Make My Day

Mark Steyn takes on that very charming letter written by Francois Houle Vice-President Academic and Provost of the University of Ottawa.

In it Mr. Houle pulls down the corners of his mouth, tips up his nose and droningly lectures Ann Coulter in the behavior expected from good little girls at this school. Little girls who don't want them to call Mommy in anyway.

He got Ann Coulters age and/or receptiveness to veiled threats wrong but other than that it was very well written if you don't mind smug condescension mixed with a trickling contempt for Coulter's home country.

It only helped out Ann Coulter of course. The publicity was probably (certainly) most welcome to both Coulter and her supporters (Yes! They're mad at us! Look at the front page publicity! Yahoo! Yippee!). The Toronto Star (and we all know what the Star is...) described the letter as "pure oxygen for the fire". They even admitted that there was about 800 people present. Tory Dr. Roy estimates about 1000 with people turned away.

Steyn wrote,

"I've no idea what Ann Coulter's reaction to this letter is, but I suspect it's "Go ahead, Princess Fairy Pants, make my day." M Houle would have a very hard time persuading the Ottawa police or the RCMP to lay criminal charges over an Ann Coulter speech because they realize, even if he doesn't, that Canada doesn't need to become even more of an international laughingstock in this area. More likely is a complaint to the Canadian and/or Ontario "Human Rights" Commissions. But you know something? I don't get the feeling they'd be eager to re-ignite the free speech wars on a nuclear scale. Think of Ezra's and my appearance in the House of Commons, and then imagine the scene when Miss Coulter testifies. So the threat is an empty one and M Houle seems to be being - oh, what's the "respectful and civil" way of putting it? - a posturing *******."

Follow the link to the National Post, Steyn has more, plus Houle's letter.

Now just for the record I don't agree with everything that Ann Coulter says. Just start with the fact that I like universal healthcare and you could probably go from there. I have read some of her books though and quite a lot of what she writes is solid, and entertaining, good sense. That is at least a better track record than, say, the Young Green Party just to take an example (Go ahead, read their platform).

I, however, am mature enough to listen to people I don't necessarily agree with. Unlike some university educated people.