Students still outraged at Ann Coulter

Re: “Free speech, not hate at UWO” March 25, 2010

To the editor:

Ann Coulter came to campus [last week] and obviously stirred up a great deal of debate and controversy.

When I saw this right-winged conservative was coming to Western, quite obviously I was initially surprised. I don’t have any problem with people expressing their opinions, but there is a direct distinction between an opinion and a falsehood. Unfortunately, Ms. Coulter falls under the latter category. Her ideas are prehistoric and racist. Her concept of hate and freewill are one and the same. She displayed this view perfectly [last week] when she told a Muslim student that instead of planes, camels would be a more suitable mode of transportation for all Muslims.

Aside from the obvious ecological and geographical ramifications riding a camel from the desert to downtown Toronto would cause, her statement was both rude and unnecessary. She speaks of being the brunt of hate crimes from University of Ottawa vice-president François Houle, but in truth she is spreading hate in all the media she uses to express her views.

Reading the first line of the story on her visit to Western in the Gazette last week shocked me. A standing ovation for a woman who believes that Christians are perfected Jews, and who believes immigrants do not deserve to receive healthcare before white Americans is not only preposterous, but sickening.

In an institution of higher education, it is disgusting there is such enthusiastic support for such a narrow-minded individual. Though there is no longer any hope to reform the ideas of Ann Coulter. I only hope those at Western can understand the distinction between expressing an opinion and spreading hate.

—Rana Chakrabarti
Biochemistry III

To the editor:

People seem to forget there is a huge difference between freedom of speech and hate speech in Canada.

One commenter on the Gazette website wrote: “In Canada, advocating genocide or inciting hatred against any ‘identifiable group’ is an indictable offence under the Criminal Code of Canada with maximum terms of two to 14 years. An “identifiable group” is defined as ‘any section of the public distinguished by colour, race, religion, ethnic origin or sexual orientation.”

Ann Coulter’s “alternative views” call for hatred and violence against anyone non-Christian, non-American, liberal, GBLT, etc. She often spews hatred against her own sex. This is the woman who said “We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity.” She’s the one who called for torture as a televised sport, and said her country would be better if women couldn’t vote. She insulted 9/11 widows and said “God gave us the Earth. We have dominion over the plants, animals and trees. God said, ‘Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It’s yours.’”

This has nothing to do with conservative vs. liberal opinion. I would hope that most Canadian conservatives don’t believe even a quarter of the filth that comes from her mouth. Not only is her brand of opinion not welcome in Canada, it’s also illegal, and certainly does not belong in a place of higher learning.

—Tara Quigley
English III