Should we abolish Canada's Human Rights Commissions?

[AngusThermopyle]

Actually MM I haven't posted in ages but when I logged on it also appeared that I had voted. After deleting my vote I noticed that the tallies had not changed, so I then voted and noticed a change. I think it must just be some minor bug.

[madmax]

Actually MM I haven't posted in ages but when I logged on it also appeared that I had voted. After deleting my vote I noticed that the tallies had not changed, so I then voted and noticed a change. I think it must just be some minor bug.

You appear to be right, I just checked my cache and did as you have done. Same result as you. It does appear as a minor glitch. The Number didn't change when I deleted.

[jbg]

Actually MM I haven't posted in ages but when I logged on it also appeared that I had voted. After deleting my vote I noticed that the tallies had not changed, so I then voted and noticed a change. I think it must just be some minor bug.

You appear to be right, I just checked my cache and did as you have done. Same result as you. It does appear as a minor glitch. The Number didn't change when I deleted.

Ditto. Of course I changed my alleged vote to favoring abolition of the kangaroo courts commissions.

[jbg]

As an employer with the responsibility of hiring, decisions are influenced by fear of consequences. It is easier to hire a lesser employee, and not fear reprisal, than to not hire them, and face potential and often likely, punishment.

That is so often the case. I am aware of situations where a firm has hired a female professional who looked good on paper. During even the first week this female totally ignored the projects she was given, missing crucial deadlines. When she was finally terminated nine months later she sued on the basis of discrimination, since, at her request, she was forwarded a mildly racy e-mail.

An obvious case of the problems, is the firefighters in the states, New Hampshire I think it was? Not enough people of the correct skin color passed the test for promotion, so it was thrown out, costing many people benefits.

It was New Haven, Connecticut (got first five letters) but you're right.

The idea of Religion having any role in the workplace is obscene. Like the English bus driver stopping to pray 18 times per day in traffic, or the hairdresser that wouldn't take off her hat and received something like 20,000 quid over it.

But what about a situation such as the New York, Montreal or Toronto areas where many professionals are Jewish. Should they be able to take Rosh Hashonah or Yom Kippur off?

[Handsome Rob]

Acceptable? Functional? You do realize that the Constitution has been used and amended since 1982, right?

Tell that to Meech Lake & Charlotte town. Changing the name of Nfld or creating Nunavit don't exactly count.

The phrase functional was carefully chosen, because any sort of an issue that exposes just how polarized Canada is in West VS East (Sometimes Including Quebec) VS Quebec all other times, rapidly degrades into a Polish Parliament.

Fairly safe to say, Poland proved, this doesn't work.

Regardless, off topic and a whole 'nother can of worms.

Edited April 8, 2010 by Handsome Rob

[Handsome Rob]

But what about a situation such as the New York, Montreal or Toronto areas where many professionals are Jewish. Should they be able to take Rosh Hashonah or Yom Kippur off?

Absolutely not.

People make a choice to follow such things. People make a choice what clothes to wear.

People do not make a choice what color their skin is, what language they were raised with, and often but not always, their sexual orientation.

The differences there, to me, are plain as day.

[Smallc]

Tell that to Meech Lake & Charlotte town. Changing the name of Nfld or creating Nunavit don't exactly count.

I see, so only change you want counts. Interesting (there was other change than the two things you're talking about, BTW). It's too bad that the provincial rights within the Constitution offend you....btw, you opened the can.

[Handsome Rob]

I see, so only change you want counts. Interesting (there was other change than the two things you're talking about, BTW). It's too bad that the provincial rights within the Constitution offend you....btw, you opened the can.

Impulse reaction, opening the can. I find it irritating that we're left with this legacy.

And it's not 'only the change I want that counts,' I could care less about Quebec being recognized as a distinct society and such, and I more than happily make peace with the fact, that I have to deal with things that I don't like but other people need.

If more people thought like me, it wouldn't be a Polish Parliament, concessions are possible, from all parties. Not only possible, but necessary.

[Smallc]

If more people thought like me, it wouldn't be a Polish Parliament, concessions are possible, from all parties. Not only possible, but necessary.

It isn't a polish parliament now. Concession and compromise have been the business of this country for nearly 143 years.

[Argus]

Another dumbass decision by one of the country's dumber HRC's, the Quebec one. Not only a ludicrous waste of time to take this to a human rights tribunal, but an indictment of how the system works to delay immigrants blending into Canada and abandoning their old cultural ways.

Nothing personal against Filipinos but I'd be willing to contribute money to have every Filipino quoted in this story take a one-way trip back home.

Family wins HR case over son's table manners

[Michael Hardner]

Another dumbass decision by one of the country's dumber HRC's, the Quebec one. Not only a ludicrous waste of time to take this to a human rights tribunal, but an indictment of how the system works to delay immigrants blending into Canada and abandoning their old cultural ways.

I'm all for teaching manners in school, but being told to 'eat like a Canadian'... seems like something somebody would sue for if this were the USA. It's hard to believe it made it so far.

[Handsome Rob]

I'm all for teaching manners in school, but being told to 'eat like a Canadian'... seems like something somebody would sue for if this were the USA. It's hard to believe it made it so far.

