A RULING FOR TOLERANCE

Editorial, March 3.

The Supreme Court of Canada, in overturning a lower court's earlier
decision to ban kirpans, has ruled that Sikh students have the
constitutional right to carry ceremonial daggers to school. In ruling
that a blanket ban on the kirpan infringes on fundamental religious
freedom, the Supreme Court justices have, once again, allowed
political correctness to take precedence over common sense.

In an age of increasing gang violence where metal detectors are often
utilized in schools to prevent weapons from being brought in, the
Supreme Court, in its wisdom, does not see Sikh students carrying
concealed weapons as a risk to the safety of the school community.
There has never been a documented case in Canada of a kirpan being
used as a weapon, they state. There's probably never been a case of a
bread knife being used as a weapon either, but it's still not a good
idea to allow them to be carried by students in schools.

If at some point in the future there's an incident in a school
involving a kirpan where someone is injured or killed, will the
Supreme Court justices still agree that the constitutional "right" to
wear a dangerous religious symbol outweighs the public's right to
safety and security? If tolerance of dangerous weapons and religious
symbols like the kirpan is allowed, what's next? Rastafarians
consider marijuana a sacrament in that religion. Should it be allowed
in schools, too?

The Supreme Court justices had the power to impose certain conditions
in their ruling. As a compromise, they could have ruled that kirpans
be allowed in schools, as long as they're made of rubber.

Paul MacDonald

Toronto