Freedom of Speech vs Verbal Harassment

I was on the subway today, coming back from lunch, when i encountered a scene that irrates and upsets me to no end. A man was in the middle of the car, loudly proclaiming his belief that immigrants and their children should all learn to speak english, and that allowing multiculturalism was ruining the canadian culture.

Now, I fully support the freedom of speech. This man had absolute right to proclaim his opinion on his thoughts and opinions on this matter, however, he apparently started this rant (and i say apparently because I finally started listening to what he was saying about half way thru when he started speaking directly at me and my friend. I'm chinese and she's indian fyi.) he apparently started this rant because a mother was speaking or maybe teaching her young daughter in a foreign language. The part I find most upsetting was the fact he directed a good half to a quarter of it to said mother and child, which I find utter upsetting. While the mother may have shrugged it off, I wonder how the child felt. I wonder how much of it she understood, because she was relatively young, but I am sure she understood the meaning and intent of the speech.

This grown man had just verbally assulted a small child because of her country of origin, her race, her culture, her extra knowledge of a language, and her hertiage. Now, I admit I did absolutely nothing about it except say loudly to my friend, so what level of education do you think he has? as a response to when he started talking about how education and intellectural communication. This is partially because of my own cowardice, my stop was the next stop, my suspicion the man himself had a mental problem, and because I didn't know what to do. However, in retrospect, I wish I had stepped in and asked the man if he can refrain from speaking so loudly, or even asking the mother and child if they were alright.

During the attack, and I do call that since he attacked me verbally as well, all I could feel was rage, hatred, and hurt. I thought the days of attacking people publicly because of their cultural differences were over, especially since this was Toronto, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world. However, this man proved me wrong and I didn't even have to guts to help the victims. I know what it is like to be bullied because of being foreign, and I hope no body has to feel that ever here in Toronto.

Since I have left the scene already and will probably never encounter the mother and daughter or the man again, I can only leave behind my wishes. I wish that the mother and child can forget about the attack and keep embracing their culture and language, for that is what makes Canada's, especially Toronto's, culture. The mish-mash of unique and 'foreign' cultures IS canada's culture. Sure, we archtype canada as the land of the beaver, beer, caribou, seal hunts..etc, but we are also where millions of people have a second or third language, where we celebrate chinese new year, Diwali, hanukkah, Eid, and countless other culturally diverse holidays. I hope the man gets a chance to learn the beauty of other cultures, get help if he is mentally ill, and learn what it really means to be canadian.