Offence intended

We seem to be living -- in Canada even more so than in the U.S.A. -- in an age and a society where no-one should ever be offended by anything, anytime, anywhere. In one translation of the Our Father, we ask God to "pardon us our offences", and indeed, we seem to spend a lot of time apologizing, now, for any offence we might have caused, even inadvertently, by anything we say or do.

Walt will not apologize! There are, in my view, lots of people, organizations and institutions that richly deserve offence...and lots of it!

As W.S. Gilbert wrote "I've got a little list..." Except it's not so little, and it grows every day. If you click on any on Walt's list of tags -- anything from Ablonczy to Zimbabwe -- there's about a 50/50 chance that you'll be led to at least one offensive statement. I try to leave no sacred ox ungored and no latter-day saint unstoned. Everyone, especially those in the highest places, needs a good swift kick in the shorts occasionally.

Yet there are those who say that we shouldn't say unkind things about the Greatest Living American and Leader of the Free World, or the Governor-General of Canada who is a Credit to Her Race. Indeed, it's all we can do, these days, to mention that Mr. Obama and Ms. Jean are... er... black.

To those who think we ought no longer to mix vitriol with printer's ink, I commend this thought from The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, by Philip Pullman:

“No one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to live their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it and if they open it and read it, they don't have to like it, and if you read it and dislike it, you don't have to remain silent about it. You can write to me to complain about it. You can write to the publisher. You can write to the papers. You can write your own book. You can do all those things, but there your rights stop. No one has the right to stop me writing this book. No one has the right to stop it being published or sold. Or bought or read.”

I have not read Mr. Pullman's book. From its title, I assume I would find it offensive. But, as he says, I don't have to read it. Nor would I try to stop its publication or ban its distribution. Nor would I report Mr. Pullman to one of our busybody human rights commissions. Let him say what he likes. Me too. That's what freedom of speech is all about.

Footnote: Where did I get the quote? From a fine piece by Tabatha Southey headlined "Canadian ruling on ‘offensive' comedy is a gag - but it's no joke", in the Globe & Mail April 2nd.