Ann Coulter speech protests/cancellation

[Kevin_Lowe]

So you support the students that effectively denied her freedom to speech, or you simply would not have wanted to attend the speech?

I don't support those students, but I count Ann Coulter not giving a speech as a win for intelligent political discourse as a whole.

Please explain to me how you can definitively differentiate between a speaker who is worthy of appearing at a university and one who is simplay a 'mascot for far-right idiots'.

I deduce from the fact that you're asking that question that you are unfamiliar either with Ann Coulter, or with civilised political discourse that doesn't involve racist or homophobic abuse, or calls for mass murder.

Sarah Palin might be an idiot. However, she was a vice presidential candidate and former gov. of Alaska. Even if you hate her, she is a relatively significant historical figure.

Just because worthy discussions can be had about her does not mean that she has the anything worthwhile to contribute to such discussions.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

A couple of things should be noted:
With free speech, you should be able to deliver your message without being shouted down. You are also under no obligation to allocate time during your message to opposing views.

Can't say I've ever heard that before, on either side of the free speech debate.

 

[Segnosaur]

I don't support those students, but I count Ann Coulter not giving a speech as a win for intelligent political discourse as a whole.

Do you think that she was basically "shouted down" is a win for intelligent political discourse?

Hey, I'd be quite happy if she never spoke in Canada, but I would want that to be because nobody has an interest in her, not because some group of students believes free speech doesn't apply to messages they don't like.

Please explain to me how you can definitively differentiate between a speaker who is worthy of appearing at a university and one who is simplay a 'mascot for far-right idiots'.

I deduce from the fact that you're asking that question that you are unfamiliar either with Ann Coulter, or with civilised political discourse that doesn't involve racist or homophobic abuse, or calls for mass murder

Here's a suggestion... try reading the opening post.

In it, I pointed out that I have never read anything that Coulter has written or watched her on TV, but I am aware of some of her idiotic statements and I feel she is an individual worth of contempt.

Once again, the issue is where do you draw the line? And who decides where the line is drawn. If you are willing to state "Coulter does not belong at a university" are you also willing to allow universities to ban other speakers? Or perhaps art that people think is offensive?

re: Sarah Palin

Just because worthy discussions can be had about her does not mean that she has the anything worthwhile to contribute to such discussions.

You don't think it would be worth while to actually hear directly from her, perhaps learning what her actual opinions are, or what her motivations were behind her decisions, rather than learn about such things filtered through an imperfect news media and pundints?

 

[badnewsBH]

If Coulter was stopped from speaking by protests that were over the top, I disagree with the people who were acting against her. Better to let her have her say, and reply in whatever way you feel suits the situation. If hate speech occurred, the authorities could have dealt with it as the law requires.

In other words, if you're dead set on putting your foot in your mouth, no one should have the right to stop you from opening wide.

 

[quixotecoyote]

You don't think it would be worth while to actually hear directly from her, perhaps learning what her actual opinions are, or what her motivations were behind her decisions, rather than learn about such things filtered through an imperfect news media and pundints?

She is a pundit. She speaks directly through the news media. We have already heard directly from her. Over and over again.

 

[Corsair 115]

Two simple words summarize the entire event: publicity stunt.

 

[quadraginta]

<snip>

You think that all the loud yelling by protesters (you DID watch the video link I gave earlier, didn't you?), many of whom were actually in the hall, would actually have stopped when she actually started to give her speech?


<snip>

A couple of things should be noted:
With free speech, you should be able to deliver your message without being shouted down. You are also under no obligation to allocate time during your message to opposing views.

During her previous appearance, she both gave a speech, and engaged in a Q&A with the audience. If students at the university really wanted to challenge her, they could have listened to whatever B.S. she slung in her speech, and then raised questions during the Q&A to point out her failings. Or, like I said, they could have brought in their own speakers, wrote letters to newspapers, etc.

Do you think that she was basically "shouted down" is a win for intelligent political discourse?

