Ann Coulter Guilty of Pre-Crime! Free Speech in Canada – A Fairy Story.

Dear Ms. Coulter

...We have a great respect for freedom of expression in Canada, as well as on our campus, and view it as a fundamental freedom, as recognized by our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I would, however, like to inform you, or perhaps remind you, that our domestic laws, both provincial and federal, delineate freedom of expression (or “free speech”) in a manner that is somewhat different than the approach taken in the United States. I therefore encourage you to educate yourself, if need be, as to what is acceptable in Canada and to do so before your planned visit here. You will realize that Canadian law puts reasonable limits on the freedom of expression. For example, promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges..."

Blah Blah Blah......

Sincerely


François Houle

Asshole in Residence

Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa
550, rue Cumberland Street
Ottawa (ON) K1N 6N5
téléphone / telephone : 613 562-5737
télécopieur / fax : 613 562-5103
www.uOttawa.ca/vr-etudes-academic
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Maybe it sounded better in the original German? Bear in mind that the U of Ottawa also banned the infamous Whack-a-Jew-Week- Poster however they did not ban Israeli Apartheid Week itself.
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Update: sanwin said... francois.houle@uottawa.ca

You know you want to do it...
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Readers write Monsieur Houle:

Dear Sir,

I had been advising a close family member to apply to University of Ottawa law program. Having read your letter to Anne Coulter, I am quite pleased that my advice was ignored. You clearly do not believe in the kind of law that I would want someone in my family to know. If however, she decides to make a career in North Korea, or perhaps Venezuela, I’ll suggest that she look again University of Ottawa.

As a PhD student, I would add that you have cheapened the value of academic certification by your buffoonery.
Heh;)
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Dear sir,


I was delighted to read your letter to Anne Coulter.

Rarely have I seen the law so badly mangled to such an ill advised purpose.
Realistically, Ms. Coulter would have to call for a genocide to invoke the criminal law.

Which, if you were not quite so dim, you would already know as, I am sure, Ms Coulter does.

Enjoy your stupidity,

Cheers,
Jay...
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Canada is not a fascist country. Take your narrow-minded fascism to North Korea, or maybe Iran, where you can find-like minded leadership.
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Dear Mr. Houle:

Friends directed my attention to your recent letter to Miss Ann Coulter, an American author and columnist who is on a speaking tour of Canada.

In that letter, you claim Canadian freedom of speech isn't free, thus she might be arrested. Is this the state of modern universities and political science today at the Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa?


Your letter is ungracious, dishounourable, soft-totalitarian, and risable.

You are a teacher at a publicly funded university. Were you advised by university lawyers or Governors/ Senate to write this letter? By whose authority and in whose name is it written? Do you profess to speak only for yourself, or presume to represent the university leadership, or the entire university student & faculty body, or merely to speak for all Canadians?


Against your deeply intolerant letter via the University of Ottawa in 2010, I stand proudly with the remarks of a proud and tolerant Quebecer and McGill grad (Class of 1864):
“Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.... The good Saxon word, freedom; freedom in every sense of the term, freedom of speech, freedom of action, freedom in religious life, and civil life and last but not least, freedom in commercial life.”
~ 7th Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, 1894

http://tinyurl.com/ycjre9p

Perhaps-- for his extreme freedomist views-- Mr. Laurier would be sternly scolded via the new & improved University of Ottawa, where censors and opinion-police protect everyone from open debate and free discussion, lest their feelings get hurt and sloppy thinking gets corrected. That's not Canadian, or the best of our law & traditions: that's Soviet. Those many of my family who served-- and one who died-- defeating the forces of fascism in World War 2 did not offer up their lives so that such narrow-minded fascism might prosper here at home 65 years later..


Shame on you, Mr. Houle. You owe Miss Coulter and all freedom-loving Canadians-- and free people everywhere-- an apology. It's examples like yours which make this honours-list post-grad student glad not to have gone on to Ph.D. studies, which too often involve a lapse of humility, common sense, and honour.


Sincerely yours,....
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Dear Professor Houle,



I read your e-mail to Ann Coulter regarding her upcoming talk at the University of Ottawa with interest. As you will be aware, it has been widely circulated on the Web, and has attracted much negative comment.


The letter you sent her seems to be at first fairly standard, a sort of reminder to visitors to Canada. It recalls similar briefings before visiting the Soviet Union: "please remember at all times that you are in a socialist country, etc. etc."


I note, however, that your e-mail takes the further step of including the wording "For example, promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges." Recently the University of Ottawa hosted "Israeli Apartheid Week", which has included presenters from outside Canada that some might find controversial, and might even be accused of spreading "hatred" and "anti-Semitism". In this context I am sure that you yourself, or some other senior University official, would have sent similar messages to such presenters before they arrived at the University.


My purpose in writing this e-mail is to urge you to make public such messages as may have been sent in the past, especially those involving "Israeli Apartheid Week", in order to avoid any appearance of singling out Miss Coulter, or any bias and prejudice against her and the students who arranged for her talk.


Sincerely,
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Upperdate: Mark Steyn - She was asking for it!
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Uppitierdate: Contact the Ottawa University Czars

And: Hiring an 'Out Of Town Shooter'

What explains the Bully (Pulpit) at the University of Ottawa?

Binks on Houle

Canada...How Cool Are We?

Ann Coulter derangement syndrome at fever pitch in Canada

A ‘Houle’ in the moral fabric of Ottawa University

A-Houle!

All you need to know about Globe & Mail readers: "there are hate-speech laws in this country, How did she get across the border?"