The kangaroo courts are numbering their own days with conduct like this.

Still waiting to hear if Guy Earle is guilty of insulting a heckler while he was doing stand-up.

My all time favorite though, is the Pre-Op Transgender that filed against the Ladies Gym owner for not letting him enter the womens change room. Case went to court, was tossed, but not before the gym owner incurred $20,000 in legal expenses and didn't net so much as an apology.

[wyly]

I'm all for teaching manners in school, but being told to 'eat like a Canadian'... seems like something somebody would sue for if this were the USA. It's hard to believe it made it so far.

insulting a little kid for his eating habits was an over reaction...when eating fried chicken or french fries do you use your hands or the knife fork combination? are you not a canadian if you choose one over the other?...I know a multi-generation Canadian woman who eats "everything" with her hands I'm rather disgusted with it but I don't say anything it's none of my concern...if someone told me to eat like a canadian I'd tell'm to go f*** themselves, a little kid doesn't have this option...

[Argus]

I'm rather disgusted with it but I don't say anything it's none of my concern...if someone told me to eat like a canadian I'd tell'm to go f*** themselves, a little kid doesn't have this option...

Because so many parents have none, it has become the job of schools to teach kids manners.

[Argus]

I'm all for teaching manners in school, but being told to 'eat like a Canadian'... seems like something somebody would sue for if this were the USA. It's hard to believe it made it so far.

More specifically, he was told to stop eating like a pig. Now if I'd been told that in school I'd have tried to eat less messily. Clearly what happened here is the little wimp ran home crying to mom, who ran down to the school to complain to the principle. "he should eat like a Canadian" is also pretty clearly the response the principal made when she complained that her son was eating like Filipinos eat.

[g_bambino]

I'm all for teaching manners in school, but being told to 'eat like a Canadian'... seems like something somebody would sue for if this were the USA. It's hard to believe it made it so far.

The article is rife with words like "alleged" and "supposedly", so it's hard for me to even believe the command "eat like a Canadian" was ever uttered. If it was: yes, it's a pretty boorish way to try and teach a child table manners. Could it ever cause 17,000 (tax) dollars worth of emotional torment to hapless immigrant babes? No.

[Michael Hardner]

Could it ever cause 17,000 (tax) dollars worth of emotional torment to hapless immigrant babes? No.

Could you imagine the amount that would be filled by a sanguine lawyer stateside, though...

Edited April 26, 2010 by Michael Hardner

[wyly]

Could it ever cause 17,000 (tax) dollars worth of emotional torment to hapless immigrant babes? No.

absolutely it could,seemingly minor incidents affect people in different ways... I've had singular incidents I suffered as a child effect me my entire life... your personality is shaped by your life's experiences and those experienced by a child come at a very significant time in their development..

the settlement should be seen as punitive regardless...

[g_bambino]

absolutely it could,seemingly minor incidents affect people in different ways... I've had singular incidents I suffered as a child effect me my entire life... your personality is shaped by your life's experiences and those experienced by a child come at a very significant time in their development..

And when did toughening-up cease to be a part of life experience? Still assuming the event took place as the plaintiff described, it would have been better for the child to have learned that the solution to every problem in life isn't to whine "raaaacisssm" until cash money comes forth.

[jbg]

And when did toughening-up cease to be a part of life experience? Still assuming the event took place as the plaintiff described, it would have been better for the child to have learned that the solution to every problem in life isn't to whine "raaaacisssm" until cash money comes forth.

I agree. One of the reasons I don't like HRC's is that people don't learn that sometimes they have to deal with havin gtheir feelings hurt. It would be a better world if no one's feelings were ever hurt but that's not the way life is.

[bloodyminded]

I wonder if people who support the HRCs feel they are somehow magically immune to what can conceivably be an absurd, stressful and expensive outrage against themselves?

[Michael Hardner]

I wonder if people who support the HRCs feel they are somehow magically immune to what can conceivably be an absurd, stressful and expensive outrage against themselves?

Nobody thinks they would be investigated, and few *are* really. I think they are a good idea for mediating small disagreements but that they overstep their bounds sometimes.

[g_bambino]

I think they are a good idea for mediating small disagreements but that they overstep their bounds sometimes.

Perhaps they overstep their bounds sometimes because they get mislead by the incongruously grandeose title of "Human Rights Commission". It belittles the concept of human rights when someone being (allegedly) told to "eat like a Canadian" is placed within its reach, right up there with genocide and dictatorship.

[jbg]

I wonder if people who support the HRCs feel they are somehow magically immune to what can conceivably be an absurd, stressful and expensive outrage against themselves?

Nobody thinks they would be investigated, and few *are* really. I think they are a good idea for mediating small disagreements but that they overstep their bounds sometimes.

I'm with bloodyminded on this (a rare occasion). If there powers were limited to "mediation" I would agree with Mr. Hardner, but if they have the power to issue binding rulings the result can more easily be "an absurd, stressful and expensive outrage". And further, why should anyone have to debate the merits of their free speech rights?

[gutb]

The Human Right Commission system isn't the problem, it's the extremely broad and powerful laws that it's armed with.