A recent investigation and prosecution by the Alberta Human Rights Commission was publicized locally by Darren Lund, the complainant and former Red Deer school teacher, while making a presentation at Red Deer’s museum on March 2.

The commission’s actions proved once again that human rights commissions, in all provinces including Alberta, are overstepping their mandate and using tax dollars to prosecute innocent citizens.

Why are they doing this? Because they want to promote their skewed ideology called “political correctness,” and impose by force of law, restraints on basic freedoms that are protected by the Charter: freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

Human rights commissions were established in the 1970s and were mandated to protect against discrimination in employment and accommodations.

These commissions are now stacked with activists who are ignoring their mandate.

They have made “hate” cases their main focus and the destruction of organized religion.

The most recent case involved a young Red Deer pastor’s remarks and a formal complaint by the Red Deer school teacher.

Pastor Steve Boissoin was a valuable young man to the our city, but he was vulnerable to an unkind and thoughtless complaint and subsequent prosecution.

Boissoin was vulnerable because he was a young man with a big heart and a very tiny bank account.

He was valuable to Red Deer because his full-time work was helping the teens in our city who live on the street.

His Red Deer charity was named the Upper Level Youth Centre and operated downtown for many years, until it had to finally close due to lack of funding.

Boissoin was the founder and managing director of the charity (I was on the board of directors.)

Boissoin, like all Christian leaders, gave his heart to his work. He was very aware of the pressing needs of the kids on the street. He gave them friendship, counselling, a safe place to hang out with their peers, a music studio and dance floor, a fitness gymnasium, a reading room, and an opportunity to interact with employees and volunteers of Upper Level Youth Centre.

The kids’ safety was a prime concern of Boissoin because he knew firsthand of the dangers of life on the street: sexual abuse by perverts, both straight and gay, drug pushers, booze, homelessness, loneliness and bullying. Boissoin and his staff protected them.

The charges by the Alberta Human Rights Commission, hate speech, was a big stretch legally, and a social injustice morally. It has been a dark financial cloud hanging over Boissoin’s head for a long time and ended his invaluable work amongst our street kids.

Likely, the indictment has more to do with the commission trying to justify its existence than any resultant social benefit.

The fact that the human rights presentation at the museum was held in conjunction with the Auschwitz Eva Brewster Exhibit is another real stretch for our imagination.

Human Rights Commissions in Canada ought to cease to exist or at least cease to use provincial taxpayer dollars to fund their perverse agenda.

Jim Swan

Red Deer