Free Speech only is free if you agree with it? Apparently for the U of Ottawa it does....

[Mark in Oshawa]

The University of Ottawa is hosting the always controversial but rarely quiet Ann Coulter. For those who are of the left of the political spectrum, this woman is gasoline to their fire. She is over the top and often very sarcastic (but isn't that satirical humour?) but she has a point. You may not like it, heck, I don't like half of what she says, not for what she believes in but how she has chosen to articulate it BUT she should have the unvarnished right to SAY it.

IN Canada, we have a university official who believes otherwise and is threatening Ms. Coulter with the Canadian Human Rights Commision if she says something HE Finds offensive.....

Story is here: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2710026

Now, the thing is, She is going to hoist this all upon them. She told a Toronto Radio program this morning that if her speech can be considered hate speech, that letter trying to muzzle her offends HER human right to speak. Under the Canadian charter of rights, she has that right...or at least should have. What is good for the goose, is good for the gander, and this goose is stirring up a LOT of ganders!!!!

[Easy Drifter]

She is certainly contraversial and a little over the top but I don't think she really promotes hate.
At UWO a Muslim Student questioned her about an earlier comment she made about Muslims giving up cars and using flying carpets. The female student said she didn't have a flying carpet and asked what she should do. The response was get a camel. Not very nice but not hateful in my opinion.
I do find the attitude of the President of the Student Council at Ottawa to be disturbing. She does have the right to speak and the Student Council should not be trying to ban advertising her talk. That is suppression of free speech.
I do not agree with her on a lot of things but I feel she has the right to express her opinion.

[Rollo]

I respect her right to free speech and that she should have the right to say whatever she wants to... and be judged for it.

In the article which was submitted, it appears as though that Francois Houle is asking her to choose her words carefully. That if anything to me sounds like wise counsel.
In the short amount of reading that I've done, Ms Coulter sounds like a total nutjob, and a warning like this appears to be quite apt.

[anthonyvop]

Gotta love those peace loving, open-mined, all inclusive lefties!

OTTAWA — Concerns for “public safety” forced the cancellation of American conservative political commentator Ann Coulter’s public-speaking event at the University of Ottawa Tuesday night.

Several hundred people, including students from both Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, showed up prior to Coulter’s speech. The loudest and most vociferous were protesting her presence, drowning out a smaller group of pro-Coulter demonstrators.

Ottawa police had more than nine squad cars at the scene, at the university’s Marion Hall. But the event was cancelled about 8:15 p.m. — before Coulter had a chance to speak.

Reports suggested the building was evacuated after someone pulled a fire alarm.

“It’s a public safety issue,” said Sgt. Dan Beauchamp.

The fiery right-wing pundit and author stirred controversy even before she arrived in Ottawa. The university’s student federation objected to her even appearing on campus, going so far as to ban posters advertising her speaking engagement.

The University of Ottawa also sent Coulter a directive of sorts, urging her to weigh her words with “respect and civility in mind” in order to avoid potential criminal charges linked to hate speech.

“Our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or ‘free speech&#8217 in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States,” Francois Houle, vice-president academic and provost of the University of Ottawa, wrote in an e-mail. “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.”

Coulter discussed the note during the first of three university-speaking events at the University of Western Ontario in London Monday night, where about 800 people gathered.

She has since suggested she may file her own complaint with Canada’s Human Rights Commission to allege hate speech.

That move and the contents of Monday’s talk — which included Coulter telling a Muslim student she “take a camel” as an alternative to flying — grabbed headlines on both sides of the border Tuesday.

Coulter made the camel quip when pressed on a question asked by UWO student Fatima Al-Dhaher, who was referencing a previous quote made to the media that Muslims shouldn’t be allowed on airplanes and should take "flying carpets" instead. Al-Dhaher had noted she didn’t own a flying carpet, and asked what Coulter suggested she do instead.

But Coulter defended herself on CTV’s Power Play Tuesday, saying each comment was taken out of context. The carpet statement, she said, was made in relation to racial profiling done by transport authorities after 9/11.

“I was giving a serious answer and they start heckling me, ‘Answer the question! Answer the question!,’ Coulter said. “The answer to the question of explaining a joke is another joke.

“It’s not so much a joke, it’s satire, because there is a political point behind my saying that they could take flying carpets,” Coulter added, suggesting it was the “silliness” of “political correctness run amok.”

