I am both amazed and disappointed by the campaign to have the BC Liberal Party dismiss incumbent MLA Laurie Throness as Liberal candidate in Chilliwack-Kent. Mr. Throness’s supposed despicable deed was to place an ad in Light Magazine, one of many fine religious periodicals with its own statement of beliefs.
These critics fail to understand the fundamental difference between placing an ad and supporting a viewpoint. An ad is a means to reach a particular audience, it’s not an endorsement of anything. Not surprisingly, in scanning issues of Light Magazine I noted ads for an auto-body shop, a trampoline park, a food bank, the Victoria Bug Zoo, a Golf & Banquet Centre and many more. I even found “a word from Richmond’s mayor”. Should these all now be boycotted for advertising in Light Magazine?
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When I ran successfully to be an Abbotsford City Councillor I placed an ad in Punjabi Patrika. Was I thereby endorsing the perspective of that fine magazine? Of course not. Give your heads a shake, you critics. An ad is placed to reach a particular audience, not to endorse a world view or ethical system.
Do these self-appointed, ill-informed arbiters of print morality also go after Catholics and Sikh candidates? The fine candidates from these religious groups not only place ads, they actually are members of religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage, abortion, and conversion therapy? Or do these misguided critics only go after evangelical Christians?
It seems that these particular LGBTQ leaders champion free speech but only if the speech involved agrees with their own.
Frankly, I am tired of the intolerance, discrimination, bigotry, and slandering of some of the finest politicians in the land including Laurie Throness!
John H. Redekop
Wilfrid Laurier University professor emeritus in political science
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