Brighton student places among the top five in provincewide Speakers Idol competition
By: John Campbell, Brighton Independent.

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Brighton — “Freedom of speech is not freedom to propagate hatred.”

Simon Wiesenthal firmly believed that.

The Holocaust survivor who hunted down perpetrators after the war and brought more than 1,000 of them to justice, knew all too well how words of hate can lead to acts of violence.

It was prejudice at its most extreme that resulted in the “Final Solution” — the systematic murder of some six million Jews and other peoples thought inferior by the Nazis. Among its many victims were 89 members of his family.

Wiesenthal's defence of human rights and fight against bigotry and anti-Semitism continues to this day through the efforts of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, with offices in cities around the world, including Toronto.

Each year the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies holds a Speakers Idol competition for high school students across the province; its slogan: “Changing the World, One Speech at a Time”.

Isobel Flindall, a 15-year-old student at East Northumberland Secondary School, placed in the top five and spoke at the finals held March 27 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

“The whole experience was amazing,” said Flindall, who was encouraged by her Grade 10 civics teacher, Deanne Patenall, to enter the 7th annual Speakers Idol, which challenged students to talk about freedom of speech as defined by Wiesenthal.

It's a right that's “being misinterpreted,” Flindall said. “People are taking it as you can say whatever you want but (there are) boundaries ... which people seem not to realize.”

The competition, which was divided into two categories, grades six to eight and grades nine to twelve, drew roughly 200 entries in total.

The first stage was simply to submit a speech. The top 10 entrants in each category advanced to the semifinals where they attended a workshop with award-winning debate team members from Ontario universities, and video recordings were made of the students giving their speeches.

The top five in each category were then chosen for the finals where they delivered their speeches in person.

Patenall encouraged Flindall to enter Speakers Idol because “she's a very eloquent and confident speaker” who's also “a deep thinker” and a caring and compassionate person.

She was “the perfect candidate” and she didn't disappoint, said Patenall, who attended the finals.

“She handled it beautifully ... (and) did a fantastic job,” she said. “I was just so proud ... This kid's going places.”

Patenall said defining limits on people's freedom of speech is “critical” these days at a time when cyberbullying is prevalent and “social media determines the value of a person” in often derogatory terms.

“That message needs to change,” she said.

In her speech Flindall said the freedom to express oneself “has turned into a shield ... (that people) hide behind” to spew hatred.

Canadians like to think their country is inclusive but “there is still a large amount of hatred” we need to recognize “and weed out, not pretend it is not growing here.”

Making people aware of “the negative things” that have taken place in Canada is necessary to “ensure they do not happen again,” Flindall said.

“Ignoring the horrible things that have been done in the past simply sets us on a path to do them again,” she said. “So talk about injustice, past or present,” and don't let others spread hatred because it's not directed at you.

“Speak for those who society has deemed should not have a voice.”