Censorship

The University of Calgary in Alberta has recently caused a bit of a scandal by trying to limit the free speech of the Campus Pro-life Club. CBC has an article on the incident and CTV has some video coverage. I'll write a follow up article on the content of the demonstration but here are my thoughts on the censorship:

The primary issue I see here is whether or not the campus should allow this protest. I feel very strongly that all speech should be tolerated regardless of how distasteful people find it.

If you want to make and display a statue of Jesus made of manure or show naked gay men romping I may find it distasteful and even turn away BUT I will fight for your right to display it.

The problem with any censorship is that the question needs to be asked is to who gets to be the jury. In Germany during the holocaust the majority of the population would have been repulsed by pictures of concentration camps. They would have been incensed. We were they right? Of course not. The majority in Germany certainly wouldn't made the right choice. I don't think that we should trust our society either. History has demonstrated that man-kind sure has a bad track record for accepting injustice.

The Germans could have been a bit more tolerant and suggested just turning in the signs. This would be almost as inappropriate as out right censorship. A demonstration that is only seen by those who want to be exposed is hardly an effective protest. Can you imagine an anti-war demonstration done in a private setting?

A society that censors any fringe groups from expressing their opinions, in any way they want, about what justice is, runs the risk of turning a blind eye to that which needs to be exposed.