I don’t really know. Like you, I’ve absorbed a lot of American TV. Certainly the Second and Fifth Amendments don’t apply, and free speech is a bit more limited.
Nice one @anon87143080!! I’d forgotten that one.
Good article! The (PE) Trudeau Salute was a big deal in Western Canada then and the sentiment remains strong; probably on both sides.
“To critics, it became the defining image of a Quebec elitist exhibiting his contempt for the West.”
I actually don’t think speech is more limited here, it’s just defined differently. I mean I guess it’s more limited in the sense that we don’t define speech in insane ways like saying a dollar spent by a corporation is speech (thanks Citizens United). Americans limit speech in a lot of ways, just different ways. Worse ways, IMHO, but that’s a conversation for another thread.
I was thinking of the fact that Canada has clearer definitions of hate speech, but you are right that we haven’t got to the point of saying money is speech. Yet.
Yah, Canada has much stronger definitions there. The US does actually have some laws around inciting violence and such, notably Brandenburg v. Ohio which actually overturned a more restrictive decision, Schenk v United States which was the famous “you can’t shout fire in a crowded theatre” case that most Americans still think is on the books. Someone upthread said Canadians probably don’t really know what rights they have because of American culture, but amusingly I don’t think most Americans know either. You absolutely can shout fire in a crowded theatre, since 1969 anyway.
Anyways, this is all flirting with a thread derail so I’ll leave it here. I’m personally quite fond of Canada’s stance on hate speech but also glad I can officially now flip twin birds at Convoyers.
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