Hate Speech Amie OBrien Defined l A speech
Hate Speech Amie O’Brien
Defined l A speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
James Keegstra Background info: Keegstra was born in Vulcan, Alberta, March 30, 1934, l Dutch immigrant parents (members of the Dutch Reform Church) l Keegstra was an auto mechanic, a former mayor, and a high school teacher in the town of Eckville, Alberta James Keegstra l was a public school teacher in Eckville, Alberta, Canada, who was charged and convicted of hate speech in 1984. l The conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal but reinstated by the Supreme Court of Canada. l Became a landmark Canadian legal case.
James Keegstra l l l l He described Jews as "treacherous", "subversive", "sadistic", "moneyloving", "power hungry" and "child killers“. He taught his classes that the Jewish people seek to destroy Christianity and are responsible for depressions, anarchy, chaos, wars and revolution. According to Keegstra, the Jews "created the Holocaust to gain sympathy" He taught his students the myth of a Jewish world-conspiracy Keegstra expected his students to reproduce his teachings in class and on exams. If they failed to do so, their marks suffered. Keegstra attempted to have this charge dropped as a violation of his freedom of expression; this motion was denied, and he was convicted at trial. Many of his former students testified against him. Publicly stating that Keegstra had brought their town into disgrace
Initial trial l l On January 11, 1984 James Keegstra was charged with criminally promoting hatred against an identifiable group. The judge at his first trial in 1985 accepted none of these Charter objections. Keegstra was convicted by a jury and was fined $5000. the crime was found to be constitutional by a four to three majority. The Supreme Court of Canada sent the matter back to the Alberta Court of Appeal for determination of other issues.
Continued… l l l The retrial began in March 1992, seven years after the first trial, and this one lasted four months. (again found guilty and this time was sentenced to a $3000 fine. ) Keegstra appealed again to the Court of Appeal. (A new (third) trial was ordered. Procedural issues were dealt with at the Supreme Court of Canada. ) The following year, the Supreme Court of Canada answered another appeal
Aftermath of the Keegstra Case l l Jim Keegstra’s personal life was seriously impacted by this ordeal. He taught for only 14 years, (same length of the criminal process that dragged on) He would never teach again. became an embarrassment to his community.
Keegstra now l l l Age of 74 Keeps a low profile Listed as living in Red Deer, Alberta
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