Nepean Redskins to Change Their Name After Rights Complaint Blackmail — Come On Hudak: Promise to Abolish the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Whatever use they might have served in the distant past — and I question that — human rights commissions have outlived their purpose. They provide privileged minorities a tool to harass and blackmail the majority. In a move that may well cost $100,000, the Nepean Redskins will change their name. One Ottawa Indian, musician Ian Campeau, found the name “offensive” and, when the team wouldn’t budge, filed a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

It cost him nothing but a letter. The Commission will do the legal work for him, If he loses, he pays no costs or penalty. From the get-go, all the costs are on the tream,. They must hire a lawyer, present a case, answer motions and correspondence and, eventually, appear before a tribunal. Even if they, win, they are out thousands, likely several tens of thousands of dollars. Human rights tribunal members are often highly biased in favour of minorities. They are part of the human rights industry. The odds are stacked against the victims.

The National Post (September 20, 2013) reports the latest victory for minority blackmail and bullying enabled by the skanky creature called the Ontario Human Rights Commission: ” An Ottawa amateur football club — the Nepean Redskins — is changing  its name and logo under mounting pressure from critics who say it’s a racist  reference to aboriginals. The team’s president Steve Dean said Thursday the change is voluntary and  will be officially announced Friday.The team “understands that the current name is offensive to some, and thus  divisive to our community,” he said in a statement. …

The decision comes weeks after an Ottawa musician, Ian Campeau of the band A  Tribe Called Red, filed a human rights complaint alleging the name is  racist. Campeau hailed the news Thursday, posting a triumphant “WE DID IT!!!” on  Twitter.

Not all were on board with the switch, with a few on social media accusing  the team of giving into political correctness. Dean said the club will choose a new name, logo and colours at the end of the  football season in November. Parents, players and volunteers will be consulted,  he said. The full transformation is expected to cost more than US$100,000 and ‘may  take a number of years to complete,’ he said.”

An earlier National Post story (September 3, 2013) explained: “Arguing that the name of the Nepean Redskins, an Ontario amateur football  club, is ‘offensive, non-inclusive and dehumanizing,’ an Ottawa man announced  Tuesday he is approaching the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal to force a name  change. …  Ian Campeau, a member of the Nippissing First Nation  and a DJ with the aboriginal electronic music group A Tribe Called Red.” He had led a two year campaign of e-mails and media agitation to try to force the name change.”

Incidentally, doesn’t Campeau’s group’s name “A Tribe Called Red” call attention to race and seem, well, uh, a little bit racist.?

The September 3 National Post story, but not the version still on-line, made extensive reference to local Ottawa Indian groups who had no problem with the name “Redskins” for the amateur football team, and saw no offence in in/ The Ottawa Citizen (September 3, 2013) report notes: “The National Capital Amateur Football Association has resisted the name change, claiming that it has consulted the native community and received support for continuing to use the name.

Association and Redskins president Steve Dean  said: ‘This is a small not-for-profit entity doing work in the community with a name that has been around for 30 years. It was never our intention or objective to offend anyone.’ The football league has aboriginal players and coaches, added Dean.”

The threat of burying an amateur team for children with legal costs gives an unfair blackmail hammer to privileged minorities.

“About 550 kids and volunteers run the flag, tackle, touch and cheer programmes with the club. … It left the youth football club facing an expensive transition or a lengthy, high-profile legal battle.” (Globe and Mail, September 21, 2013)

The time has come to rid the province of this meddling and unfair institution. Ontario Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak promised to do just that when he was running for his party’s leadership in 2009. So, too, did one of his rivals, and eventual ally in the final vote, MPP Randy Hillier.

The Toronto Star (September 21, 2009) reported: “Hudak, who has followed long-shot candidate Randy Hillier’s lead on calling for the rights body to be scrapped, …  emphasized Tories are profoundly concerned about the rights body, which has become a bête noire in conservative circles where it is perceived as infringing on individual and press liberties.