Canadian Social Scientist Urges Commons to Go Slow on Bigotry Laws

A Canadian social scientist suggested today that Parliament go slow in legislating against racial bigotry until all the implications of such legislation are thoroughly studied. Professor Charles Hendry, director of the University of Toronto’s school of social work, appeared before the House of Commons External Affairs Committee, which is considering a bill that would outlaw genocide and another that would ban hate-literature from the mails.

He said legislation is neither inappropriate nor unnecessary in controlling the abuses of freedom. But, he added, “until and unless evidence can be produced to indicate convincingly that the actual threat to any minority group is undeniably substantial and significant, I personally would prefer to delay passage of the two bills, pending the considered judgment of legal experts and social research scientists.”