Commentary
At the University of Calgary this week, Prof. Tom Flanagan was assaulted by a masked individual as he participated in a panel discussion on residential schools. The same day, at the University of Victoria, Prof. Frances Widdowson was arrested and her cameraman assaulted (his attackers were not arrested) at an Orange Shirt Day event.
Canadians like to see themselves as peaceful and civil. In ways, that perception holds. Yet human nature is always vulnerable to polarization and divisive rhetoric, and those conditions can spill over into real-world harm. Intense polarization often fuels harsh aggressive language. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau endured sustained attacks that often crossed the line of civilized discourse, sometimes even including death threats. Profane stickers and flags targeting him became fixtures of public life….