Despotism is not a term widely used today. It is often applied pejoratively to a person, usually a head of state, who abuses their power and winds up oppressing the very people they are called upon to protect. It is associated with the word tyrant, and the institution of tyrannical rule. Despots, or despotic institutions, hold their power through intimidation and threat of punishment.
Historically, Canada has not known the rule of a despot or experienced the threat of despotism on its native soil. Thank God. The rule of law and the high levels of commitment Canadians have had to preserve and protect human rights ingrained within the Constitution have kept us free from the rise of tyrannical power. Until now.
I believe that the original intent of the framers of the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) was good and honourable. The vision, according to the official web site, was to ensure that “all [and I stress ‘all’] individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have, free from discrimination.”
The Canadian Human Rights Commission was formed and financed in 1977 to protect theses fundamental values. They refer legal cases of discrimination to Canadian Human Rights Tribunals (HRT) across Canada. These HRTs are made up of people who have been appointed (not elected) and who function independent from the Commission. Read the rest of this entry »
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