Machete Attack Shows Lack of Tolerance

For those of you  wondering why the above headline appears on a conservative opinion website, wonder no longer: the above headline actually appeared in yesterday’s Ottawa Citizen, a leading Canadian newspaper.

The incident it refers to involved two student at Carleton University, known to be supporters of Israel, attacked by a group of antisemitic thugs early Monday morning.

So yes, it’s another chance to make fun of Canadians  (I mean, it’s not usually very difficult), but it signifies something much more troubling. How can a society this slavishly committed to political correctness actually deal with legitimate problems?

One of the main problems with political correctness, as I argued in Carolina Review‘s February issue, is that it prevents an open and meaningful discussion of real problems. Yes, the attackers did show a “lack of tolerance,” but that misses quite a few important steps. Hitler also showed a “lack of tolerance,” but only a fool would think that an absence of open-mindedness was his chief failing or the root of his problems.

Back to the preposterous opinion piece from yesterday:

People admire Canada for its tolerance and open-minded attitudes to all nations and to all peoples. Being a student does not give anyone the right to attack others for any reason including personal prejudice.

Can anyone really be so blind as to think that attempted murder is the result of a confusion about the rights of students?

May God help Frances Ross, the author of the piece, who clearly needs to wake up and smell the coffee.