Rights IN last week’s column I argued that the modern so-called progressive welfare state, while not quite seeking to abolish private property, is cer- tainly redefining the meaning of ownership. It is doing so, among other things, by casting vatresh the meaning of rights. Instead of merely protect- ing the rights of citizens to live free trom aggression and coercion, government has ventured into the business of E:, conferring expansive and expensive conveyer belt enti- tiements, the kind that range from the right to housing, to the right to feel like a cher- ished member of society. With this mandate, the state must expand and intensi- fy its wealth-appropriating strategies, and it must sprout .tendrils and reach into the . backyards of its citizens. This is the Faustian deal which citizens strike. In a modern economy, the goods . exchanged are not necessarily material; hence government comment can be said to meddle wit private property when it regu- lates contracts. Indeed, government sets minimums wages, and instructs landlords who to rent to and, occasionally, at what price. It imposes racial and gen- der quotas in the hiring prac- tices of private enterprise and i admission to private schools. Neither is it beyond government ken to instruct banks to lend money to cer- tain groups. This erodes “the principle of private contractual freedom ‘and along with it the insti- tution of property,” writes Richard Pipes in Property and Freedom. - The Canadian Human Rights Commission (HRC) and its attendant sticky-pawed machinery help along the of enshrining and enforcing bogus rights and blurring the boundaries of private property. Described by Karen Selick in a paper tor the Calgary- based Property Rights Research Institute, the HRC imposes “2 form of involun- tary servitude on certain members of sociery — the goods and service providers. it transforms others -— con- sumers who belong to one of the privileged minonty group — into overlords. The latter have the right to force the former to perform services fe them against their wi “There was a time,” writes Selick, “when this was called ‘stavery,’ but there are not many peopie willing to call a slave a slave these days.” Recently indentured is Scott Brockiv, a Toronto printer who refused to pro- vide a printing service to a gay organization on the grounds of religious belief. The HRC, incidentally, allows a particu- larly nasty subversion of due process, as a respondent gets none of the mandatory defences afforded a defendant under the Criminal Code, Indeed, a Katkaesque situ- ation. A priori, die adjudica- tor sets about timiting the respondeni’s freedoms in accordance with Section ] of the Charter which subjects the freedom of religion, con- science, thought, belief, opin ion, and expression to “such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and demac- ratic society.” And then down the shoot she slides with the “slippery slope” logical fallacy: allow Brockie to refuse to serve - gays, she asserts, and before long there will be “fewer and fewer services available to members of marginalized groups.” And so, having failed to violate property or person himself, Scott Brockie shifts from peaceably minding his own business and running a private enterprise, to being accused by a quasi-jurist of tampering 3 with the self-worth {another bogus right) of a protected group. Friday, June 23, 2000 — North Shere News - 7 commissions usurp property rights Ic goes without saving that the “potential” harm to digni- y (being a “right” as well} was found to ounweigh Brockie’s private property rights and freedom of religion (tor that is what's at stake). One cannot fail but to be bowled over by the delicately calibrated balancing of “com- peting rights” the adjudicator and the code have effected. We come to the darkest corner of the decision: “When he enters the public market place and offers services to the public,” goes the ruling, Brockie, who is not a public servant, can no longer expect to practise his religious belicts by denying services to gays and lesbians. Herewith lie the redefini- tion of property and the enforcement of servitude. Open up shop and the right of free association becomes subject to the arbitrary intru- sion of your new stakeholders; they will duly ensure that con- tracts vou pursue or reject conform to community stan- dards and to their notion of the public good, or else, buddy. It is easy to lose sight of the issues here. All the same, the complainants in this case don’t have the right to access a printing service that belongs to Scott Brockie. They can petition for it. If refused, they are free to organize boycotts, engage in