Without diving down a rabbit-hole of legalese, Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives everyone in the country the right to think and believe anything so long as their expression of those thoughts or beliefs doesn’t cross what is considered “a reasonable limit” in a free and democratic society.
Anyone who has ever tried to decide the wording of a document in committee knows there are a lot of ways that “a reasonable limit” could be defined, which muddies the waters of what is considered acceptable and opens the door for people to push the limits. In the case of extremes it’s pretty easy, but the middle ground has been getting messy recently.
It’s important for people to be able to speak their minds honestly, but freedom of expression does not mean freedom from consequences. It’s worth checking your intentions before you strike
the match.
