the most influential public intellectual in the Western world..So why does the liberal left hate him? The reason is simple: he is not afraid to take them on..When he was a professor at the University of Toronto he railed against political correctness and the university’s plan for mandatory anti-bias training..He refused to accept the HR department’s dictate of forcing gender-neutral pronouns on him and believes that Marxism is the cause of today’s western decline: “Post-modern Neo-Marxism or cultural Marxism having failed to win the economic argument, Marxists decided to infiltrate the education system and undermine western values with vicious untenable and anti-human ideas", such as identity politics that will provide the road to totalitarianism," he states..He has also said, that white privilege is a “Marxist lie” and that gender identity is subjective and as bad as claiming that the world is flat..The Left hates Peterson because he's their antithesis, always immaculately dressed, and highly articulate and that sends fearful shivers down the spines of the liberal left establishment..According to lawyer Olivier Seguin from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the Ontario ruling is about conformity and keeping people in line.."Professionals across society will not be able to speak their minds without feeling censored. They will stop and think, what should I say and how will others judge me," he states. Political conformity is a natural behavioural response when political disagreements occur. With increased political divisions in society, people will avoid the consequences of disagreement and conform to a group’s political opinion..Getting Peterson to conform would be a huge win for the woke elite because if he caves it sets an example for society at large not to speak out politically and force everyone to accept wokeism as legitimate..Lawyer Howard Levitt of Levitt Sheikh and a leading expert in labour law believes that the court’s decision will empower woke bodies everywhere to go after anyone for an unpopular opinion: “This decision will inevitably motivate political enemies of any member of a regulatory body — whether it be lawyers, osteopaths, engineers or psychologists — who have no legal basis for any claim otherwise, to harass that person by filing complaints about their expressed opinions or writings.".John Stuart Mill believed the discussion of ideas whether true, partly true, or false should be debated in a free and open manner and allow the marketplace to judge its veracity..He argued the strength of democracy is its ability to accept a diverse range of views. Today's liberalism, as evidenced by the growing intolerance of the left, has turned Mill's timeless concepts upside down as liberalism has become a soft but hardening authoritarianism..The Ontario court ruling highlights the need to protect people's political beliefs in the workplace..If political discrimination continues without a serious challenge or new laws are not implemented ideas in favour of a free market economy, small government, and individual rights and equality of opportunity will become extinct. The State will increase its power and control over people's lives..The Human Rights Code that the Left has used so brilliantly to its advantage must be used by the Right as well to incorporate political beliefs and protect citizens from being harassed, ostracized, and allowed to speak out without having their lives destroyed..One may not agree with everything Peterson has to say, but he should be applauded for standing up to the woke dystopia..Toronto-based Francis Crescia is a freelance writer.
“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” John Stuart Mill..The recent ruling of an Ontario court presided over by judge (ex-Toronto Star attorney) Justice Paul Schabas, did not think the mandatory re-education ordered by the College of Psychologists for Jordan Peterson was an infringement of his rights..Justice Schabas wrote: “It does not prevent Dr. Peterson from expressing himself on issues of interest to him and his audiences; rather, the decision is focused on concerns over this use of degrading or demeaning language.”.Of course, it begs the question of who exactly is to define what language is considered degrading or demeaning. Most professions have a regulatory body to ensure their members are competent and protect the public from malpractice..But no one gives up their right to free expression because they become a member of a regulated profession..In what amounts to an Orwellian outcome, the ruling is more about using Peterson as an example to silence professionals across various disciplines — doctors, lawyers, teachers and accountants — who are being told to shut up or else..Historically professionals such as doctors and lawyers have been part of the public discourse on social issues and in today’s world of social media it would be of great benefit to society for real experts to provide commentary on a range of issues allowing for a more enlightened perspective, especially on sensitive topics..The court has decided to place a regulatory cloud over professionals that anything they say deemed unpopular, especially during a time when government and powerful corporations have accepted woke policies, can lead to suspension or job loss.. Lindsay ShepherdLindsay Shepherd .There are endless examples