negative advertis- ing, get petitions signed, or, most productive, take their business elsewhere. But in 2 free society, there can be no place for a coerced, involun- tary association berween adults, contractual or other. —qnome@attcanada.net Oli, | Lube & Fitter 21 ot. Safety check, 15 minutes - FAST! includes up to 5 litres of 1O0w30 Unocal Oi 1362 Marine Drive 980-9115 All Services | Fully Warranty Approved " I i Sat 8:00am-6:00pm, Sun. 9:00arn-5:00pm Expires June 28/2000 mailbox Put leash on West Van dog bylaw Dear Editor: It was with great dismay that I read the } forth Shore News article “WV. Pet Bylaw Will Have Bite.” «This proposed bylaw is the latest exam- ple-of a government body that secks to regulate too many facets of our daily The notion that residents can own a maximum of two dogs (and walk only three at a time) is one of the most ridicu- lous proposals that I have heard. Where do we draw the line? Will they limit che num- ber of cats or birds that one can own? How about limiting the number of of f- spring a couple can bear? Perhaps we should not allow parents to a propose that our government focus on items like more effective health care, transportation and infrastructure and let the general population. decide on such items as purchasing and exercising a fami- ly per. Michael Ball North Vancouver EMANON JAZZ SOCIETY presents In concert at door or for reservations'call ees . grooming service is giving new meaning to ~the phrase “going to: the dogs." Lee -launched her new grooming on the go ser- - vice only one week ago and has already had several dog and cat owners wagging - their tails in excitement. A certified, award- “winning groomer, Lee puts a new spin on the experience for pet owners — Instead of - waiting in lineups at grooming shops and ~ enduring the yaps and barks of nervous ‘canines, this groomer comes: straight to. your door. Lee. says “it's ‘more corafortable - * for; both; pet’. and ~S gwner when the ani- ~*mal is bathed, clipped and groomed in famil- iar surroundings. To ~ that end, Lee will park : ‘her mobile van in her ‘ clients’. driveway and. go-to work, thus’ also. averting ‘a_soap-and-. shampoo: ; disaster inside the owner's house if Fido attempts to escape, Not that unhappy pooches or cats “are a common occurrence — Lee makes it her number one priority to make a one-on- one connection with each and every pet she cares for. Lee, who has captured awards at a. national ‘grooming © competition in Burbank; California and worked her way “through various grooming shops to gain " :experience and expertise, likens her service > to a trip to the spa for the furry litle mem- . ber in your family. First Lee bathes the pet, : Followed Py a deep tissue tea tree oi! mas- walk with more than one child in a public OG) sage (as seen on VTV Breakfast), then goes to work on the nails before finishing with a good brush and combout. She employs speciai, all-natural shampoos and condi- tioners to bring out the silky shine in each of her pet's coats and offers the occasional treat to help ply her four-legged friends and “keep them well-behaved. And worrisome owners, take heart — you're more than welcome to accompany sparky into the grooming van to provide a friendly face during the process. As each dog is unique and may require a different level of care, . the needs of each pet when she arrives ard suggests a vari- ety of options to the owner. She can rec- ognize, diagnose and feat skin ailments, as well. Prices and the. duraiies of the grooming depend on the size of the pet and the thickness and condition of its coat. A Labrador retriever requires less work than a tangled french poodle. or a large, long-haired “Newfoundland dog, for example. And fer- ret owners, don't fret — there's room in the tub for those slippery critters, as well. Lee says her number one priority ts quality and keeping her attention focused on one pet at a time. Thanks to Tania and her mobile grooming van, going to the dogs (or cats, for that matter) never sounded so good. MRL AM oe ~ “Award Winning and Certifie. . 808-7729 ttp:/ fallpawz.8m.com ress Groom Lee: assesses fi, 924-81 71 Ticket Price: $15 (cash only; ie G Ratiano: ne. -O-H-N - _ CANADELEE “Rome” exclusive to Sofa Unlimited Company, features Top Grain Italian Leather, styling and quality craftsmanship. Available in 40 different colors! Italian Styling Leather Sofa $2695 . Sate Price § 1399! ! Matching Loveseat, Chatr, and Ottoman available at Sale Prices E- SOFA Sa (Across from International Plaza, at Marine Drive & Capilano Road) 1882 Marine Dr., North Vancouver 980-8712. Showroom Hours: Mon.-Fri. , Wam-7pm, Sat. Jeam-Spm. Closed Sundays.