The Lynch List, 06-July-2010

I hope everyone out in Ontario is enjoying their fine summer weather…

First: A dog for every disability. After the brouhaha between the Roubles and Dee-Oh-Gee brought to light the rapidly expanding list of excuses to have a “service dog”, complaints are coming in fast and furious from non-blind disabled people who are refused service because of their dogs. The latest – a service poodle used by a hearing-impaired woman.

Second: What was traditionally over-the-fence disputes between neighbors is now the purview of Human Rights Commissions, courtesy of your tax dollars. From the “that person called me a nasty name” files:

Pattinson denied ever making the comments, testifying she had only encountered Patelas once while she was smoking on a balcony and another time while she was in the parking lot. Pattinson also testified that… she has never been employed by the apartment complex’s landlord or owner.

I wonder how much Pattinson has had to fork out in expenses and legal costs…

Third: In this brave new world, one concept that has been common sense for millenia is now completely, and utterly, dead, thanks to the Human Rights Commissions:

The Taylors, like anyone else, can choose to operate their business as they see fit.

Not in today’s Canada, they can’t.

Fourth: The CHRC is about to get dragged into reserve politics. This looks messy.

In complaints filed to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Kent says she has been discriminated against based on her family status. All four women are related to former band chief Tina Leveque, who was also part of the protest.

The saga highlights the sometimes nasty nature of reserve politics, in which rival factions or clans often see-saw back and forth into power and some band members are afraid to speak out for fear of losing housing privileges, school funding, or other services meted out by the chief and council.

Fifth: Northwest Territories gets their very first Christian-landlord-vs-gay-tenants case! Human rights bureaucrats and lawyers rejoice!