Anne Coulter comes to Canada

[bush_cheney2004]

Morris, have you seen any media or read anything that indicated there was an actual threat to Coulter? It's manufactured.

Yes...it was manufactured by "A-Houle" !

Coulter said that letter set the tone for and encouraged the protesters. She said it's well known on the campus speaking circuit that conservatives need to travel with security staff, as she did.

"I'm pretty sure little François A-Houle does not need to travel with a bodyguard," she said. "I would like to know when this sort of violence, this sort of protest, has been inflicted upon a Muslim -- who appear to be, from what I've read of the human rights complaints, the only protected group in Canada. I think I'll give my speech tomorrow night in a burqa. That will protect me."

[scribblet]

I'm not reading 50 pages, but all I can say is so much for freedom of speech in Canada..

Coulter was invited and paid to speak at a University of Ottawa venue where a group of thugs who threatened assault shut down the planned event. That is offensive and unacceptable. The University of Ottawa has behaved in an inappropriate and boorish manner, allowing a group of its students to dictate who may and may not speak, through plain thuggery.

Now the Ottawa U. is on a par with Concordia University - publicly funded leftist sty where conservative speech is not allowed. In both universities, leftist thugs have threatened physical assault causing events to be cancelled.

When people such Netanyahu and Coulter are prevented from speaking by groups of thugs who are protected from prosecution by a university, that university should lose it's public funding.

[Shakeyhands]

Yes...it was manufactured by "A-Houle" !

Coulter said that letter set the tone for and encouraged the protesters. She said it's well known on the campus speaking circuit that conservatives need to travel with security staff, as she did.

"I'm pretty sure little François A-Houle does not need to travel with a bodyguard," she said. "I would like to know when this sort of violence, this sort of protest, has been inflicted upon a Muslim -- who appear to be, from what I've read of the human rights complaints, the only protected group in Canada. I think I'll give my speech tomorrow night in a burqa. That will protect me."

phhbbt.

[Shakeyhands]

No i haven't to be honest. What is manufactured though I can say wioth certainty are the claims that attendees were vetted to prevent disruptions....and the event was cancelled because they feared disruptions.

Which claim is false cause one most be....and probably both are given that coulter faced hecklers before and at western and easily fended them off. She had nothing to fear from hecklers.

Yet her people decided to cancel the event by all accounts. Seems she does either fear hecklers or she was manufacturing an incident, it seems to her benefit... imho.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Shakeyhands

[Smallc]

Fundamental freedoms

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

( freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

© freedom of peaceful assembly; and

(d) freedom of association.

The threats are bad (though I still haven't heard what they were), but the protests and shouting are just as protected as freedom of speech. Are you saying that the University should have ( a ) ignored the law (since that's all they did was inform Coulter of the law) and ( b ) forcibly end what was arguably a peaceful protest? Some of you are being just as totalitarian as the people that wish to silence Coulter.

Edited March 25, 2010 by Smallc

[M.Dancer]

I think it would be funny if she gave her speech in a burqa...the full niqab...tghe muslim full monty...

Who would know if it was really her? ...it would be performance art....especially if she read her speech in a burqa, on a camel.

[Smallc]

or she was manufacturing an incident, it seems to her benefit... imho.

I think we have a winner.

[M.Dancer]

Yet her people decided to cancel the event by all accounts. Seems she does either fear hecklers or she was manufacturing an incident, it seems to her benefit... imho.

Her people are responsible for her safety. I believe given what I read that the decision was not made in a vacuum..that her people and Ottawa police consulted with each other. I don't have the transcript so the competeing claims can't be known....a friendly word by ottawa constables might be considered an order by americans. After all, as the provost said, we do things differently here.

Edited March 25, 2010 by M.Dancer

[bush_cheney2004]

Yet her people decided to cancel the event by all accounts. Seems she does either fear hecklers or she was manufacturing an incident, it seems to her benefit... imho.

She is unphased either way...it's all part of the job:

Then she said what she really thought of the student protesters who surrounded Marion Hall, making it too unsafe, in the view of her bodyguard, for the pundit to attempt entry.

"The University of Ottawa is really easy to get into, isn't it?" she said in an interview with the Citizen after the cancelled event.

"I never get any trouble at the Ivy League schools.

It's always the bush-league schools."

Coulter said she has been speaking regularly at university campuses for a decade. While she has certainly been heckled, she said this is the first time a speaking engagement has had to be cancelled because of protesters.

"This has never, ever, ever happened before -- even at the stupidest American university," she said.

[Sir Bandelot]

...but he still got to speak. That is the difference.

What difference. She got to speak at the U of Western Ontario, right? And apparently she will get to speak in Calgary. Right?

Unless the good and decent people of Alberta come out to protest... and send her packing.

But naaa. Hell they even let GWB speak there, without arresting him.

A haven for war criminals, ex-nazis and racists.

[Sir Bandelot]

I'll tell you what though, there IS a difference. Despite the protests in Ottawa, nobody in Canada is calling for the U of WO to be boycotted for allowing her to speak. And they won't if she does talk in Calgary. Nobody in Canadian politics, or the media. That's the difference.

So despite this tempest in a teapot, we are more tolerant here.

