Are Canada's Hate Crime Laws
by C. L. Cook
Coulter is famous for her outrageous statements; racist, classist, sexist, and peace-loathing, she's regularly featured at hate-monger FOX television and will appear anywhere else someone is willing to cover her expenses and provide a platform for her self-promotion.
Below is the letter sent to Coulter by U. of O. provost, Francois Houle (dubbed A-Houle by Miss Coulter) making her aware of the legal differences existing on this side of the border when it comes to public pronouncements aimed at "identifiable minorities" deemed hateful.
Coulter's attacks against Houle would be a bit of a mystery, had they emanated from any sane person; in Coulter's case, they're just another opportunity to grab headline space.
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. . . .
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. . . .
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,
Francois Houle,
Vice-President Academic and Provost, University of Ottawa
Hardly the stuff deserving the damnation ["A"] Houle received from Coulter. For his part, Glenn Greenwald concludes, free speech trumps the silencing of opinion, no matter how odious the message, or its messenger, saying;
"For as long as I'll live, I'll never understand how people want to vest in the Government the power to criminalize particular viewpoints it dislikes, will never understand the view that it's better to try to suppress adverse beliefs than to air them, and will especially never understand people's failure to realize that endorsing this power will, one day, very likely result in their own views being criminalized when their political enemies (rather than allies) are empowered."
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American ex-pat journalist and blogger, 
