Anne Coulter in Canada

[skymiles 3]

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Coulter's speech in Ottawa cancelled amid security concerns

Coulter is a bigot and her beliefs are founded in hatred. In Canada, free speech does not include hate speech.

[idrankwhat 0]

I still want to know why people pay her to talk. She's all incite and no insight. I guess some Canadian Universities wanted to make the news this week.

[Andy9o8 2]

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Coulter's speech in Ottawa cancelled amid security concerns

Coulter is a bigot and her beliefs are founded in hatred. In Canada, free speech does not include hate speech.

Pity. In my view, a nation that fears hate speech enough to criminalize it is not a truly confident and secure republic. The way to combat hate speech - as vile as it is - is with counter-speech in the open marketplace of ideas and discourse, not by censoring or criminalizing it.

[skymiles 3]

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She's all incite and no insight.

Well said!

[skymiles 3]

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Coulter's speech in Ottawa cancelled amid security concerns

Coulter is a bigot and her beliefs are founded in hatred. In Canada, free speech does not include hate speech.

Pity. In my view, a nation that fears hate speech enough to criminalize it is not a truly confident and secure republic. The way to combat hate speech - as vile as it is - is with counter-speech in the open marketplace of ideas and discourse, not by censoring or criminalizing it.

Agreed.

[billvon 3,116]

>I still want to know why people pay her to talk. She's all incite and no insight.

Because she says exactly what some people want to hear. She calls the left wing foul names and people think "right on!" (Which is what passes for political discourse for many people.)

[pbwing 0]

Not quite that simple...

It only criminalizes it if it:

- advocates genocide
- incites public hatred in such a way as to breach the peace

I dont' think that Ms. Coulter could realistically fall into either of these categories

Like was mentioned, there was only 1 high profile case of this in Canada. A teacher was teaching his high school students that - among other things - Jewish people created the Holocaust themselves in order to gain public sympathy. He was convicted, but never served time in jail (1 yr suspended sentence, 1 yr probation and 200 hrs community service).

This was a security decision - not a direct attack on free speech.

[Andy9o8 2]

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It only criminalizes it if it:

- advocates genocide
- incites public hatred in such a way as to breach the peace

Oh, I understand that. I'm just telling you that most US lawyers, judges and constitutional scholars would consider those types of speech to be "constitutionally protected speech" under the US Constitution... oh, I'd say about 80% of the time. On paper, at least, the First Amendment to the US Constitution may be the most broadly permissive guarantee of freedom of speech (aside from pornography) in the world. And as I just said, I think that's a good thing: a sign of a healthy and confident republic that fears not from the mere expression of ideas.

[pbwing 0]

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And as I just said, I think that's a good thing: a sign of a healthy and confident republic that fears not from the mere expression of ideas.

I understand. And I think that is what the law says. It protects it in so far as it remains a 'mere expression of ideas'.

When this teacher's case went all the way to the Supreme Court, they ruled that much of what he said was covered under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms - but inciting violence was not covered by the Charter and therefore fell within the laws covering hate speech.

Edited to add: Clearly Coulter's speech would have never crossed the lines into hate speech (as defined by the CCC). But let's remember..her own security team cancelled the event - not the university - not any protest group.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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Coulter's speech in Ottawa cancelled amid security concerns

Coulter is a bigot and her beliefs are founded in hatred. In Canada, free speech does not include hate speech.

One only needs to read the blogs on the publicly funded CBC website to see that there is no shortage of hatred and bigotry being redirected back at Ms Coulter. Some of this can be expected since Ms Coulter does not try to hide her abrasive opinions and let's face it the CBC is controlled and frequented by the very same people Ms Coulter attacks. But some of it is also Canada's own home grown hatred and bigotry which few want to admit and acknowledge that it exists. In some Canadian circles free speech only exists if you share their views of the world. If you do not share their vision they do not try to hide their own hatred and bigotry. Don't believe me? Just spend sometime reading the CBC blogs with an open mind.

Please do not confuse this post as a "I support Ms Coulter" stance because she has views that are contrary to my Libertarian views. I am just calling them as I see them. Racism, hatred and bigotry exists in many communities, not just in the demograhics of Ms Coulter's base supporters.

PS: the cancellation of Ms Coulter's speech at the University of Ottawa may seem like a victory to those who oppose her, but they are just adding fuel to her fire that she will just use in the future. For the most part Canada and the USA get along very well, but there is no shortage of "I hate America I want to see them destroyed" Canadians and Ms Coulter will just use this to fuel equal hatred redirected back to Canada.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[rehmwa 2]

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>I still want to know why people pay her to talk. She's all incite and no insight.

