No we shouldn’t ban Candace Owens

The Herald reports:

Young Labour has published an open letter urging the Government to follow Australia’s lead and stop Candace Owens entering the country.

The conservative US commentator and Trump supporter has caused controversy with her views questioning the Holocaust, and criticising feminism, the Black Lives Matter movement, and trans people.

She is booked to deliver a speech in Auckland next month — and had been expected to continue to Australia until she was refused entry. Tickets were selling for between $95 for general admission and $1500 for a VIP package with a pre-show dinner, champagne reception and meet-and-greet.

Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the country’s national interest would be best served with Owens somewhere else, as she could “incite discord in almost every direction”.

An appalling decision from Australia, and one we should avoid.

I do believe Owens is clearly anti-semitic and says many terrible things. I find her a pretty contemptible person.

But if people want to go pay money to hear her in person (or challenge her) they have the right to do so.

Also banning her will just make her more popular and in demand.

Young Labour President Ethan Reille disagreed, and called on the coalition Government to deny Owens entry to New Zealand.

“Her views are not merely just controversial, but they are dangerous. So we do have an obligation to be protecting our communities from that kind of rhetoric that empowers divisive movements. So it is our view that allowing her a platform would fail to uphold our core values.”

Some pro-Palestinian activists are seem as divisive by many. What Young Labour really means is that views they disagree with should not be allowed in.