The sooner the better

 The sooner the better

One cannot shout “fire!” in a crowded theatre where there is no fire and then expect to claim the right to freedom of speech.

Clearly, freedom of speech is a right we should all strenuously defend but we must recognize that even the right to freedom of speech has its limitations.

And so no one should  be allowed to post hate messages on social media and get away with it.

Former President Donald Trump, liar and racist extraordinaire, has been a prominent abuser of social media, tweeting his toxic messages to try and deceive the world.

He certainly succeeded in fooling a lot of people, among them his own  mis-guided supporters and members of what has been described as hate groups.

Although no Canadians have yet been identified as taking part in  the storming of the U.S. capital on January 6 last that left five people dead, let us not forget that the so-called Proud Boys, the white supremacist, neo-fascist group that originated in Canada, was among organizers of the pro-Trump rally..

The Canadian government  has been urged  to add that group to the country’s list of terrorists.

As we report in  this issue of The Caribbean Camera, members of Canada’s parliament have agreed to call on the federal Liberal government to formally designate the so-called Proud Boys a terrorist entity.

A motion, introduced by NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, which passed with unanimous consent in the House of Commons on Monday, calls upon the government to “use all available tools to address the proliferation of white supremacists and hate groups starting with  immediately designating the Proud Boys as a terrorist entity.”

We are told that the Trudeau government is now considering the matter.

The sooner the  better.

A recent poll conducted in the wake of the storming of the U.S. Capitol has found that most Canadians want government action against online hate.

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation, a Crown corporation tasked with fostering racial harmony and eliminating racism in Canada, surveyed 2,000 people  earlier this month, to get their opinion on the level of hate and racism on social media networks in the country.

The poll reported that 58 per cent felt hateful content on the internet was increasing, and 60 per cent wanted greater federal regulation.

We hope that that Trudeau government  is paying attention and will also take the necessary action  in tnis matter.

And again , the sooner the  better.