Tom Flanagan, a former advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a political science professor at the University of Calgary, was caught on camera Wednesday night defending those who watch child pornography.
The American-born Conservative political activist was speaking at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, when he was asked to defend a statement he made in 2009 that child pornography was “just pictures”.
I certainly have no sympathy for child molesters, but I do have some grave doubts about putting people in jail because of their taste in pictures. I don’t look at these pictures.
His comments were met with shocked laughter and disgust, but Flanagan maintained that he does not believe that it is just to put people in jail for “doing something in which they do not harm another person.”
He also said that he has for some years been on the mailing list for the North American Man/Boy Love Association, but did not elaborate how or why he subscribed to the list.
Dear @toewsvic after seeing Tom Flanagan defend child pornography: it would be a good idea 2 search his computer #tellviceverything #cdnpoli
— Protect Civilians (@Nonanon_anon) February 28, 2013
When children are brutally raped on video or sexual photo’s taken to sell on the black market Tom Flanagan says: #NoHarmJustPictures #CPC
— Wolfie (@org9) February 28, 2013
This isn’t the first time Flanagan’s bizarre behaviour has trended on Twitter; at the end of January he appeared on CBC television’s Power and Politics wearing an enormous bison fur coat.
A photo of his strange outfit was tweeted by CBC broadcaster Peter Mansbridge, and a meme was soon born.
Sasquatch revealed. twitter.com/petermansbridg…
— Peter Mansbridge (@petermansbridge) January 29, 2013
Flanagan has also made several controversial remarks about Canada’s First Nations people, and was investigated in 2010 for a remark that seemed to advocate the assassination of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.