A rchive Date
[ 09-06-2000 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ Canada ]
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[Standard nonsense
By R. CORT KIRKWOOD-- Ottawa Sun
June 4, 2000
Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the American radio talk-show host whose program airs in Halifax, Toronto and on 580 CFRA in Ottawa, has opinions on just about everything, and one of them recently raised the ears of an outfit called the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council.
The CBSC's name makes it sound like a panel on the prowl for indecency, but alas, it doesn't much concern itself with that. When the good doctor's comments about homosexuals wafted under the snout of the CBSC, the watchdog of the Great White North sniffed something foul.
Dr. Laura, the CBSC woofed in early May, is beyond the pale. After receiving a complaint about her views on homosexual behaviour, the CBSC unleashed a "decision" that she violated its human rights code protecting homosexuals from criticism.
To put it in the bureaucratese of the CBSC, "her consistent characterization (on the episodes reviewed) of the sexual behaviour of gays and lesbians as "abnormal," "aberrant," "deviant," "disordered," "dysfunctional," "an error" or the like constituted abusively discriminatory [sic] of those persons on the basis of their sexual orientation.
As a result, Schlessinger's comments were determined to be in violation of the human rights provision of the CAB Code of Ethics" and also "constituted an unfair or improper expression of opinion or comment ...."
The CBSC also observed that Dr. Laura's credentials are suspect and that her views are out of step with the times: "[They are] more than a quarter of a century out of date in the opinion of the professional psychiatric and psychological associations."
As well, the body noted that Canadians respect free speech but do not "worship it," so regardless of whether such opinions should be protected in a free society, "it would be no consolation for those in pain that the inflictors induced that agony in the presumed exercise of their freedom."
This poppycock from the CBSC would be laughable if it weren't from an institution in a free society. But it also begs the question of what kind of opinions on sexual deviance are acceptable for the CBSC, which miscast the nature and origin of Dr. Laura's opinions.
In the main, she is a moralist who believes in God. Dr. Laura thinks homosexual behaviour is unhealthy not only physically and psychologically but also spiritually.
Like millions of Americans and Canadians, especially her listeners, she believes it is a sin.So whether she is out of step with modern psychology is immaterial. So is much of Catholic doctrine. So too is Islam. One wonders what would befall a priest who said homosexual behaviour is an "objectively disordered act" or an imam who called it an abomination.
Can Dr. Laura or any other radio talk show host even suggest homosexual behaviour is "morally wrong?" Or is this too offensive for sensitive ears, and if so, what other behaviour is protected by the bowdlerizers at the CBSC? Bestiality? Necrophilia? Coprophilia? Yet the CBSC's decision isn't just stupid. It's offensive to millions of Canadians, not that they matter much. "The sexual practices of gays and lesbians," the CBSC avers, "are as much a part of their being as the colour of one's skin or the gender, religion, age or ethnicity of an individual."
Orthodox Christians and Jews will be glad to hear that homosexuality is akin to prayer, womanhood and having black skin. The CBSC probably doesn't know it, but skin colour and sex are immutable characteristics that cannot be changed or controlled. Sexual behaviour can be changed and controlled.
Amusingly, at the same website where Canada's broadcast police read Dr. Laura the riot act, they explained why they couldn't censure a pornographic movie, offering this advice to offended viewers: "The Council's position is that the complainant must resort to the on/off switch."
That sounds like good advice for those who don't like Dr.Laura.
Kirkwood writes on U.S. affairs for the Sun. Letters to the editor should be sent to oped@sunpub.com
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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