<snip>

Tea Party Protesters & Town Hall Meetings

I note that you did not choose to address the potential similarities when I brought this up earlier.

Do you see no analogues between the two situations? Were you equally outraged by the behavior of the Tea Party Protesters?

 

[Praktik]

She is a pundit. She speaks directly through the news media. We have already heard directly from her. Over and over again.

poor muzzled Anne Coulter - if only she had a platform from which she could speak and we could hear directly from her! If only there was a book of hers I could read somewhere!

 

[themusicteacher]

So "free speech" means you should be handed a public forum from which to spew your venomous, hateful, vitriolic, hopelessly one-sided nonsense? Maybe Ann "The Man" Coulter should take a cue from one of her conservative buddies, SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas, who suggested that we should "be less concerned with our freedoms than with our responsibilities." Of course, she has no intention of representing anything truthfully. She's a known liar (in the form of hyperbole, straw-men and cherry-picking; just like most "commentators") and well-paid flame-thrower.

The students and MP's had every right to protest and Coulter did what she always does: toss out insults and say how much better things are in her fantasy world where people "appreciate" her viewpoints. They didn't have to cancel but it wouldn't be the first time a controversial figure has been not allowed to speak at events. I'm wondering, did they invite David Duke or Fred Phelps because they're in the same league as Coulter.

 

[Darat]

I think the question has to be "Did the people who were against her speaking do anything illegal?"

If they did then they stepped over a line (albeit I do support the principle of 'civil disobedience' as long as it is not violent), if they didn't then why is what they did wrong?

 

[quixotecoyote]

I think the question has to be "Did the people who were against her speaking do anything illegal?"

If they did then they stepped over a line (albeit I do support the principle of 'civil disobedience' as long as it is not violent), if they didn't then why is what they did wrong?

My understanding is that they physically blocked people from entering a building and that they pulled a fire alarm to attempt to empty out the building.

The first I could see as a legitimate form of protest in extreme circumstances that this doesn't entail.

The second is probably illegal.

 

[Drudgewire]

My first semester of college Abbie Hoffman spoke at our school. The campus conservative group protested it, mainly because the school paid for it rather than any group. To say it was incindiary would be a gross understatement, it was also one of the best nights of my life.

Protest is a good thing. Stifling speech, ANY speech, is shameful.

"Freedom for everyone, unless I think you're wrong."
-GWAR

 

[Darat]

My understanding is that they physically blocked people from entering a building and that they pulled a fire alarm to attempt to empty out the building.

The first I could see as a legitimate form of protest in extreme circumstances that this doesn't entail.

The second is probably illegal.

I've only read the two articles linked to in the opening post and they don't mention either the preventing of people getting into the hall (they say the entrance was crowded) and one states that 100 people had already entered when she decided to cancel her talk:

... The announcement of the cancellation was greeted with shouts of "Shame" and "We want Ann" from about 100 people inside the hall. Outside protesters mockingly chanted "Goodbye Ann Coulter." ...​

And neither mention the fire alarm?

That aside I would agree that if a false fire alarm was triggered that steps over the line because of the potential danger it causes. However the people outside chanting and so on? I can't see why they shouldn't be allowed to do that.

 

[Cayvmann]

Did the University tell Coulter she was not allowed to speak, or did Coulter choose not to speak?

She chose not to speak, because the people at the University are all big meanies.

 

[Drudgewire]

Yeah, I haven't seen anyone besides a conservative blogger reporting it say the entrance was blocked, and even he doesn't mention a fire alarm. And the NY Times article quotes the police chief as saying the behavior of the crowd was not the reason they suggested stopping event.

I'm with Darat, if lines were crossed it was wrong. If they weren't, you should expect the occasional brushback when you make your living being controversial.

 

[ReFLeX]

I received this email yesterday (I'm a graduate):

Special Announcement

Dear Alumni and Friends,

On Tuesday, March 23, an appearance by Ann Coulter was scheduled on our campus, organized by the International Free Press Society Canada and the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute.
The University of Ottawa has always promoted and defended freedom of expression. For that reason, we did not at any time oppose Ann Coulter’s appearance. Whether it is Ann Coulter or any other speaker, diverse views have always been and continue to be welcome on our campus.

