When the University of Ottawa Campus Conservatives invited U.S. political pundit, Ann Coulter, to speak, they had to know she would attract attention. Coulter has always been outspokenly controversial with her political positions. But it’s unlikely that she, nor the Campus Conservatives, expected that her anticipated visit would provoke words of warning from the University of Ottawa Provost.
In a letter to Coulter, Vice President Academic and Provost François Houle wrote the following:
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 speechâ€) 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 HouleVice-recteur aux études / Vice-President Academic and Provost
Université d’Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Given Coulter’s colourful history, I would think she would be grateful to learn more about a foreign country. However, even in Canada, some have been quick to criticize the letter. And in the National Post, Prof. Ed Morgan reminds us that, as far as hate speech goes in Canada, we criminalize only words conveying “emotions that belie rationality.†After all, even in Canada, we wouldn’t want to approach anything resembling censorship, now would we?
I wonder what kind of weight the Provost gave to the likelihood that this letter would contribute to the sense of persecution (whether justified or not) demonstrated by some high-profile Christian conservatives.
It is certainly the Provost’s prerogative to promote civility on campus. But, should he really be giving advice on laws that have been successfully prosecuted a handful of times in Canada?
When I was at York, at least they waited until Daniel Pipes was on campus before they had the police advise him about Canadian law. He didn’t say anything that even approached hate speech. I’m not sure whether the lecture had anything to do with it.
Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental rights that individuals enjoy. It is fundamental to the existence of democracy and the respect of human dignity. It is also one of the most dangerous rights, because freedom of expression means the freedom to express one’s discontent with the status quo and the desire to change it. As such, it is one of the most threatened rights, with governments – and even human rights groups – all over the world constantly trying to curtail it.
The United States, probably like no other nation, has recognized the importance of freedom of expression to safeguard democracy and grow as a nation. However, this does not mean there are no efforts to try to curtail it. The internet has often been the target of this efforts, as it provides practically everyone with the ability to communicate their ideas to wide audiences and escapes the ability of the state to control it.
Freedom of speech is an important human right, and one worth defending against threats of arbitrary governmental censorship or repression. With such freedom, however, does come great responsibility. Freedom of speech does allow controversial artists, radio shock jocks and others to push the envelope of acceptable speech and artistic expression, but there should still be some safeguards in place to protect the general population from extreme forms of speech which violate community standards of decency.
Ann Coulter is a smart woman. I bet this quote is kinda taken out of context. We should probably start in our own country, because our leaders and politicians aren’t no angels either. But I like how she thinks, that’s for sure.