Ann Ban
I would think--hope--Canadians are embarrassed that protestors prevented Ann Coulter from giving a speech at the University of Ottawa. The school's provost writing beforehand to warn her she might be up for criminal charges if she didn't watch what she said was also pretty sickening. (I'm from Canada, by the way, so any criticism comes from love.)
Canada has a vague belief in freedom of speech, but is willing to throw it overboard when it seems cool. Right now, the excuse is "hate speech"--which only seems to apply to certain types of hate. Politically correct hate will win you tenure. What's so troublesome is the protestors seemed so proud of what they'd done.
For a nice Orwellian moment, here are the protestors shouting "This is what free speech looks like."
posted by LAGuy @ 12:29 AM
6 Comments:
Well someone high up in the Canadian bureaucracy (cant find the cite right now) stated that free speech was an American affectation so it doesn't appear there's much love up North for the idea of speaking your mind if it might offend someone. The tyranny of politesse perhaps.
Apparently Ann during an exchange with a student of arabic background with "go ride your flying carpet" and "get back on your camel" which was cited by those trying to shut her down. Now it would seem to me that if you don't like Ann Coulter, you'd want to let her rip and spout more of the same and have it reported widely.
Canada doesn't mind if people are offended. They just want to make sure the right people are offended. Coulter herself was able to list some of the firebreathing haters that the University of Ottawa has hosted. The point was they hated the things that all right-thinking people should hate: Israel, George Bush, Ann Coulter, whomever. So hate speech against "identifiable" groups is perfectly acceptable as long as they've been identified as worthy of two-minutes hate. That's the trouble with hate speech, of course. Once you say one thing is wrong, you tacitly say vicious, even racist hatred of anything you allow is okay.
LAGuy a Canadian? I've said it once and I'll say it again: the scary thing about them is that there could be one right next to you AND YOU'D NEVER KNOW IT UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE!
Anon- read up a little more on Canada. They shut down anyone who raises their voice or uses too much mocking sarcasm. No doubt the chanting students were Anne-haters- I would guess most university students are but I think if she sat primly and delivered her "pearls" with folded hands and less invective (yeah - I know that's killing her whole shtick) she probably would've made it by the censorship board.
The story anon tells is a legend designed to keep the anger up and the movement going
So let me see if I understand second anon correctly. A bunch of vituperative people shout and shout and block Ann Coulter from speaking, because they hate her so deeply even letting her talk is evil, and this proves that Canada shuts down people who raises their voice.
Canada's universities have hosted speakers who have loudly called for the destruction of Israel, so don't tell me that this is anything but a political standard.
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