[Michael Hardner]

The CBC story says "the organizers" canceled it. Some of us who dislike Coulter seem to be looking for a way to make this look like her fault, IMO.

She's an insufferable hog-caller of the lowest order, but it's still sad that she couldn't speak yesterday.

[Smallc]

The CBC story says "the organizers" canceled it. Some of us who dislike Coulter seem to be looking for a way to make this look like her fault, IMO.

Not at all, but I think that she loved it.

[capricorn]

More info on the cancellation.

Constable Alain Boucher of Ottawa Police Services said that the police had recommended calling off the appearance because of the crowd’s size, not its behavior.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/world/americas/25coulter.html

BS. The cops knew darn well the anti Coulter crowd's behavior would escalate into more than chanting as the night wore on. Who do they think they're kidding?

[Smallc]

BS. The cops knew darn well the anti Coulter crowd's behavior would escalate into more than chanting as the night wore on. Who do they think they're kidding?

And you know this how? The police seem to disagree with you, and I'm far more willing to accept their intuition than yours.

[Moonlight Graham]

Coulter was invited and paid to speak at a University of Ottawa venue where a group of thugs who threatened assault shut down the planned event. That is offensive and unacceptable. The University of Ottawa has behaved in an inappropriate and boorish manner, allowing a group of its students to dictate who may and may not speak, through plain thuggery.

Now the Ottawa U. is on a par with Concordia University - publicly funded leftist sty where conservative speech is not allowed. In both universities, leftist thugs have threatened physical assault causing events to be cancelled.

When people such Netanyahu and Coulter are prevented from speaking by groups of thugs who are protected from prosecution by a university, that university should lose it's public funding.

Where is it reported that the protesters threatened assault or showed violent behaviour in any way?

I would think that if the University didn't want her to speak there, they wouldn't have let the organizers allow her to come in the first place.

If anything i would say shame on the Ottawa U Students Association for banning people from putting up posters advertising the event because of their views on her.

[capricorn]

And you know this how?

And you think the protest would not have escalated and resulted in injuries or violence? You know this how? Truth is you don't. You rely solely on the word of the cops.

The police seem to disagree with you, and I'm far more willing to accept their intuition than yours.

You're gullible. The cops have a reputation to uphold. The reputation of being tolerant and in control. I'm not bounded in expressing what I think was really going on, but they are.

[Smallc]

And you think the protest would not have escalated and resulted in injuries or violence? You know this how? Truth is you don't. You rely solely on the word of the cops.

I don't have to prove anything. You're supposing that something would have happened, when there is in fact presented statements that indicate the contrary. Large angry protests can occur without violence. It's been done before.

You're gullible. The cops have a reputation to uphold. The reputation of being tolerant and in control. I'm not bounded in expressing what I think was really going on, but they are.

And you're assuming far too much. I can't ignore official statements and go with your gut as my evidence.

[Topaz]

There's different views coming out of what happen last night. Coulter, on her website, said something about chairs being thrown and fires light, at least, that is what the interviewer, interviewing the head of the student said. Of course the student laughed and said what, that never happen! So now she on to Calgary, and let see what happens. Will they let her have her free speech to personal attack people. If I were in the audience, I just stare and not say a word, be very quiet. That is better than screaming and protesting. She wants a rise out of people and they should let her have one. Levant is more better than her and the more I think about it, she would fit right in with the Tories. Harper could have her stand up and answer every question instead of Baird. It doesn't say much about Harper's views when he has Levant as a advisor.

[capricorn]

I would think that if the University didn't want her to speak there, they wouldn't have let the organizers allow her to come in the first place.

The first boner committed by the University was sending that email to Coulter telling her to watch her mouth and raising the specter of criminal charges before she even uttered a word of her speech. Everyone is blaming Houle but I hold Alan Rock, U of O President and former federal Justice Minister, just as responsible for this fiasco. Funny how silent Rock has been and is nowhere to be seen.

[capricorn]

I can't ignore official statements and go with your gut as my evidence.

I never asked you to.

[bush_cheney2004]

The first boner committed by the University was sending that email to Coulter telling her to watch her mouth and raising the specter of criminal charges before she even uttered a word of her speech. Everyone is blaming Houle but I hold Alan Rock, U of O President and former federal Justice Minister, just as responsible for this fiasco. Funny how silent Rock has been and is nowhere to be seen.

Yep...you nailed it. Dumbest move by far. Did he think that Coulter would discretely file the e-mail in her Outlook folder labeled "Helpful Advice from Canada"? What a tool......

[Smallc]

The first boner committed by the University was sending that email to Coulter telling her to watch her mouth and raising the specter of criminal charges before she even uttered a word of her speech.

They weren't threatening her, but merely informing. Also, I don't think she had to speak a word for them to know the basic idea of what she was going to say. The letter was probably unnecessary and unwise from a public perception standpoint, but it really wasn't anything terrible as it's being made out.

[bush_cheney2004]

The letter was probably unnecessary and unwise from a public perception standpoint...

Ya think ??? LOL!

[Shakeyhands]

Yep...you nailed it. Dumbest move by far. Did he think that Coulter would discretely file the e-mail in her Outlook folder labeled "Helpful Advice from Canada"? What a tool......

meh... much ado... She used that to her advantage as well. Any publicity is good publicity.