So Much for the Free Exchange of Ideas on College Campuses

Not that it hasn't already been on life support or about to have the plig pulled here in the USA at most "Liberal" Colleges as well about everywhere in Canada as well.

The other day I put up a post about the letter François Houle, Provost of the University of Ottawa sent to Ann Coulter in an attempt to intimidate her into silence by threatening her with being arrested. (Do They Really Think This Will Get Her to Tone It Down???) Well, as expected, she was willing to go ahead & let the threats be damned. But in the end, thanks to hundreds of shouting student protesters showed up threatening disruption & violence if she was allowed to speak, she was forced to cancel.

IMHO opinion, Houle's letter is to blame. Houle told her "to weigh your words with respect and civility in mind." So why didn't he demand the same of the students before her appearance. Because he knew what they would do. & it wouldn't be to act with respect & civility.

The students knew that Houle didn't want her speaking out at all, let alone saying anything that wasn't PC so they took their lead from him & shut her down. It is as plain & simple as that.

& I am not the only 1 who feels this way.

Ezra Levant, who is on the university tour with Miss Coulter, called Mr. Houle's letter a "veiled threat." After the speech was cancelled he went on to say Tuesday “an embarrassing day for the University of Ottawa and their student body, who could not debate Ann Coulter ... who chose to silence her through threats and intimidation, just like their vice-president did.” (emphasis mine) He went on to add “A fish rots from the head down. Francois Houle got his wish. He telegraphed to the community that the University of Ottawa is not a place for free debate.”

Levant spoke to CTV's Canada AM on Wednesday morning. he told them "Last night, I went on a Facebook page for some of the protesters and there were clear calls for violence. And not just in an abstract way, I mean there were instructions to bring vegetables and eggs to throw."

Ann Coulter reported that the police “had been warning my bodyguard all day that they were putting up [messages] on Facebook: ‘Bring rocks, bring sticks, you gotta hurt Ann Coulter tonight, don’t let her speak.’ And the cops eventually said, we’ve got a bad feeling, this isn’t gonna happen. And they shut it down.”

Coulter made it clear she sees that the email from Houle set the tone for & encouraged the protesters. In her inimitable style she told the Citizen “I’m pretty sure little Francois A-Houle does not need to travel with a bodyguard. I would like to know when this sort of violence, this sort of protest, has been inflicted upon a Muslim — who appear to be, from what I’ve read of the human rights complaints, the only protected group in Canada. I think I’ll give my speech tomorrow night in a burka. That will protect me.”

On Wednesday the University of Ottawa did issue a statement, or as they called it, a comment. In it the University claims "a crowd of about one thousand people had peacefully gathered at Marion Hall." They mention that it was the organizers decision to cancel. No mention at all as to the hundreds of students threatening Coulter with violence that led to that decision. No mention of the police's concern that a huge number of these students presented a threat to Coulter. & esp no mention of an investigation into those threats.

Instead they try & paint themselves as being welcoming to Coulter. "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." While technically true, Houle's letter wasn't exactly welcoming or promting, let alone defending freedom of expression. & he was doing so as an official of the University.

This whole thing is turning into a PR nightmare for the University of Ottawa. & their making that comment their only official staement isn't going to stop things. people are not buying their attempts to picture themselves "as an open forum for diverse opinions." Nor are they buying the claim that UO "is a safe and democratic environment for the expression of views," let alone that they "will keep it that way.”

On Thursday Canadian Senator Doug Finley rose in the Senate to give notice that he would "call the attention of the Senate to the issue of the erosion of Freedom of Speech in our country" by means of an inquiry to be held as early as next week. (See Hansard/Debates of the Senate record of Finley’s notice here.)

While Funley doesn't specificly mention the Coulter incident conservative blogger & political commentator Stephen Taylor remarked that Senator Finley's move "is likely in reaction to recent events by university officials and students at the University of Ottawa to intimidate US conservative commentator Ann Coulter from appearing on campus." He also observed that, "The Senator will also rise during a time when federal and provincial human rights commissions have run amok, hearing complaints by politically offended groups and individuals."

Another group that isn't buying the UO comments is The Canadian Association of University Teachers (AUT). The AUT which represents more than 67,000 academic & general staff at college & universities across Canada. They sent a letter to University of Ottawa Provost Francois Houle demanding he apologize to Ann Coulter for the letter he wrote to her. "We feel you [Houle] owe an apology to Ms. Coulter and, even more importantly, you owe the University of Ottawa community an assurance that the administration of the university strongly supports freedom of expression, academic freedom and views the role of the university as fostering and defending these values."

AUT President Penni Stewart & executive director James Turk added that Mr. Houle's action also "raises serious questions about the University of Ottawa's respect for freedom of expression and academic freedom." Like I said, they aren't exactly buying UO's claims either.

The Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform (CCBR) issued a press release on Thursday lambasting The University of Ottawa’s actions. CCBR Co-Founder and Executive Director Stephanie Gray said "Mob rule on Canadian universities should trouble all Canadians. The University of Ottawa’s appalling behavior towards Ann Coulter is the most recent example of how universities are ceasing to be a place of higher learning. By sending Coulter a letter warning her not to violate Canada’s hate speech rules, the university seems to suggest that controversial speech could be illegal."

The statement said that "The CCBR urges universities to combat the stifling of free speech just because it is deemed ‘offensive’ by a small group of angry students."

"This highlights a disturbing trend in Canada: bullies have been taught that they need only shout, threaten to disrupt an event, or mis-label people or activities as ‘hate’ or ‘harassment’ and the innocent will be censored. All too often the authorities listen to these thugs and limit or suppress peaceful speech for fear of what the bullies will do. This is especially true of pro-life speech."

The CCBR release (here) also describes instances of “mob rule” at Canadian universities, where protesters have disrupted or shut down numerous school-approved pro-life and pro-free-speech events.

Like I said, this isn't going to go away. & the UO statement isn't pouring oil on the troubled waters. What the UO statement does show is their arrogance & feeling of superiority to the rest of us. they think that we will be dumb enough to buy into what they are saying just because they are UO. Well, as I have shown, it isn't working. UO will have to do a whole lot more to prove that it has really disavowed the actions of these students. & that includes disciplinary actions for those who did disrupt the speech & shut it down by their threats ecouraged by Houle's threats. Until then Houle's e-mail stands as the proof that they actually condoned those actions instead.

As Levant so rightly pointed out, the spectacle showed “just how eroded our Canadian values of free speech have become” — especially on university campuses. Unfortunately it just isn't in Canada. Similar incidents have occured here in the USA as well.

“I think this has turned into a teaching moment for the entire country, a reminder that freedom of speech is a Canadian value,” he said. I hope he is right, but I doubt that those who need to hear will listen. So far they haven't done so here in the USA & I don't hold out much hope up there in the immediate future either.

Sources: U of Ottawa Student Rioters Shut Down Ann Coulter Talk

Uproar over Ann Coulter Speech Cancellation Continues