The freedom of speech debate reached Dalhousie University in mid-January as a well-known campus hot dog vendor sparked controversy with a series of offensive tweets.
Jerry Reddick, known to students as the “Dawgfather,” received backlash for his Jan. 14 tweets, which included jokes about the slave trade, the Holocaust, and 9/11.
Reddick defended the tweets, which were criticized by many as racist and anti-Semitic, by claiming they were an exercise highlighting the different standards applied to freedom of expression following the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.
Reddick tweeted, “Let’s test just how free freedom of speech is when it’s not Muslims being disrespected.”
Due to his prominence on campus, Reddick’s tweets sparked immediate action amongst students.
A Facebook group titled “Boycott the Dawgfather PHD,” was created against Reddick and his business.
“I was in disbelief when I read some of the things he posted,” said Asrar Haq, organizer of the boycott. “There is a line that separates making a point and just being offensive.”
The purpose of the boycott, according to Haq, was not to hurt Reddick’s business but to help him come to a personal realization.
On the evening of Jan. 15, only hours from the commencement of the boycott, Haq and the event’s 274 members got their demand.
Reddick returned to Twitter to apologize for his actions by posting, “I used a sledgehammer instead of a feather to get my point across about the double standard in free speech. I was wrong and I apologize!”
As a sign of forgiveness Haq promptly cancelled the boycott.
“This is the outcome I was hoping for,” he said. “The point of the boycott was not to put him out of business but to make him see the error of his ways.”
The situation resurfaced once again on Jan. 19, five days after the boycott’s cancellation, when Haq received an email from Reddick.
“I had sent him a thank you email after he apologized to show him I was grateful for how the whole thing ended,” Haq said. “In response, I received an email that completely went against everything he had said before.”
The most important detail of the email, as highlighted by Haq, was Reddick’s decision to revoke his original apology. In the email, Reddick writes, “If you read my Tweets you will see that I never once apologized and never will.”
Shortly after receiving the email from Reddick, Haq created another Facebook event that once again called for the boycott.
In addition to the revived boycott, Halifax Regional Police are continuing an investigation into Reddick’s comments as a possible hate crime due to a public complaint that was received on Jan. 14.
“The investigation is ongoing but there has not been any determination on the charges at this moment,” Const. Pierre Bourdages said.
