here's that link again

http://www.canadaka.net/forums/current-events-f59/ann-coulter-s-speech-in-ottawa-cancelled-t88259.html

Nan, I wasn't able to access the article, just the comments on it, so here's a related article link, and an excerpt with the gist of it.

I stopped reading the comments under your link because they were short, ignorant, and not dealing with the actual events.

As for this blog entry, it would be more interesting to read your own thoughts on all of this, nan...but I'll go ahead and write a comment for ya:

So, to be clear: Her speech was not canceled because her right to free speech under Canada's charter was infringed upon; it was canceled due to safety issues. The student group protesting posed a danger through sheer numbers, I guess, outside the hall where she was to speak.

As usual, a bunch of yahoos want to bring up "free speech" without considering what really happened--including Coulter herself, who decides to lob immediate insult upon the University of Ottawa, rather than consider the situation for what it was. Interesting that she thinks vigorous student protest is the sign of a "bottom of the barrel" academic institution. Guess she'd rather show up at a high-security campus with snipers in place, and a red carpet rolled out and Muzak playing with subliminal messaging behind it, advising all students to "stay calm and move along..." ;)

I personally believe much of what Ann Coulter says on television to be aimed at selling her incoherent packaged hate speech--I mean, 'books.' I'm sure the students at U of Ottawa were doing just that--protesting her as a hate speech monger. They would be correct; little of what she says is serious, and none of it worthy of attention.

I myself am proud to say I boycotted my own commencement ceremonies because Newt Gingrich was the speaker. Did I begrudge him his right to free speech? No. Did I wish to celebrate the finish of my studies, and receive my degree in the presence of a politician whose politics I had discovered to be morally reprehensible and socially irresponsible?.. Nope.

Link and excerpt to follow:

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/international/americas/view.bg?articleid=1242239

OTTAWA - Right-wing pundit Ann Coulter canceled a University of Ottawa address Tuesday after organizers decided it wasn’t safe for her to speak. About 2,000 “threatening” students crowded the entrance to Marion Hall, posing a security threat, said a spokesman for the organizers. “There was a risk there could be physical violence,” said Canadian conservative activist Ezra Levant, who was scheduled to introduce Coulter. About 10 Ottawa police cars were called to the scene, but there were no incidents. In an interview, Coulter said she has given 100 to 200 speeches at colleges and this was the first time one of her addresses has been “completely shut down.” She said the incident reflects poorly on the University of Ottawa. “It’s at the absolute bush league, bottom-of-the-barrel schools that you get the worst treatment 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.”

My question is why would they book Ann Coulter to speak in the first place? And does she not see the hypocrisy in denouncing the University of Ottawa and its students AFTER she accepted the assignment and they roundly rejected her? Did the outrageous big-mouth get her widdle feelings hurt? This makes me sad. Just more attention heaped on someone so undeserving.

So true, MsG. This female's had her fifteen minutes with the Shrub admin, let her go away now.

so ur saying ordinary Canadians r ignorant SDaniels....hahahahahaha...they'd love that!!!

i don't have anything to say about Ann Coulter...she isn't even on my radar

the comments i sent u all to was just a message board with the ignorant thoughts of "ORDINARY CANADIANS"...warts and all...a kind of around the Molson's beer cooler exercise and exercise arena for 4 letter words

i thought it was in some cases OUTRAGEOUSLY FUNNY...but then THERE'S NO ACCOUNTING FOR MY TASTE....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

it does give one a feel for the underlying negative attitude Canada has about America in general...something we might need to think about as we have the only unguarded border with that many miles in distance in the world

alls well SDaniels...it's just a blip on the radar

Ms Grant...ditto

Cuddles....yep

interestingly enuff the Canadians were embarrassed by the thread 2 i guess

because they removed it!!!

the website went down for a day and i was much afraid my membership there might be rescinded ...fortunately i just got the usual Canadian polite slap on the wrist and a warning to

NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!

FREE SPEECH???

YIKES!!!

nan, I need to clear up something here. Looks like you might have misunderstood who I was referring to, when you wrote:

so ur saying ordinary Canadians r ignorant SDaniels....hahahahahaha...they'd love that!!!

I wrote:

As usual, a bunch of yahoos want to bring up "free speech" without considering what really happened--including Coulter herself, who decides to lob immediate insult upon the University of Ottawa, rather than consider the situation for what it was.

So by "yahoos," I was referring to the usual suspects on any comment board following a story; these are the folk who react without reflection, often indulging themselves in irrational emotionalism that is supposed to pass for passion (and incl. Coulter, who did not examine the issue, just reacted, as is her wont)--never limited to a single nationality, though most of the yahoos I read are American--come to think of it, we just might have more ignorant yahoos here!

Wheee! Guaranteed frustration for life in any case :)

nan @6:

"it does give one a feel for the underlying negative attitude Canada has about America in general...something we might need to think about as we have the only unguarded border with that many miles in distance in the world"

Yeah, there is that, and unfort., it goes both ways. Just as Bush's illegal war mongering popularized anti-American sentiment everywhere, there has been an intensification of anti-Canadian sentiment among Americans fearing socialized medicine and higher taxes attendant to social reform. Canadians become the automatic scapegoat. Of course, as you and I know, there are a million other reasons, but this is just the latest.

Not sure if it is here or there, but you do remember that my family is from Canada, right nan? I have a lot of love for Canada and Canadians--and my family hails from parts West, Central, and Eastern -- so imagine the differences that might have existed between them--they are all mostly americanized now and were never very political--politics are in my family seen as like religion--impolite to talk about or push on others (even the Easterners are a bit this way, due to influence of matriarchs from central Canada). All, most importantly, retain ethnic traditions--sucn as lovely French dishes, Mennonite dishes, and books on our histories, and memories ...always the memories passed along of how things used to be on the iceslicked prairies or in the frozen Gothic suburbs--I don't hold all of them, but we continue to share with each other from the store of common memory in our family, not to let my Nana's and her mother's and her mother's traditions and thoughts and loves die out...we can talk anytime ;)

Daniels, viewed this doco last night:

http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Stupidity/70052680?trkid=921403

And yeah, I think America can safely boast more ignorant yahoos than just about anywhere else.

At least we're still first at something.

:)

"...filmmaker Albert Nerenberg conducts an inquiry into the origins of stupidity, exploring why humans increasingly choose to be ignorant despite information being more widely available than ever. Footage includes interviews with authors, academicians and pop-culture personalities such as Noam Chomsky, Coolio, John Cleese, Salma Hayek and Bill Maher..."

Yes! I've been meaning to add this one on our blockbuster queue. Will do it. Wondering if Avital Ronell is interviewed among the "academicians?" She wrote a book called "Stupidity" that is amazing, going back to the origins of the term in "stupor," which has connotations that pretty much turn our accepted ones on their heads. Love it. ;)

SDaniels...i was just funnin' ya...Canada style...no worries hunnypants...all is cool ;-)

and i do remember ur family is from Canada...THE ONE AND ONLY REASON I MADE FRIENDS WID YA....now of course u know i'm kidding again eh??? ;-)