Saturday, July 19, 2008

Rex Murphy's excellent essay

"This is one of the less-noticed glories of the Canadian human-rights insanity. Complainants float unburdened like puffballs in a summer breeze – blowing whither they list. Targets – Catholic bishops, Catholic magazines, fundamentalist pastors, genital surgeons, heckled comedians, school boards, fast-food joints, school-prom nights, Maclean's magazine – empty bank machines and call in lawyers while the “leisurely” process unfurls in an eerie, Kafkaesque slow motion."

I think, quite possibly, this is the very best take yet on the "human rights" nonsense.

Oh, and check out the comments. I loved this one:

"David Gibson from Canada writes: 'Human rights' legislation is the toilet paper of philosophy."

(via Instapundit, Blazing Cat Fur, Covenant Zone and others)

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Rex. He's so good at doing what he does.

And the accent!

Anonymous said...

"David Gibson from Canada writes: 'Human rights' legislation is the toilet paper of philosophy"

That's just great!

Eowyn said...

Walker, I'm new to him, but concur totally. What a writer!

Remember when you and I were of the same mind about the caliber of writing at Covenant Zone? I feel the same way now. I only WISH I could put words together that well.

("Accent" ... ? Want to know what I'm missing here!)

Chris, is that, or is that not, one of the best statements ever? :)

Anonymous said...

Ambrose Bierceish.

Eowyn said...

Chris,

Mark Twain with a twist ;)

"Good-bye — if you hear of my being stood up against a Mexican stone wall and shot to rags please know that I think that a pretty good way to depart this life. It beats old age, disease, or falling down the cellar stairs. To be a Gringo in Mexico—ah, that is euthanasia!"

Anonymous said...

I haven't had a huge amount of experience with Rex, either, but what I've heard/read, has been pretty good.

It's sort of the same with Michael Coren, for me.

But as for his accent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOQAheSQXs0


I find that the way that he speaks is the way that he writes, in a way.

Eowyn said...

Ah, Walker -- see what you mean.

Charles Henry said...

Eowyn, Rex Murphy is from our island province of Newfoundland, and theirs is a most delightful accent indeed.
From your previous trips to eastern Canada you would be very interested in Newfoundland, I think. (It's where the Vikings landed... or so the story goes)

Here's a great book to read about that special place. If only the rest of Canada were like this:

http://tinyurl.com/6o84xw

Also, Rex Murphy has a national radio talk show that he does for our CBC AM radio on Sunday afternoons, called "Cross-Country Check-Up". It's probably available through online streaming, if you'd be interested in hearing him use that vocabulary, filtered through that accent, in regular conversation.

Eowyn said...

Thanks for the heads up, Charles Henry!