Ann Coulter makes waves in Canada
Looks like another American right-wing-nut is making their way across the border and causing media frenzy in the True North. Ann Coulter, who I'm sure you all know and love-to-hate, is at the end of her 3 university Canadian tour today. A few days ago at the University of Ottawa she was met with fierce protest and outrage. I'm not sure if the American media even covered the protest, but I've read a bit of Ann's personal take on the event, and it differs greatly from the images and stories from the crowd at the event. She claims the protest was violent and hate-filled. That the protesters forcibly shut down the event. Do these students look violent to you? Some of these people are smiling and just happy to be out in the brink evening chill of a Canadian spring!
The real story from the University of Ottawa is that Coulter's organizers canceled the event themselves and that the protest was peaceful. Also, local news sources confirm that the crowd was not violent and other than some uncharacteristically Canadian screaming and yelling, Coulter was not in danger.
This got me thinking: Has she never been met with protest before? Does she really think a crowd of Canadian youth was going to eat her alive?
Her next stop is today in the conservative capital of the country, Calgary, Alberta. Like other American conservatives before her, she is welcomed here with open arms. Calgary welcomed George Bush with open arms a few years back and will also give Sarah Palin the red carpet treatment in a few months.
Calgarians aside, Canadians have an intense love of free speech, and I believe that Ann
has the right to speak her mind wherever she chooses if people want to
hear it. I also believe in the right to assembly and to protest. People
feel she is spreading a message of bigotry and hate, and they have every
right to voice that opinion.
Marc - meddlingkids.org
The real story from the University of Ottawa is that Coulter's organizers canceled the event themselves and that the protest was peaceful. Also, local news sources confirm that the crowd was not violent and other than some uncharacteristically Canadian screaming and yelling, Coulter was not in danger.
This got me thinking: Has she never been met with protest before? Does she really think a crowd of Canadian youth was going to eat her alive?
Her next stop is today in the conservative capital of the country, Calgary, Alberta. Like other American conservatives before her, she is welcomed here with open arms. Calgary welcomed George Bush with open arms a few years back and will also give Sarah Palin the red carpet treatment in a few months.
Calgarians aside, Canadians have an intense love of free speech, and I believe that Ann
has the right to speak her mind wherever she chooses if people want to
hear it. I also believe in the right to assembly and to protest. People
feel she is spreading a message of bigotry and hate, and they have every
right to voice that opinion.
Marc - meddlingkids.org
Tags: CAnada, Calgary, Ottawa, ann, bigotry, coulter, crime, hate
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey on -
damn, and here I thought she had finally decided to shut up and disappear. Guess I was being a little too optimistic.
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Permalink Reply by Marc Baskin on
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We all wish she would here too. It's embarrassing that Calgary is being painted as 'welcoming'
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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on -
Your province has even worse PR than Quebec.
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Permalink Reply by _7654_ on -
Well, i might well disagree with what she says, and i do, but i sure stand for her right to say it. And i will try to make it to the event and see what she has to say. If i make it, i will send pictures :-) .. ah and welcoming is not the correct word, more to the respective of her right to freely speak whatever she wants, and more to this freedom is a well respected here in Calgary.
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A fellow Calgarian!
Agreed on all counts. I wish i could make it out ... I can only hope for a vigorous Q&A period!
I look forward to seeing your photos :)
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Permalink Reply by _7654_ on
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Thanks for the support. I ended up not going, life happens :-) But i hear it was quite a tumultuous event with many sub events around it ...
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Permalink Reply by Lindsey on
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Well she certainly has a right to say whatever she pleases, regardless of how hateful and ignorant it is. I once had the misfortune of hearing that woman speak and now, no matter how much I try, I can't unhear it.
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Permalink Reply by elaine kilshaw on -
i supose it is the same in Canada as other countries, those who believe in a 'god figure' are the ones that spout their hatred more freely. I think Atheists are a silent majority waiting to pounce. In GB no one seems to care too much about religion, well on religious holidays, yes. except the Churches, afraid of loosing money and power.
I have not heard of this lady but i am sure she is one of those people wanting to jump on the bandwagon to get themselves noticed, and to make money.
One question I want to ask is why do the believers get so angry and shout at you or at least raise their voices, trying to get their point across. It seems they are questioning their own beliefs but do not want the answers, so shut their minds to logic and reason..
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Permalink Reply by Kris Feenstra on
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For the most part, things are pretty quiet on the religion front. In this case, it wasn't a religious issue per se.
Ann Coulter is an American pundit with political views somewhere to the right of right wing. I'll avoid my own, less than flattering, personal opinions of her, but it might be fair to say that she's pissed off pretty much every minority group in her own country at one point or another.
As a brief synopsis (as accurate as I can get with conflicting news reports):
Coulter is doing a Canadian tour. During an appearance at the University of Western Ontario, a young Muslim asked Ann her opinion of Muslims. Ann had made remarks against Muslims to the effect that all terrorists are Muslims and they should be forbidden from taking planes and use their magic carpets (humor, I suppose). The young Muslim stated that she didn't have a flying carpet. Ann suggested she take a camel instead (more "humor"). Many people weren't overly fond of this.
Ann goes to speak at the University of Ottawa. Before her arrival. University of Ottawa provost Francois Houle sends her an email saying that the University welcomes her as a speaker, and suggests that she acquaints herself with Canada's Hate Propaganda Laws (indictable offenses). In truth, the email was a bad call, but there's nothing overtly wrong with it. An unreceptive crowd gathers around the event, which is subsequently canceled.
Who canceled it? I've read it was the University, that it was Ann's team and also that it was the police, for security reasons. I'm fairly confident that it was not the University and not the police. Ann storms off in a huff, calls Canadians a bunch of girls, and threatens to file a Human Rights complaint against the University of Ottawa, Houle himself, or perhaps both (it's not quite clear). Supposedly there's a free speech issue -- really it's just nonsense. Ezra Levant is involved. I believe his official title and job description is 'dickhead'.
Ann goes to Calgary. There's pissed off people there as well. She speaks. She hasn't been arrested for speaking in Canada yet, to the best of my knowledge. Her stunt is sloppily played, but I think many people solidly on the right will bite anyway. It's all a farce.
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