The exchange no doubt contributed to the large turnout for Tuesday’s event.

“No more racists on our campus!” shouted the anti-Coulter crowd.

“No more commies on our campus!” shouted the pro-Coulter group.

In the end, of course, nobody got to hear what the woman had to say.

Coulter is scheduled to make her final speech in Canada at the University of Calgary on Thursday.

[Easy Drifter]

If my feeble memory is correct The University of Ottawa is one of the lower ranked Cdn. Universities.
It also is noted as being quite left wing as to staff and student body. I actually am surprised she was ever invited to speak there.
I am not overly surprised at the result.
So much for free speech when you are left wing.
It only applies if the speaker is left wing at U of O.

[Easy Drifter]

I just waded through over 20 pages of readers' of the Ottawa Sun comments.
Both sides of the issue had their share of real wingnuts. However the anti Ann side were usually more vehment and full of name calling.
Quite a few who supported her right to speak did not agree with her.
All said and done the fact that her talk was cancelled by the University because of 'security' reasons is a sad commentary on the University, especially in light of what was said by University officials.
Interesting that the University of Ottawa recently permitted what was basically an anti Israel week to go ahead.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I respect her right to free speech and that she should have the right to say whatever she wants to... and be judged for it.

In the article which was submitted, it appears as though that Francois Houle is asking her to choose her words carefully. That if anything to me sounds like wise counsel.
In the short amount of reading that I've done, Ms Coulter sounds like a total nutjob, and a warning like this appears to be quite apt.

Key words you said is "be judged for it". The problem here, and with the University of Ottawa by no means being the only university being guilty of this, is there is no judgement in the media or public opinion for many radical ideas on the other side of the fence. IF a group opposes abortion, it is marginalized and trivalized without any debate because the prevailing view on a university campus is "of course Abortion makes sense" without ever questioning what is happening. I don't want to see it abolished, but the debate about it must never be stifled if it is in a manner that is civilized. The U of O has allowed a "Palestinian Apartheid Week" but I bet if a group of Jews wanted to have a "Zionists in support of Israel" week they would be banned.

There is a double standard on too many North American campuses. Ann Coulter attracts a lot of loons, and is a bit off the wall, but I will fight to the end for her right to do just that, just as I would the radically left equivalent, Bill Maher. Can't STAND Maher, but I would have to say the U of O wouldn't be sending him a threatening letter telling him to watch his mouth and it shouldn't be that Ann Coulter is getting that sort of treatement.

OH well, Under Canada's Human Rights tribunals and investigations, what that letter did could be considered an infringement on Ann...and she apparently with the help of Ezra Levant (a guy who has spent a lot of money trying to keep the right to be politically incorrect part of the conversation) will be laying a charge that the U of O's Prevost was threatening her and infringing on her rights. Will she succeed? No...but I know flimsier cases against people on the right always make it to trial. Mark Steyn, the noted author and right wing pundit has had his articles dragged through this process and Macleans magazine spent a bundle on lawyers for running an exceprt of his book. The people bringing the charges had publically funded lawyers, and felt even if they lost they made their point by having Macleans spend a fortune defending their rights. Can anyone say libel chill?

Ann Coulter is not someone I would want running society but by god at least in her world, she would let you speak.

Universities are supposed to be about academic freedom. I guess that only applies when the orthodoxy on campus agrees with them.

[Mark in Oshawa]

I just waded through over 20 pages of readers' of the Ottawa Sun comments.
Both sides of the issue had their share of real wingnuts. However the anti Ann side were usually more vehment and full of name calling.
Quite a few who supported her right to speak did not agree with her.
All said and done the fact that her talk was cancelled by the University because of 'security' reasons is a sad commentary on the University, especially in light of what was said by University officials.
Interesting that the University of Ottawa recently permitted what was basically an anti Israel week to go ahead.

Drifter, go read what the National Post is saying about it and listen to Charles Adler tomorrow....

Adler has been all over the Coulter controversay...

[harsha]

if the university had a problem with her speaking , why invite her in the first place...

[chuck34]

Pretty clear case of double standards. Sad really. EVERYONE should be allowed to speak. It appears that only those of a particular political mindset are allowed to enjoy the freedom of speach.