Check It Out: Freedom of speech enables citizens to stand against injustice

By Joan Janzen

I have no idea who penned this quote, but it’s worth sharing: “If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader. Sell ice cream.”

When the word ‘leader’ is mentioned, people tend to think of politicians. However, the world needs more everyday citizens who stand up for injustice and unintentionally become leaders in the process.

Meanwhile, political leaders in Canada are ensuring that there are a mountain of issues vying for our attention. One hot topic is Bill C-63, which Andrew Lawton discussed online. The new category of so-called hate speech effectively means the government would become the arbiter of what you can and cannot say online.

Freedom of speech is necessary for everyday citizens to stand up against injustice. However people are less likely to voice their opinions if it’s possible for individuals to anonymously call out their words as hate speech. Anything could be tagged as hate speech, from a well-meaning comment to a quoted verse from the Bible.

People who stand up for injustice invariably receive opposition, as evident in the case of Riley Gains, an American swimming champion who has been sharing her life experience for the past two years.

She came from a family of professional football players, gymnasts and softball players. She began swimming at age four, and by the age of eight was swimming year round. She described the process in an interview with Jordan Peterson.

During middle school and high school she was practicing before school and after school. “No one forced me. I loved practicing. There’s no better feeling than achieving your goal,” she said. “I made it my goal to become a national champion.”

By her senior year, she was at her peak and was rated third in the country. She grew up with her competitors and was familiar with most of them, except for a new competitor who appeared in 2022.

The 6 foot 4 inch individual had ranked 462nd in national men’s competition in 2021. In 2022 the same person was winning by seconds in the women’s competition. “He won the championship; he beat everyone,” Riley said. One of her competitors tearfully told Riley, “I just got beat by someone who didn’t even have to try.”

“In the next day of competition I competed against this individual. We raced and tied to the exact same time. That never happens in swimming,” she said. But at the awards podium there was only one trophy and it went to Riley’s opponent. When she asked why, she was told it was necessary that her opponent have the trophy for the photos.

Now, Riley is standing up for both present and future female athletes. In an interview with Dr. Josh Axe, she explained why.

“The governing bodies can keep them quiet. They’re doing it, and it’s working. I’m fighting for them. This is not about personal gain; I’m doing it for the next generation,” she explained.

“This stance I’ve taken comes with vitriol, hate mail, drones flying over my house, being punched and spit on. It’s not pleasant by any means,” she admitted. But she said so many people are desperate to hear people who are taking a stand for what’s right and fair. “And in my case, I have the lived experience,” she added. “The petty personal attacks and comments on social media pale in comparison to fighting for what’s right.”

Which brings us back to the damage Bill C-63 could inflict on Canadians. Petty personal attacks and comments on social media could become anonymous criminal charges against Canadians who stand up against injustice.

“My dad always said, ‘If you’re going to complain, then do something about it’. Courage is having fear, but still be willing to do what’s right,” Riley said.

She admits name calling and physical attacks can be scary, “But what’s scarier to me is not standing for the truth. That’s what keeps me grounded,” she said.

There are plenty of examples of societies that don’t enjoy free speech. The UK has been one of the worst where police are knocking on people’s doors because of a comment made on social media. This reporting system results in people going to court, being heavily fined or jailed, and having a police record even though they’ve done nothing illegal.

There will always be people who are quick to offer criticism. A citizen from the UK named Nicky Gumbel once said, “When people praise you, don’t let it go to your head. When they criticize you, don’t let it get to your heart.”

Josh Dehaas from the Canadian Constitution Foundation, expressed his thoughts on Bill C-63 in an interview on Faytene TV. “A digital safety commission is going to lead a culture of people being even less willing to dialogue with people of opposing viewpoints. You can’t stop people from having opinions; instead, you suppress them and let it fester. What this bill does is make it frightening to actually express points of view. And I don’t think we’ll get anywhere if we can’t have those debates. Those aspects of the bill need to be removed, and the child exploitation portion needs to be separate,” he reasoned.

Although it costs nothing for someone to have their frivolous complaint against someone investigated, we, the taxpayers, will be paying for the investigation of those complaints.