of talented people losing their jobs for questioning the woke establishment..Medical doctor Matt Strauss is in a litigation battle with Queen’s University alleging he lost his job at the university’s medical school for expressing contrarian views about the COVID-19 pandemic..Former Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day appeared on the CBC’s Power & Politics and compared racism to his own experience of being mocked for wearing glasses while growing up and was forced to resign from the Telus Board of Directors. He has since had to profusely apologize, to rejoin the chattering classes..Lindsay Shepherd, a teaching assistant at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario was reprimanded for showing a video of Jordan Peterson debating gender pronouns. The university accused her of creating a toxic environment and failing to condemn Peterson was compared to Hitler. The meeting between Shepherd and Laurier University superiors reeks of 1984 Newspeak and is available on YouTube..The woke elites have put a target on Jordan Peterson’s back for espousing a conservative point of view..Most people do not have the financial wherewithal to fight back and are forced to issue apologies just to get back in the career game..Peterson is rich and famous with seven million YouTube followers, his podcast has been downloaded 55 million times, he speaks in front of audiences of two thousand-plus people and his book 12 Rules for Life has sold 5 million copies. He has the intellect and resources to defend his reputation..One of America’s foremost intellectuals Camille Paglia has said he is “the most important and influential Canadian thinker since Marshall McLuhan. Economist Tyler Cowen has dubbed him the most influential public intellectual in the Western world..So why does the liberal left hate him? The reason is simple: he is not afraid to take them on..When he was a professor at the University of Toronto he railed against political correctness and the university’s plan for mandatory anti-bias training..He refused to accept the HR department’s dictate of forcing gender-neutral pronouns on him and believes that Marxism is the cause of today’s western decline: “Post-modern Neo-Marxism or cultural Marxism having failed to win the economic argument, Marxists decided to infiltrate the education system and undermine western values with vicious untenable and anti-human ideas", such as identity politics that will provide the road to totalitarianism," he states..He has also said, that white privilege is a “Marxist lie” and that gender identity is subjective and as bad as claiming that the world is flat..The Left hates Peterson because he's their antithesis, always immaculately dressed, and highly articulate and that sends fearful shivers down the spines of the liberal left establishment..According to lawyer Olivier Seguin from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, the Ontario ruling is about conformity and keeping people in line.."Professionals across society will not be able to speak their minds without feeling censored. They will stop and think, what should I say and how will others judge me," he states. Political conformity is a natural behavioural response when political disagreements occur. With increased political divisions in society, people will avoid the consequences of disagreement and conform to a group’s political opinion..Getting Peterson to conform would be a huge win for the woke elite because if he caves it sets an example for society at large not to speak out politically and force everyone to accept wokeism as legitimate..Lawyer Howard Levitt of Levitt Sheikh and a leading expert in labour law believes that the court’s decision will empower woke bodies everywhere to go after anyone for an unpopular opinion: “This decision will inevitably motivate political enemies of any member of a regulatory body — whether it be lawyers, osteopaths, engineers or psychologists — who have no legal basis for any claim otherwise, to harass that person by filing complaints about their expressed opinions or writings.".John Stuart Mill believed the discussion of ideas whether true, partly true, or false should be debated in a free and open manner and allow the marketplace to judge its veracity..He argued the strength of democracy is its ability to accept a diverse range of views. Today's liberalism, as evidenced by the growing intolerance of the left, has turned Mill's timeless concepts upside down as liberalism has become a soft but hardening authoritarianism..The Ontario court ruling highlights the need to protect people's political beliefs in the workplace..If political discrimination continues without a serious challenge or new laws are not implemented ideas in favour of a free market economy, small government, and individual rights and equality of opportunity will become extinct. The State will increase its power and control over people's lives..The Human Rights Code that the Left has used so brilliantly to its advantage must be used by the Right as well to incorporate political beliefs and protect citizens from being harassed, ostracized, and allowed to speak out without having their lives destroyed..One may not agree with everything Peterson has to say, but he should be applauded for standing up to the woke dystopia..Toronto-based Francis Crescia is a freelance writer.
