Today’s Lynch List – Stephen Boissoin edition, part II

Alright, here we go. The coverage just keeps comin’. I’ll just give you the straight links – there are too many for anything else, really.

Americans for Truth – Canadian Group Celebrates Stephen Boissoin’s Victory over ‘Hate Speech’ Charge for Writing Letter against Homosexuality

USLaw.com – Pastor Boissoin exonerated: Judge rules letter on homosexuality not ?hate? speech

Ezra Levant – Rev. Stephen Boisso:in’s conviction overturned:

Late last week, the Court of Queen’s Bench overturned the Alberta Human Rights Commission’s “hate speech” conviction of Rev. Stephen Boissoin.

Long-time readers of this blog, and readers of my book, will know the case of Rev. Boissoin well. He was a youth pastor who wrote a letter to the editor of the Red Deer Advocate in 2002 that was critical of the “gay agenda”. You can read that letter in full here. He was sentenced to a lifetime speech ban, barring him from ever saying anything negative about gays again, in public or private, for the rest of his life. Oh — and he had to write a false letter of apology, renouncing his faith on the matter.

So here we are, more than seven years later, and Rev. Boissoin has finally been acquitted. And that’s if his tormentor, the anti-Christian bigot Darren Lund, doesn’t choose to appeal this new ruling.

So lesson number one here is that the process is the punishment.

Rev. Boissoin had seven years of his life wasted — seven years in which he bore the stigma of being called, by the state, an illegal “hater”. And Rev. Boissoin had to bear the enormous legal costs — first, of his kangaroo court trial, then of his appeal — on his own. (I’m glad to have participated in three fundraising dinners for him this summer.) By contrast, his antagonist didn’t have to spend a dime to drag Rev. Boissoin through the mud of the HRC. And note page 37 of the ruling: though Rev. Boissoin’s conviction was demolished by the judge, page after page; though Rev. Boissoin was clearly mistreated and abused by the HRC; though the judge’s contempt for the HRC’s outrageous behaviour is palpable, Rev. Boissoin was denied his request for all his costs to be paid.

In other words: Darren Lund actually won.

So we know that there are two ways to beat an HRC. The first is to embarrass the hell out of them, like I did. That’s the only reason they dropped their case against me.

The other way is to fight it all the way to a real court — seven years — spending money that you don’t have, to finally get justice.

I’ve read the ruling. I don’t propose to go through it line by line, though it’s wonderful (I recommend this great exegesis by young Rebekah). It’s great: it mocks the HRC’s procedure; mocks their utter lack of legal smarts; mocks their disregard for trifles like evidence; mocks their arrogant attempt to be real police and real courts; mockes their bizarre and illegal punishments.

Read the rest here.

ABlawg.ca – Court upholds Alberta’s Hate Speech Law

Tips-Q – Canadian Group Celebrates Stephen Boissoin’s Victory over ‘Hate Speech’ Charge for Writing Letter against Homosexuality

ADF Alliance Alert – Pastor Boissoin exonerated: Judge rules letter on homosexuality not “hate” speech

Queerty – Canada Won’t Punish This Ex-Pastor For His Anti-Gay Letter. This Is Good

The National Post – National Post editorial board: From Alberta, a win for justice

LifeSiteNews.com – Pastor Boissoin’s Lawyer: Case Will Positively Impact Religious Freedom in Canada

Persecuted Church Weblog – Alberta judge overturns hate speech ruling

Russ Campbell – Canadian human rights community: sanity prevails

Internet Scofflaw – Speech ban overturned

Ex-Gay Watch – VP of Exodus describes hate speech as ‘difference of opinion’

Clipmarks.com – Rev. Stephen Boissoin’s conviction overturned

Patrick Ross, for the Edmonton Conservative Examiner – What Lies Ahead For Alberta’s Human Rights Commission

Womanist Musings –   Only in Alberta Could Hate Speech Against the LGBT Community Constitute A Victory

Blazing Cat Fur – More on the significance of the Boissoin Ruling – and Ruling against Human Rights panel seen as victory for free speech

Lorne Gunter, in the Edmonton Journal – Commission gets judicial thrashing

Five Feet of Fury – Ezra Levant on the Rev. Boissoin decision: ‘Darren Lund actually won’

ADF Alliance Alert – Free speech trumps ‘hate speech’ in ADF-backed Canadian legal victory

Anglican Mainstream – Canadian pastor cleared of ‘hate crime’ after 7 years

BCNNI.com – Canadian Pastor Exonerated After Judge Rules his Letter on Homosexuality Was Not Hate Speech

The Words on What… – Court overrules Alberta HRC

Canadianactivist’s Blog – Fw: TONIGHT!! MUST LISTEN! RoadKill Radio RUMBLE!!

CitizenLink.com – Good News: Canadian Pastor Cleared in Hate-Speech Case

The Canadian Journalism Project – Court rules anti-gay letter wasn’t hate speech

Wintery Knight – Mark Steyn discusses pastor Stephen Boissoin’s victory against the HRCs

Modern Pharisee – Canadian Pastor cleared of Hate Crime against Homosexuals

The Christian Post – Pastor Acquitted of Hate Crime Charge in Canada

Post-Darwinist – Intellectual freedom in Canada: Boissoin freed from “human rights” kangaroo court by real court – but doubtful victory, insiders say

The Black Kettle – Rev. Stephen Boissoin’s conviction overturned

CTV – Alberta judge rules anti-gay letter not hate speech

The Politics of the Cross Resurrected – Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Re-affirms Free Speech: Boissoin Vindicated!

Dispatches From the Culture Wars – Boissoin Wins Important Free Speech Victory

Canadian Cynic – Ezra Levant: Liar.

WorldNetDaily – ‘Hate speech’ penalties tossed by appeals court

The Black Kettle – The Persecution & Prayer Alert

ABlawg.ca – Court of Queen’s Bench Overturns Panel Decision in Boissoin v. Lund

Contend4thFaith – CANADA RULING REVERSES ‘HATE’ RULING AGAINST PASTOR!

WorldNetDaily – Christians are the new Negro

GLBTQ – Canadian Gay News Headlines (T13T-4)

Xtra.ca – Stephen Boissoin on free speech, porn and his anti-gay letter

Kickin’ and Screamin’ – A FREE SPEECH WIN THAT ISN’T REALLY A WIN

Dr. Roy’s Thoughts – Rev Boissoin

The Libertas Post – Freedom Update

No Apologies – Stephen Boissoin’s legal counsel notes key points from court decision:

The decision of Justice Earl Wilson of the Court of Queen’s Bench in Boissoin v Lund will have a significant long term positive impact on religious freedom in Canada:

1. The decision established a very high threshold for the conclusion that a publication is in violation of the “hate” provisions of Alberta’s human rights laws. The prosecutor, Dr. Lund, told the Canadian Press that “If the language contained in the letter does not meet the threshold of hateful, I am not certain what possibly would.” If Dr. Lund is right, then there will be no further prosecutions. The decision of the Alberta Human Rights Commission to withdraw from the case suggests that the Commission learned from Dr. Lund’s mistake. There is no place for thought control in a free and democratic society.

Read the rest here.

OneNewsNow – Canada – opposition isn’t ‘hate’

Jesus Lives! – Pastor Acquitted of Hate Crime Charge in Canada

Last Day Watchers – Pastor Acquitted of Hate Crime Charge in Canada

Scaramouche – What Now For the AHRC?

World Mag – Free speech on trial north of the border

Stand Your Ground – Can We Beat A “Human Rights” Commission?