Coulter speech cancelled because of protestors

[crazy canuck]

This story my be of interest to Languishites.

You all know Coulter.  She is on a speaking tour of some Canadian universities.  Last night her talk was cancelled because of the actions of a large group of protestors.

Here are some links for more details.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/video/ann-coulter-speech-cancelled/article1510516/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/video/ann-coulter-controversy/article1508968/

and here is a Blog opinion I agree with.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/silver-powers/coulters-shutout/article1510505/

There is a growing trend in Canadian university student bodies of intolerance to opposing views.  For example Canadian universities (particularly in Ontario and Quebec) have had considerable problems whenever pro Israeli speakers are scheduled.  Many times these events also have to be cancelled because of large protests.

I wonder if this kind of intellectual intolerance is being experience on campuses in other countries.

[Alexandru H.]

Whenever a communist infection spreads in one of your universities, you should take it out by all necessary means. I'd recommend mass executions.

[Martinus]

LOL because Ann Coulter is known for tolerance for opposing views (except when she calls people who hold them traitors, or wants to send them to Gitmo or advocates murdering them).

While I think freedom of speech in a legal sense is a good concept, that does not mean that universities or any other similar bodies are legally or morally obliged to provide a podium or a pulpit to any lunatic and hate monger. Ann Coulter is a real life troll. She is in no way thought-provoking or inventive - she just puts her idiotic views into books that sell to idiots like her. I fail to see how she should be given room to speak at universities, any more than some crazy islamist imam.

[crazy canuck]

Marti's post is a perfect example of what I am talking about.  Here we have someone who is presumably legally trained and is prepared to make judgments about what ideas should and should not be voiced on a university campus.

So much for universities being bastions of academic freedom where the exchange of ideas are supposed to be encouraged even if you might not agree with those ideas.

While I think freedom of speech in a legal sense is a good concept, that does not mean that universities or any other similar bodies are legally or morally obliged to provide a podium or a pulpit to any lunatic and hate monger.

So freedom of speech is good in concept but not in practice....

[frunk]

Considering that the university presumably asked her to speak that's a strange position to hold Martinus.

[Martinus]

The university campus is a private space. If Ahmedinejad (sp?) or Irving writes to a Canadian university and wants to come to explain why Holocaust is a Jewish invention, and Israel needs to be wiped off the face of Earth, are you saying that the university should allow him to do so?

The idea that a private institution (no matter how dedicated to free exchange of ideas) should provide a pulpit to any lunatic willing to speak there is hilariously off-base.

[crazy canuck]

Considering that the university presumably asked her to speak that's a strange position to hold Martinus.

Typically Universities themselves do not invite speakers.  Typically groups within the University will do that.  But your point still holds.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Ya I'm not for censoring assholes anymore than I am censoring people I like. Everyone should get to have their say, no matter how stupid they are. Coulter fits in the latter category. To my mind though she's just another bigot. I understand why people are protesting. What I don't get is why universities are against protests. That's the whole point of University. If she really had the convictions she espouses she would go ahead despite the protests. (I know it's the Uni, but they were the one's offering to pay her whatever exorbitant sum she was charging them to hear her moronic tirades.

A better protest is always to convince people beforehand that yes she is an idiot, and have only tiny crowds of assholes show up for said speech. Nothing shuts up an idiot like nobody to blather at.

seeing cc's post above mine, I use "universities" in the sense of whatever group that is part of the Uni is hiring the speaker at said Unis.

thinking about that is even scarier, that there are young people in university who are suckered into her fearmongering nonsense. I fear for our youth!

[Faeelin]

I don't understand. Did she cancel because of protests?

[crazy canuck]

What I don't get is why universities are against protests. That's the whole point of University.

I am not sure why you think universities are against protest.  Also, protest is not the whole point of a University.  The whole point of a university is to be a community of scholars and students where ideas can be freely exchanged and developed.

Protest which delibrately attempts to stop that academic freedom (as it did last night) goes beyond expressing a view and becomes an exercise in preventing others from expressing their views.

[frunk]

Typically Universities themselves do not invite speakers.  Typically groups within the University will do that.  But your point still holds.

That's true, that's the sense I meant it.

[Martinus]

Considering that the university presumably asked her to speak that's a strange position to hold Martinus.

Well a university is a collective institution. Such invitations are usually sent at the initiative of some fringe group or an individual, who just manages to push it through the right bureaucratic channels and people just sign off on this without thinking until the shit hits the fan. We had a similar case in Warsaw recently, when a university invited Paul Cameron and this was approved because most of the people who signed the relevant red tape had no idea who he was.

Besides, Coulter herself is not a big fan of freedom of speech. Here's her own quote:

They're [Democrats] always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say let's do it. Let's repress them. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment.

[crazy canuck]

I don't understand. Did she cancel because of protests?

Someone in the protest group pulled a fire alarm so the building had to be evacuated and then they tried to enter the hall where she was to speak so that her talk could not be held.  The report I heard was that after about an hour delay the police and University security officials finally cancelled the talk.  I am not sure what their reason was. 

[Martinus]

What I don't get is why universities are against protests. That's the whole point of University.

I am not sure why you think universities are against protest.  Also, protest is not the whole point of a University.  The whole point of a university is to be a community of scholars and students where ideas can be freely exchanged and developed.

Protest which delibrately attempts to stop that academic freedom (as it did last night) goes beyond expressing a view and becomes an exercise in preventing others from expressing their views.

Academic freedom is not "freedom to spew any idiocy no matter how baseless or retarded". Paul Cameron is a great example of this. His "findings" about homosexuality have been slammed by pretty much every scientific body or organization, because his "method" is completely faulty and unacceptable. This "academic freedom" you are advocating is like giving a fair hearing to a supporter of homeopathy and healing crystals at a serious medical conference.

Red some of her quotes. There is not a shred of "political debate" in this blather:

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ann_Coulter

[BuddhaRhubarb]

What I don't get is why universities are against protests. That's the whole point of University.

I am not sure why you think universities are against protest.  Also, protest is not the whole point of a University.  The whole point of a university is to be a community of scholars and students where ideas can be freely exchanged and developed.

Protest which delibrately attempts to stop that academic freedom (as it did last night) goes beyond expressing a view and becomes an exercise in preventing others from expressing their views.

I was  going by this statement, from you, which I have read in the news also.

There is a growing trend in Canadian university student bodies of intolerance to opposing views.  For example Canadian universities (particularly in Ontario and Quebec) have had considerable problems whenever pro Israeli speakers are scheduled.  Many times these events also have to be cancelled because of large protests.

I wonder if this kind of intellectual intolerance is being experience on campuses in other countries.

I guess I was unclear, myself... by Universities I was being inclusive of all the orgs within, who seem less radical (in a trad. leftie sense) than back in my day.