Steyn: Happy Warrior and Major Mensch

So, I was one of the free speech groupie "butt plugs" who went to hear Mark Steyn at the Ontario Legislature. There has already been excellent and thorough coverage of the presentation by some of Canada's most fantastic bloggers-and a round up can be found at SteynOnLine. So, I would just like to add a few modest observations about the afternoon and the after-party. I really hope that the panelists digested Mark's observation that Ontario is promoting a system of judgement where the verdict is both assumed to be guilty always, and simultaneously irrelevant. As he rightly pointed out, the entire process is the punishment. In addition to the totalitarian ability to silence people's free thoughts-one of the only naturally G-d given rights we have, the process can crush innocent people financially and spiritualy. Everything goes back to individual rights, individual property rights and the power of freedom which is vested in our individual thoughts. Group rights must never trump this right. Mark emphatically stated that if you don't believe in free speech for the people you loathe, then you don't really believe in free speech at all. It's that simple. He suggested that if "Kommisar Hall" wants to persecute people for their beliefs, she should do it on her own dime. That uppity Steyn also had the nerve to suggest that the burden of proof be on the accuser! He questioned the integrity of the OHRC, noting that for people supposedly interested in "hate speech" and hurt speech, they didn't seem particularly interested when a raging, frothing crowd of keffiyeh-wearing Muslims called for a new and improved genocide against Jews in downtown Toronto. That had to hurt. Where was the OHRC when a man, of no particular race, religion or creed, was calling for the beheading of a Canadian government official? Crickets... One of the funniest parts of Mark's presentation was the way in which he continually refered to Barbara Hall as "Komissar Hall". I don't even think the pannelists actually caught the reference, they didn't flinch actually, but it was really hilarious. I am delighted that it will be transcribed as such in the official record. Afterwards, Mark hung around and answered some reporters questions. Then, he graciously agreed to go out for a drink with the groupies, and we walked to a nearby pub on an unusually mild and sunny February day. He was entertaining and inquisitive, and knew something pretty much about all the people in attendance, from having either read their blogs or their letters to the editor or perhaps letters to him. The conversation easily switched from the demographic time-bomb in Europe, to the perils of shaving goat butts, to the potential popularity of said shaved goats in the Middle East, to the dangers facing the Jews of England and France, the humourless militants lesbian activists we work with to Maclean's and back. He listened to our stories, shared his own insights with us as equals and even insisted on picking up the tab. Mark Steyn is intelligent, hilarious and gracious-a jack of all media trades with a clear handle on the big picture and a solid moral centre. The Jews in particular, and the Western world in general, are lucky to have such a giant on our side. This issue brought together a pretty crazy mix of people...the Indian Canadian, the Jew, the Catholics-the homo and heterosexual fans of Steyn-all because despite our backgrounds-we understand what is at stake. So thanks again Mark, for a really fantastic afternoon and keep up the good fight always.