Vive Le Canada

Student Suspended 3 Days For Questioning Government Spending

Posted on Thursday, February 17 at 10:27 by drcaleb
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1108648196298_6/?hub=Canada And a related article: Hearing the story on CBC Radio Thursday morning, Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson called to give her view of the events. She said she didn't hear Patfield's question, and if she had, she would have been happy to answer it. "There's nothing wrong with the question. Everybody has a right to ask that question. If I had heard that question, I would have answered it immediately, because it shows an interest in how the Governor General's office works. "I do not interpret it as impertinent. I think that one should learn young that freedom of speech and expression in this country is one of the most important freedoms that we have." http://ottawa.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ot-gg20050217

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  1. by avatar lesouris
    Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:10 am
    The student was never actually suspended from school, that was only a rumour. The student shouldn't have been rushed out of Rideau Hall, but I have to say that he was a little rude. I mean, the Governor General is the de facto head of state of this country, she deserves some respect. Maybe if our school system actually taught this kind of stuff, he would have known that asking that question was inappropriate in her presence so loudly. That being said, he was perfectly within his rights to say what he said; manners are not law. Maybe his teacher should be asking him/herself why he didn't know the role of the GG before he went to her Residence.

    ---
    "But I want to remind you: that you can lock up a mouse or a man but you can't lock up an idea." - Tommy Douglas

  2. by Anonymous
    Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:08 pm
    Free speech has in many ways been replaced by obnoxious behaviour for its own sake that is defended as though it were philisophically equivalent to free speech. Today though, insults get attention and non-mainstream ideas get condemned.

    Imagine if this kid said something like "hey, isn't that our Catholic Prime Minister who supports abortion" within earshot of the PM for example - the press would 'go negative' on his butt pretty quickly, paint him as a brainwashed child of christian fundamentalists and lament at how it's sad that they're allowed to raise their own children.

    That might not be the best example, but in any case, rude is just rude, it's not the holy grail of free speech.



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