I belong to a community discussion group that invites speakers from all walks of life to come and initiate discussion about their area of expertise, whether social, political, business, etc.
Yesterday our speaker organizer asked a member of the Occupy Halifax group to speak. There were many enthusiastic responses and one not so enthusiastic which follows:
Hi xxxx – while I am absolutely fine with most topics and most speakers, as a Board member of the Community Hall I am completely opposed to our Hall being used to further the agenda of this group and I am also opposed to bringing them here and give them the idea of “occupying our hall or property out here because they are looking. If the group wishes to meet with them it will have to be somewhere else because I would ask the Board to disallow the use of our community Hall for their purposes.
I know you are asking to meet with them in good faith and I will not get into it in an email but there is no good faith here on their part, I am not willing to put our hall and our community in jeapordy on this.
Regards, Barry
Barry Dalrymple
HRM Councillor District 2
Exec Director/Treasurer LWF Baseball Assoc
861-1171 (h) 222-0740 (c)
barry.dalrymple@halifax.ca
It appears that at least one member of HRM Council believes that the free exchange of ideas is all well and good as long as he approves them. I was not aware that Council members were given special warrants to curtail the right of assembly and speech (outside of the Grand Parade and Victoria Park of course). He raises the fear that a contingent of Occupy Halifax hippie/commies will descend on the Community Hall and never leave.
We shared space on Grand Parade on November 5th at the Veterans National Day of Protest, and one of the Occupy organizers spoke at our rally, while others in the Occupy camp held a banner by our podium that read, “Respect”. They were all polite, well spoken and respectful, and thankful for the service of our veterans who, they said, made it possible for them to be there airing their concerns.
Barry has every right as a private citizen to express his distaste and displeasure at free speech (irony taken), but when he speaks as a representative of the people and signs off as such, he would be wise to consider his words with greater care and attention.
Comments on: "An Affront to Free Speech" (11)
This is an absolute outrage. Halifax is home for me (I’m not there these days but I still consider it home) and I am deeply perturbed at the political situation there. These are dark times for HRM and dark times for Nova Scotia. Thanks for sharing the story John.
Thank you for documenting this.
This is shocking, but given the level of secrecy at City Hall, I suppose not that surprising. How can Councillors be in touch with constituents if they won’t allow them to speak? How can they represent views if they won’t listen? Why would Councillor Dalrymple jump to the view that these people are evil and must be censored?
This is a symptom of the secrecy at City Hall, I believe. Some (not all) Councillors don’t feel the need to hear from constituents, and don’t think they need to be accountable to them. Until we get Councilllors in place that understand their responsibilities as elected officials in a democracy, we will be mired in the same sandin which they have firmly buried their heads.
My other thought here is that, unless he has proof otherwise, Councillor Dalrymple should withdraw this remark: “there is no good faith here on their part.” That is pretty damning, and I don’t know of any evidence to support it. In fact, Councillor Dalrymple should talk to Veteran Tom Waters about who has and doesn’t have good faith: http://216.83.15.103/metro/34205-vet-believed-protesters-could-return-park.
People like this is why the Occupy movement started. Arrogance & the abuse of power, it’s everywhere, Media, Politics, commerce. No wonder the people are frustrated…
Hi John,
Would you please call me asap at 420-4116?
Yvonne Colbert
CBC News
Halifax
Thank you for your support and your truthful words. Its nice to see another public figure and face supporting the Occupy movement.
I’d be so interested in attending such a meeting or discussion with Occupy Nova Scotia members. It really does boil down to whether or not we are allowed to share and learn from each other, doesn’t it?
I’ve recently moved into the area and had no idea there this discussion group existed. If it regularly invites speakers on such contemporary issues as the Occupy movement, it sounds like I might find it interesting to attend. How do I find more about it?
I guess Mr Dalrymple is entitled to his own views on the Occupy movement. He says he is speaking for himself, but he also indicates he could influence the availability of the hall to this group, and seems to imply that he could attempt to deny their use of it if they invite speakers of whom he doesn’t approve. I think that reflects poorly on this elected official’s views on free speech.
Is he especially influential toward the board, or can anyone approach it and argue in favour of this speaker with the same standing as Mr Dalrymple?
Some people really should be pitied, especially those who are dinosaurs. I certainly feel sorry for Barry Dalrymple’s ignorance. It is people like him who ensure that Nova Scotia is viewed as a “backwater”. Dalrymple does not own any community hall nor centre that I am aware of. Sure didn’t take him long to backpeddle that he is speaking “personally”.
It makes me ill that we, the taxpayers of Halifax Regional Municipality, actually pay the bloated salaries of these ignorant representatives.
Note to Dalrymple: If you can actually read, grab yourself a copy of Peter Moreira’s book that describes perfectly just why and how we continue to be viewed as a backwater.
[...] Barling sent the email around to the other group members, and it end up on John Percy’s blog. John’s the leader of the Green Party in Nova Scotia and a member of the discussion group. [...]