AGAR: Firing paramedic for her incorrect Israel comment was wrong
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We know we stand for free speech when we defend the rights of those with whom we most disagree.
A paramedic in York Region, north of Toronto, claims she was fired over a social media comment that criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
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She wrote on Facebook: “In the last two years, Israel has bombed Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and now Iran. They have been occupying Palestine for 75+ years. They are luring starving Palestinian children to their concentration camp food aid depots so they can snipe them dead. Any union or other organization that doesn’t fight this is choosing to stay silent during genocide.”
The statement is outrageous and factually incorrect.
Israel is not luring children to be killed execution style. Israel forced Jews out of Gaza in 2005, yet Israel continues to suffer attacks from Gaza, the worst of which was on Oct. 7, 2023.
That said, I don’t think she should have been fired, unless there is an agreement in place that prohibits paramedics from weighing in on any issue online.
Even if there is, some form of discipline short of firing would be appropriate. A “don’t do it again” sort of thing.
Had that happened and she blatantly ignored her bosses and kept doing it, at some point you have to let a person go, but we don’t know that to be the case.
The CBC reported that “a spokesperson for York Region did not answer whether (the employee) violated a specific policy or specify how her posts could affect public safety.”
Perhaps we don’t need to know the strong political views of the person attending our emergency. It is possible that Jews would be uncomfortable with her.
I’m uncomfortable with her and I’m not Jewish.
It is doubtful anyone in an emergency would be aware of or interested in the personal history of the paramedic.
Cancel culture is a dark and dangerous thing.
She has lost her income. That is terrible to experience.
I am aware that a lot of people also agree with her, but that is irrelevant.
Our free speech should not be based on a polling of the public.
Public opinion tends to waffle.
CUPE Ontario accuses politicians of calling for the employee’s firing. Allegedly, they accuse Vaughan Councillor Gila Martow and Vaughan Mayor Stephen De Duca.
Martow wrote to me, “No request to ‘fire’ anyone was ever made.
“Just shared her public post with York Region Administration at the request of my residents. If she didn’t want it circulated, why would she post it publicly?”
Perhaps the residents knew an email from a councillor carries a lot more weight at a government office than that of a regular citizen.
Free speech is enshrined in the Charter for the very purpose of backing off politicians who have power and often personal agendas.
It is true that employers can fire people for public statements, but that should be a very careful and rare thing.
The paramedic’s comments could be considered below the level of outrageous commentary from the standpoint that, sadly, a lot of Canadians agree with her.
I can think less of her as a person — and I do — and still defend her right to free speech. She did not call for violence or explicitly support terrorism.
If her free speech does not count, neither does yours or mine.
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