Because she says exactly what some people want to hear. She calls the left wing foul names and people think "right on!" (Which is what passes for political discourse for many people.)

and the left has Al Franken and Amazon


so what?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 3,116]

>and the left has Al Franken and Amazon

And don't forget Keith Olbermann.

>so what?

?? You wanted some bigger conclusions? None proposed. Entertainers who tell people what they want to hear do well, no matter how little thought they put into what they say. Shouldn't be all that profound a conclusion.

[jakee 1,595]

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One only needs to read the blogs on the publicly funded CBC website to see that there is no shortage of hatred and bigotry being redirected back at Ms Coulter.

In her case, I don't think it's because of bigotry (mostly, anyway). My strong dislike of Coulter isn't because she's a christian, or because she's conservative - it's because she's an angry, nasty, lying, spiteful shrew of a woman.

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Some of this can be expected since Ms Coulter does not try to hide her abrasive opinions

It can be expected because she's a horrible person. Disliking someone who is fundamentally unlikeable does not make a person a bigot.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Dude the bigotry I speak of has nothing to do with Ann Coulter.

They will never admit it, but the Left holds just as much hatred that they accuse the Right of carrying.
Spend some time reading the CBC blogs and this will be apparent.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[Andrewwhyte 1]

Canuck is right. The hate speech laws do not encompass Americans. Bigotry against Americans is accepted without exception in this country.

[skymiles 3]

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Canuck is right. The hate speech laws do not encompass Americans. Bigotry against Americans is accepted without exception in this country.

Agreed. And as a Canadian, Canadians are wrong.

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Canada does have a lot of good to offer the world. It is one of the rare countries where people of all different races and cultural backgrounds live and coexist with each other in relative peace (even more than the USA). You don't really know if you are or are not racist until you spend sometime working in a large Canadian city. I know on my return to Canada in 2005/2006 I spent a year in Vancouver and it was a real wake up call when I found myself working in an office where there was only 3 Canadian born white guys and the rest were people from all over the world (China, India, Pakistan, Middle East, Eastern Europe, South America, etc, etc, etc). I shared this space with a Muslim from Pakistan and he was a super nice guy. But numerous times a day he would pray out loud to Allah while I was trying to concentrate on my work. I really wanted to smack him ... not because I am anti Muslim but simply because he was making too much noise while I was trying to concentrate. As I said it was a wake call after spending 8 years in Colorado which is mainly white, lots of Mexicans and some blacks (not many).

I don't care what color of skin someone has, what religion they follow ... all I care is that they do the best to their abilities supporting themselves and their families and do not come to the country to sponge off of the over generous nanny state. I did not have to worry about any of my co-workers from almost every country in the world, they were all there to work. However there are some people who are taking advantage of Canada's generosity.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[billvon 3,116]

>Canada does have a lot of good to offer the world . . .

Unibroue, for one!

[pbwing 0]

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Canuck is right. The hate speech laws do not encompass Americans. Bigotry against Americans is accepted without exception in this country.

Of course the law includes hate speech directed towards Americans...

[Remster 30]

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>Canada does have a lot of good to offer the world . . .

Unibroue, for one!

Remster

[Amazon 7]

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Canuck is right. The hate speech laws do not encompass Americans. Bigotry against Americans is accepted without exception in this country.

Of course the law includes hate speech directed towards Americans...

I am so glad we dont have a reciprocal law for all the hosers out there eh

[jakee 1,595]

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Dude the bigotry I speak of has nothing to do with Ann Coulter.

"hatred and bigotry being redirected back at Ms Coulter."

Right.

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[tkhayes 348]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Keegstra

this is a good example of why 'hate speech' is illegal in Canada. Guy teaches students for fucking years that the holocaust was a hoax, spouts off his hatred for Jews, and basically loses his job and gets a small fine for it all.

Sorry but free speech is free speech and I am all for it. Anne Coulter can stand up in front of any crowd and spout off all she wants.

A teacher or similar situation, who has a responsibility to state the FACTS, as opposed to hate mongering rhetoric deserves to be punished "Fire in the crowded theater is NOT free speech". A judge cannot use free speech to say that 'she deserved it' to a rape victim either.

Canada is not an 'insecure or unconfident republic', it just has a line and it draws it. That line is different than here in the USA. Not bad or wrong - just different.

[Andrewwhyte 1]

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Pity. In my view, a nation that fears hate speech enough to criminalize it is not a truly confident and secure republic.

I've told you before, we are not a republic.

[Andy9o8 2]

I think it's appalling that Keegstra's conviction was ultimately upheld.
Denounce him as a hate-mongering charlatan - fine.
Criminalize his speech? In a modern, Western nation governed by the rule of law? Shameful.