The Lynch List, 10-Jan-2012

First: Not all candidates are always invited to all-candidates’ meetings, whether it be for a federal, provincial, or municipal election. Excluded candidates can only whine and complain from the sidelines, or maybe even get a protest letter published in the local paper. Unless you’re a member of a victim group, upon which you can persecute the unfortunate organizers with a human rights complaint.

Former Toronto mayoralty candidate JP Pampena, who is blind, was not included in a mayoralty debate hosted by Silver Springs Community Association. That prompted Pampena to launch a human rights complaint. Though the complaint has now been dismissed, this is what the respondent had to say. Sound familiar?

“But it shows how lopsided the process is, that anybody can launch a complaint and it is a freebie and the respondent has to go to great lengths to defend themselves and there is no compensation or funds to defend yourself,” he said.

Second: So far, Harper’s appointment of Shirish Chotalia to the CHRT chair has been a bust – but not so much because of her decisions. Two harassment investigations  against her have been substantiated, amidst more allegations of a “toxic” workplace. If I may play the devil’s advocate here, I kinda thought in human rights-land a woman of color like Chotalia is automatically the victim?

Third: Just what we need. More expansion of hate laws. Apparently some groups (Liberal women, in this case) believe people aren’t acknowledging their victim status  enough yet.

Fourth: Comic relief. A discussion on a Ladies Free Ski night in support of breast cancer research devolves into a discussion on whether it is sex discrimination. One poster provides the zinger:

1% of breast cancers occur in men. I guess breast cancer itself practices gender discrimination, for shame. Would you be happier if 1 in 100 men get to ski free as well?