LEFT: University of Ottawa Vice Provost Francois Houle (artist’s rendering)
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I’m reprinting this news-breaking post by Michael Coren in full.
He writes:
“World-renowned journalist Ann Coulter is coming to speak in Canada on Monday and is giving me an exclusive one-hour interview on The Michael Coren Show.
“In this country our publicly funded universities regularly host speakers who accuse Catholics of being murderers and child-rapists, evangelicals of being bigots and Gay-bashers, Zionists of being genocidal madmen and conservatives of being mentally ill and sadistic. There have been calls for Christians to be killed, pro-lifers have been threatened and silenced, scientists who question global warming have been banned and Jewish students report being frightened of being publicly identified.
“In this context I bring you a letter written by the Vice-President of the University of Ottawa to the award-winning and best-selling author Ms Coulter.
“As she herself said today, ‘The provost of u of ottawa is threatening to criminally prosecute me for my speech there on monday before I’ve even set foot in canada!'”
“Dear Ms. Coulter,
“I understand that you have been invited by University of Ottawa Campus Conservatives to speak at the University of Ottawa this coming Tuesday. We are, of course, always delighted to welcome speakers on our campus and hope that they will contribute positively to the meaningful exchange of ideas that is the hallmark of a great university campus. 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.
“Outside of the criminal realm, Canadian defamation laws also limit freedom of expression and may differ somewhat from those to which you are accustomed. I therefore ask you, while you are a guest on our campus, to weigh your words with respect and civility in mind. There is a strong tradition in Canada, including at this University, of restraint, respect and consideration in expressing even provocative and controversial opinions and urge you to respect that Canadian tradition while on our campus. Hopefully, you will understand and agree that what may, at first glance, seem like unnecessary restrictions to freedom of expression do, in fact, lead not only to a more civilized discussion, but to a more meaningful, reasoned and intelligent one as well.
“I hope you will enjoy your stay in our beautiful country, city and campus.
“Sincerely,
“François Houle”
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Click here to find out how you can contact Francois Houle and give him a restrained and respectful piece of your mind, as a taxpayer who involuntarily pays his no-doubt generous salary and benefits, and upon whose behalf, as a Canadian citizen, he presumes to speak.
Incidentally, his direct office info is:
Telephone : 613-562-5800 ext. 5737
Fax : 613-562-5106
E-Mail Address: francois.houle@uottawa.ca
Remember: Do NOT harrass receptionists.
PS: can someone with access to a fax machine, do me a favor?
Please print off Coren’s post then fax it to Rush Limbaugh?
212-445-3963
Attn: Snerdley
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UPDATE: response from David Horowitz’s NewsReal blog.
* Jeepers! I can’t believe that Andrew “ACORN videos” Breitbart redacted Francois Houle’s contact information, can you? Luckily you can see it all here!
* Note: Mark Steyn only plays the “fairy princess/pantywaist” card in national emergencies…
Thanks for the link, John.
