Wednesday, August 28, 2019

To maintain law and order, not be thought and speech police

Yesterday
Global News August 27 2019

Simon Little article cited

Cited 

A woman filmed going on a racist rant in Richmond last week will not face charges, RCMP confirmed Monday. The incident took place on Friday, Aug. 23 in a parking lot outside the Richlea Square Shopping Centre.

Cited 

Fang Xu, the husband of the woman who filmed the video, told Global News it happened when his wife Amy approached a white woman whose car had nudged theirs in the lot.

Cited 

In the video, the white woman can be heard saying “go back to China where you belong,” “we don’t want you here because you can’t drive,” and calling her a “ch—y ch—y China lady.” However, Richmond RCMP said while “the contents of the video and interaction is disturbing and troubling,” no charges would be laid. 

Police said the determination was made in consultation with the BC Prosecution Service, noting that the incident does not meet the threshold for a criminal charge. “We can appreciate that the community here in Richmond and the extended community online feels strongly about comments made in the video, but we would certainly not wish for anyone to cross the line from spirited conversation to criminal cyberbullying,” said Insp. Sunny Parmar in a media release.

Cited

There is no actual listing in the Criminal Code of Canada for a “hate crime,” though the law does offer sentencing guidelines for people who commit other crimes in which hatred is a motivating factor. The code also does criminalize a group of specific, particularly hateful acts: advocating genocide against a group, public incitement of hatred likely to cause a breach of peace and willful promotion of hatred outside of a private conversation.
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For various reasons, I disagree with the racist comments, but non-exhaustively...

From a secular perspective, Canada is largely a nation of immigrants (similar to much of the western world), and this means people of various ethic origins legally constitute this country.

There is empirically and scientifically one humanity and one human race.

From a Christian and biblical perspective, there is just one humanity, ontologically, based on the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 1) and the New Testament.

In the New Testament, by believing in and following Jesus Christ there is only one type of saved human being as in Galatians 3: 28. This means all people, all of humanity, are either saved in Jesus Christ, through his applied atoning and resurrection work, or are not saved in Jesus Christ though that work, because it has not been applied by grace through faith.

As was explained on the Global News television version of this story, yesterday and today, (paraphrased) the peace was not disturbed by this racist rant. In other words, law and order was not disturbed by this racist rant.

a breach of peace did not occur.

Those on Global News television noted, that wanted (often in anger) criminal charges for the woman that made the racial rants in the story should (prayerfully!) rethink their positions.

If British Columbians and Canadians begin to be punished for thought and speech 'crimes', this would significantly risk liberty and democracy!

So, should someone be arrested, charged and found guilty by the State for having views that are hurtful, disagreeable and not in agreement with what is politically correct?

Should all hate be punishable, or just hate that disturbs law and order?

An aspect of living in a democracy is the toleration of thought and speech; even thought and speech that can be demonstrated as in error though the use of reason, premises and conclusions.

As I reason is the case with the racist rant documented in this story.

The minority view (s) should be protected as well, within a democracy. As long as law and order is maintained in the process.

Historically, have the powers that be, that control (controlled) the State and influence the media, society and culture always been shown to be morally and ethically, right, historically?

Think of the Church-State (s) in medieval Europe, fascism, communism and many times, modern western governments. Our very own governments have erred. The voters have erred at some points too.

Let us be humble here and admit that from a secular perspective, humanity is finite and imperfect.

From a Christian perspective, humanity is finite and sinful.

I am a biblical Christian of a Reformed tradition, but I tolerate the views of others within law and order and expect my views to be tolerated as well, within law and order.

The rights of others should be respected. Personally, my morality and ethic is to love my neighbour as I love myself, as is the command in the synoptic gospels.

Romans 13 in the New Testament commands the Christian believer to obey the State as it maintains law and order.

It is law and order that needs to be maintained by the State; not political correctness. The governments within Canada and its police should protect those within by maintaining law and order, but not by becoming thought and speech police.

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