A society that tolerates intolerance – as we now do – can pass as many laws as it likes against “hate” but it won’t reduce hate-motivated crimes.

We have never had as many laws against hate as exist today in Canada and yet we have never seen more hatred on our streets – as illustrated yet again by Saturday’s annual hate-fest known as the Al-Quds Day rally in Toronto outside the U.S. consulate, which was recently shot up.

GOLDSTEIN: Al-Quds Day shows how Canada tolerates intolerance Back to video

That’s why the federal government’s promises of ever more legislation against hate are as meaningless as the politicians who keep insisting that expressions of hatred in Canada today and, more important, actual criminal offences motivated by hate, are “not who we are.”

That’s exactly who we are – or, more accurately, what we’ve become.

We already have all sorts of laws against hate and, more importantly, all sorts of severe sentences on the books........

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