This is a letter I wrote to the editor of the Toronto Star in response to an article about a Sikh protesting a traffic ticket for not wearing a motorcycle helmet. The Ontario Human Rights Commission was supporting his claim that a helmet constituted religious discrimination.
The Human Rights Commission has gone too far this time. If Canada is going to work as a country, we have to have some agreement as to what rights, freedoms, laws, and regulations we will all share and uphold. Motorcycle helmets, like seat belts, are an inconvenience for everyone of every religion or cultural background. In that sense they are not discriminatory. A Sikh may keep his hair covered while wearing a helmet--the turban is not the only form of acceptable headgear for this purpose. Furthermore, riding a motorcycle is not a right, it’s a privilege. A rider must pass a difficult test in order to obtain a license. Not everyone in this country owns or rides a motorcycle. Not having a motorcycle does not hamper someone from freely enjoying all that Canada has to offer or from participating fully in all aspects of life in Ontario. In that sense, attorney for the human rights commission Scott Hutchison’s statement that, "Telling Mr. Badesha to choose between his religion or participating in the normal life of Ontario is discrimination," is ludicrous. Motorcycle driving is not part of the normal life of Ontario. I don’t know anyone outside of the Hell’s Angles who would consider it so. Mr. Badesha is simply being asked to follow an important safety regulation. His assertion that everyone dies in accidents every day is also ridiculous. Does the fact that sometimes accidents occur justify flouting any and all safety rules? Shall we all just start choosing which rule to follow and which one not to? With freedom comes responsibility. If Mr. Badesha truly wants to participate in the normal life of Ontario, he should quit wasting the taxpayer’s money on trivia.
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