Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ann Coulter Kicked Out of Ottawa

Well, my, my my.

Ann Coulter was kicked out of Ottawa.

I never would have guessed that it was possible. Not that people would want her gone, but that Canadians, renowned for our apathy, would be so bold.

Here's what happened.

Coulter spoke in London on Monday and the Globe and Mail reported she said things like this:
There are two things gay men can’t do – “get married to each other” (She knew she was in Canada where this is legal, right?) and “throw a baseball without looking like a girl.” (I wonder how girls who play ball feel about this one?)

And that she thinks feminists, gays and illegal aliens all want to be black as they complain their rights are being attacked in the same way the rights of African-Americans once were.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, she had joked that Muslims denied air travel should take “flying carpets.” When the student challenged that remark, Ms. Coulter told her to take a “camel,” adding that, “I thought it was just American public schools that produced ignorant people.” 

When she showed up at the U of Ottawa yesterday, there was a very boisterous crowd demonstrating against her. She cancelled her speech when organizers decided it wasn't safe for her to speak.

Not safe to speak in Ottawa?

Anyone who knows Ottawa would find that comical. (Right, Becca?)

Her response?

“It's at the absolute bush league, bottom of the barrel schools that you get the worst treatment and yet and still I've never seen this before,” she said.“I'm guessing the scores to get into the University of Ottawa are not very challenging.”

According to the daily newspaper:

Riding a wave of controversy over her speaking tour of Canada, Ms. Coulter told CTV news earlier yesterday that she’s being treated unfairly here because she’s conservative.

No, Ann. You're being treated this way because you are a bigot. There are lots of conservatives who could speak freely. I am happy to report you aren't considered to be of their standard.

Colleen

11 comments:

  1. Thanks for doing something that we in America apparently don't have the guts to do. Actually respond to hate speech and bigotry. Coulter may have a "right" to speak, but others have the same "right". And the obviously intelligent students in Ottawa spoke.

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  2. I was there...as a curious observer to see how Ann's social marketing tactics worked in person. It was a madhouse from the beginning and the protestors were doing everything they could to destroy the event from fire alarms to rock throwing. There was the potential for violence, clear and simple. And while I had no physical injury, I was screamed at numerous times, told to orally pleasure someone and even though I am a minority, told that I was a racist. Based on your post, maybe we could start a protest on these individuals and show them what it feels like, no?

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  3. Sunstreaked: While I'm glad she didn't speak, reading anonymous's comment has chilled my enthusiasm. She's a nut and a dangerous one and shouldn't have been invited in the first place. Since she had been, a demonstration could have been held, a media campaign could have been launched, her engagement could have been boycotted. If what anonymous says is true, I am disheartened that those were the tactics we chose.

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  4. Anon: I wonder why neither the Globe nor the Ottawa Citizen described the tactics you encountered. I am not suggesting you are making them up. I am hoping that our media would give a full picture of what happened. As for Coulter speaking, I'm glad she didn't. Her brand of ill-informed rhetoric doesn't advance any sort of worthwhile debate.

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  5. Here's a link to the Ottawa Citizen article which gives more detail than did the Globe & Mail. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/speech+cancelled/2718883/story.html

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  6. “I'm guessing the scores to get into the University of Ottawa are not very challenging.”

    OH NO SHE DITUNT!!!!!!!!

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  7. Becca: I knew you'd enjoy that one.

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  8. Now, if she'd been talking about Carleton....

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  9. hahahahaha

    Be nice now... Last Chance U has a great philosophy. Just because you screwed up high school doesn't mean you can't succeed at uni.

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  10. Loved the blog Aunt C-- still no report of rock throwing that I've heard, such a passionate and interesting response that Ann got.
    Wish I would have gone, but that event totally conflicted with my schedule at Last Chance U *eye roll* ;)

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  11. Hey My Niece: I love Carleton's philosophy. No sarcasm intended. Big hug. Hope to see in in April.

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