Canadian university to Ann Coulter: Your hateful rhetoric won’t fly here, watch your mouth

[cal04]

Canadian university to Ann Coulter: Your hateful rhetoric won’t fly here, so watch your mouth when you visit.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/22/canada-coulter/

Far-right pundit Ann Coulter will be in Canada this week for “a trio of speaking engagements,” including one at the University of Ottawa. In advance of her visit, a senior official at the school sent Coulter a letter warning her to use “restraint, respect and consideration” in her remarks and telling her to review the country’s hate speech and defamation laws. From the letter:

I would, however, like to inform you, or perhaps remind you, that our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or “free speech”) in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States. I therefore encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here.

You will realize that Canadian law puts reasonable limits on the freedom of expression. For example, promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges. Outside of the criminal realm, Canadian defamation laws also limit freedom of expression and may differ somewhat from those to which you are accustomed. I therefore ask you, while you are a guest on our campus, to weigh your words with respect and civility in mind.

In the past, Coulter has bashed Canada, saying, “They’d better hope the United States doesn’t roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent.” In response to the letter, Coulter writes, “I was hoping for a fruit basket, not a threat to prosecute.”


http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2710026
"The federation does not support Ann Coulter speaking on our campus," said student president Seamus Wolfe. "We're trying to work with the administration to see if we can ask her to do her speaking event somewhere else."

[LakeSamish706]

1. Why the F*** would anybody want this troll to speak at a function that they sponser anyway? n/t

[Posteritatis]

9. UWO is a very conservative campus

I spent a year there that felt like five or so. It's not a good place to hold anything close to standard university-student social or political views.

[polly7]

27. Walker's comments provoked a response from

a woman instrumental in bringing Coulter to London, Mary Lou Ambrogio, whose group, the International Free Press Society, is paying $10,000 for the appearance, the balance of Coulter's fee coming from an American group that promotes conservatism in young women, the Claire Boothe Luce Policy Institute.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2010/03/20/13300086.html

[Zoeisright]

2. That woman has no control function on her mouth.

She's a big fat pile of steaming shit with no brain.

[Xipe Totec]

8. She needs to wear an adult diaper like a feed bag nt

[katandmoon]

3. So if they're anti-hate speech why did they "engage" that POS to speak there in the first place?

[LisaM]

4. I'm surprised she'd go there, after she got royally put down on "The Fifth Estate" a few years ago

She tried to insist to the interviewer that Canada should go to Iraq because they'd fought side by side with the US in Vietnam. The interviewer told her, no, Canada was not in Vietnam. "Yes they were!" "No, we were not". "Indo-China?" "No". "Well, I'm pretty sure they were. I'll look it up and get back to you".

I suspect he's still waiting.

[Berry Cool]

21. Yeah, I was gonna say, Ann must be planning on speaking to her favorite

group of people: Vietnam Vets of Canada.

I'm sure the auditorium will be packed.

[Donnachaidh]

5. Everybody Sing! Oh Canada!

Love love LOVE you guys! :rofl:

[leftofcool]

6. Oh please, Coultergeist, say something bad while in Canada

You would look so fabulous in Canadian stripes or Canadian orange. And I will be the first in line to kick the ass of who ever bails your ass our of Canadian prison.

[Oregone]

7. Wow. A civil country

Go Canada

[proteus_lives]

10. Coulter is a piece of trash but Canada can be shady about free speech.

I remember a comedian being sued by a couple of female audience members because they didn't like lesbian jokes.

[leftofcool]

11. Yea, but the Canadians don't seem to mind that imperfect law and

wouldn't you love to see Coulter arrested and in a Canadian jail?

[proteus_lives]

14. Well, it would be funny.

[superduperfarleft]

12. Canada's legal definition of free speech is definitely very different than our's.

The Neo-Nazis we allow to publicly march in front of courthouses would never be tolerated there.

Although, I wonder how much of a responsibility it is for a society to protect ideas and speech that specifically seeks the destruction of that society (Nazis, radical Muslims, other assorted theocrats). It's not really an issue here, since the 1st Amendment covers that, but it's interesting to watch other countries grapple with that question.

[proteus_lives]

16. I see your point but I disagree.

I've always been of the mind that stupid and vile ideas should be the light so people can see how stupid they are.

But I wouldn't support restricting free speech because it leads to things like comedians getting sued. It's not worth it.

[Orsino]

13. Well, Canada was probably hoping for a speaker...

...rather than a nonsensical, jingoist corporate whore.

I think there's room for compromise here, Ms. Coulter.

[Echo In Light]

15. k/r

[Scurrilous]

17. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Lucy Goosey]

18. Yuck. Not only is Ottawa my home...

...but she's speaking at my alma mater. My apartment is maybe 100m (approx 109 yards) from the U of O campus - I wonder if I will be able to feel her evil presence.

I'm a lefty even for a Canadian, which puts me well left of the Democratic Party, but I actually am not a fan of our hate speech laws - I'm a free speech absolutist. I mean, I think Coulter is repulsive, and nearly everything she writes or speaks is hateful, but I don't think she should be censored. Ridiculed, insulted, protested - yes, but not censored. I disagree with a lot of my fellow lefties on this issue.

[Berry Cool]

22. I'm a free speech absolutist too.

I just think it's amusing that Ann's going to have to tone down the hate in Canada. That's OK, she can save it for here.

[beac]

19. Too bad they warned her. She could have been out of our hair for a few years

enjoying the socialized medical service of the Canadian prison system.

[troubledamerican]

20. Canada is better

[lunatica]

23. But hate and acid dripping sarcasm are central to Coultertalk

What could she possibly talk about if she 'restrained' herself?

[Brother Buzz]

24. When the nitwit visits, can someone ask her if she fact-checked Canada's involvment in Vietnam?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcZG87Fmxc

[alp227]

25. If Coultergeist's mouth gets too loose up there who knows what can happen

More likely than get an epiphany she will complain of oppression.

[upi402]

26. She'll play the victim

:silly: