Better is together
Nobody is taking offence to freedom of expression. For someone to say that is the issue at hand shows a complete lack of understanding of the issue.
This letter is in response to the recent letter “Shame on Sportsnet for firing Don Cherry.”
The letter I am responding to is quite short, so I am going to take the liberty of responding to most of it directly.
“How dare Sportsnet fire Don Cherry, a native-born Canadian who supports our veterans all year long.”
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty service.
Like all modern employers, they would have a set of rules/ regulations on employee behaviour and conduct that is mandatory for all employees, period.
With Don Cherry’s termination, it was made abundantly clear Sportsnet determined that he failed to meet the criteria for continued employment with Sportsnet and what we have seen is a fulfilment of that view.
The author of the original letter specifically remarks on Don Cherry being native-born. What’s the implication one immediately draws from this rather unnecessary detail?
For me, it is that a native-born Canadian being fired from a job is more shocking than a Canadian not born in Canada, or a permanent resident.
That is a frankly appalling view to believe and spread. The last part of that sentence states “who supports our veterans all year long.”
Thank you for that support,
Don Cherry. In whatever form it took, however, that isn’t the issue at play.
The issue is the disseminating of false information, racism and the bigoted language he used on “Coach’s Corner.”
He never apologized, and therefore showed no remorse of any kind (until after he was fired, marginally), so we spoke out against his employment for good reason, because why would we want to see awful messages like that on our respective televisions?
“Sportsnet is not supporting free speech for native-born Canadians but only for immigrants.”
Canada doesn’t have freedom of speech or free speech in the sense that the United States does; we have what’s called Freedom of Expression and it is a fundamental freedom protected by Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It also doesn’t give anyone job security, just like in the United States. See my response above for job security and saying what you want.
“They slapped our veterans in the face by doing it on Remembrance Day.”
There is no evidence supporting this position. Cherry disseminated false information — there is no compelling evidence supporting his claim of people not supporting our veterans and military.
In addition, veteran-supporting organizations like the Legion have come out against what Cherry has said.
“I agree he should not have used the phrase ‘you people,’ but anybody that takes offence against free speech might do well to return to their country of origin.”
Nobody is taking offence to freedom of expression. For someone to say that is the issue at hand shows a complete lack of understanding of the issue. I am not even going to speak to the second part of that sentence, because it is contrary to the values of a multicultural Canada that all of us should cherish, and it is, quite frankly, disgusting.
“They are constantly crying that we hate them and native-born Canadians commit hate crimes against them. I do not hate them. The majority of them are really good for our country. Remember the phrase we used when we were children: ‘Sticks and Stone may break my bones but words can never hurt me.’”
The closing to this article is not really clear, but I will end on this: as much as that age-old phrase is said to children, it still rings hollow.
Words do hurt, they hurt a lot because they have meaning. So, let’s move forward from this with the understanding that Don Cherry’s fundamental freedom of expression has not been infringed upon. New Canadians, permanent residents, those hoping to become Canadians someday, and those who support them, are not limiting freedom of expression, but are fighting for the strong multicultural Canada that we should hold dear.
Better is together, let us never forget that.
Matthew K. Babb St. John’s