Last night, the organizers themselves decided at 7:50 p.m. to cancel the event and so informed the University’s Protection Services staff on site. At that time, a crowd of about one thousand people had peacefully gathered at Marion Hall.

"Freedom of expression is a core value that the University of Ottawa has always promoted," said Allan Rock, President of the University. "We have a long history of hosting contentious and controversial speakers on our campus. Last night was no exception, as people gathered here to listen to and debate Ann Coulter’s opinions.

I encourage our students, faculty and other members of our community to maintain our University as an open forum for diverse opinions. Ours is a safe and democratic environment for the expression of views, and we will keep it that way."

I think this happened not so much because of the content of her opinions or particulars of free speech as much as the publicity she received before the event. The Ottawa Citizen had a story on the front page in which the University provost "reminded" her that Canada had hate speech laws. Although the end of the article included a professor of law disagreeing that she would be breaking said laws, her appearance got a lot of attention very quickly. In this way, the situation is sort of like the hysterical tea party protests.

ETA: Here's a link to the article that ran the day before the speech was scheduled. I should also have mentioned it contains several inflammatory nuggets of Coulter wisdom.

 

[Darat]

Have to say it seems to me that a person who apparently has made quite a career out of being "controversial" and "outrageous" was put off from making a speech because people were protesting against her. I've seen nothing to indicate that she was at risk or that her talk could not have gone ahead.

 

[ReFLeX]

Short letter from an attendee

 

[Schrodinger's Cat]

Haven't seen any threads regarding this, but if there is, my apologies...

There is currently a controversy here in Ottawa where Conservative author/columnist Ann Coulter was supposed to give a speech at the University of Ottawa. However, the talk was canceled after protests by students (including a falsely-pulled fire alarm).

This was not the only negative reaction to Coulter... posters of the event had been banned from certain buildings, she's been criticized in our house of parliament, and one of the professors at the university mailed her a letter suggesting she "tone down" her comments.

As a result, Coulter has labeled the Canadian university as 'bush league', pointing out that such protests would never have happened at the more high-quality colleges in the U.S.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grH5rnCyMoqFbARVHi9zhJY-kQnAD9EKVOKG1
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/always+bush+league+schools+Coulter+contends/2720460/story.html

Now, I am not a fan of Ann Coulter. I have never read any of her books, watched any interviews with her, or read any of her articles. From what I have heard of her, she sounds like an idiot in so many ways.

That said, I think she's right... cases like that do reflect very badly on our universities (and by extension our population). The proper response to bad speech is to counter it with good speech. Yes, Ann Coulter says dumb things. Best way to handle it is to let her rant and rave, then bring in your own speakers, or write a letter to your local newspaper pointing out all the stupid things she said.

Unfortunately, now she has the "moral high ground", and Canada looks like we don't respect the concept of freedom of speech.

Speakers aren't protested at colleges in the United States? What's she talking about. When I was in college, I can't count how many protests there were regarding planned speakers, even seemingly innocuous ones. There would even be protesters when the speaker was speaking at a closed event. For instance I was a part of "Floridians for Humane Farming" which was a very small club, and we had a speaker at a club meeting who was an animal welfare activist, and there were conservative protesters, I don't even know how they found out about the event, there who protested the speaker because he knew someone who knew someone who had ties to the ELF, and so of course that made him a terrorist. (not that I'm singling out conservatives as if the leftist side didn't do this sort of thing just as often)

And there are often news stories about high profile speakers being extremely contested when they speak at universities.

What world is she living in where American college students don't protest speakers they don't like at their school?

 

[Darat]

...snip...

What world is she living in where American college students don't protest speakers they don't like at their school?

From what I've read and seen from her - Planet Coulter - and from her descriptions of it it seems to be a terrifying and horrendous world, not surprised she emigrated to this planet.