A historic Canadian university recently changed its name. First named after Egerton Ryerson, the 19th century journalist and polymath, promoter of education and free speech, it's been re-christened Toronto Metropolitan University so as to sound less "colonial".
Its new values are anti-racism, "equity", "indigenization" and other phrases we've become used to in government-speak.
George Brown College in Toronto also commits to anti-colonialism -- which it identifies with "anti-oppression". George Brown the person was another 19th century upholder of responsible government, literacy and journalism (founded Globe, forerunner of the Globe & Mail). George Brown College forbids "hate speech". It's not defined, but anyone with questions about what they may or may not say on campus must contact the "OAREHRS".
Any office with that many bureaucratic letters is sure no bastion of elegant speech. It means Office of Anti-racism, Equity and Human Rights Services -- and the cause it serves is not the cause of Civil Liberties. College staff are called Thought Leaders, and their mission is to "infuse anti-racism into everything we do".
"Thought-leadership"?? Is that a cousin of thought-control? And as for "mission to infuse" ... Doesn't such language trigger certain negative historic associations -- and dubious contemporary ones? Scary, to free-thinkers and civil liberties advocates.
And while institutions of higher learning compel speech and fiddle with "equity" obsessions, the Canadian government steals our freedom from surveillance -- but everyone's equally. (Check out Canada's Digital Identity Framework.)
Whatever happened to a university's job of promoting free exchange of ideas, open-minded discussion, non-ideological scholarship, and non-denial of historical fact? On those principles, rests civil liberty.
What passes for one group's "civil rights" may stand for another group's Civil Frights. People who value freedom of thought and speech are starting to be very afraid indeed.
Here's a list of Civil Frights of the moment:
Censorship
Religious fundamentalism
Group-think
Denial of reproductive choice
Gun-obsession
Surveillance
Digital Identity Programs
Feel free to add your own fears to the list.
