Ann Coulter: Victim of 'Hate Crime'

Ann Coulter has been touring Canadian Universitites and making speeches, usually filled with vitriol and racial slurs (but we'll get to that part later).  University of Ottawa Academic Vice President and Provost Francois Houle sent Ann Coulter an e-mail this past Friday, reminding her of 'the strong Canadian tradition of respect, restraint, and consideration' before her booked speaking engagement with them. 

Some text from the letter:

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.

Coulter's inital response was both funny and appropriate:  "I was hoping for a fruit basket, not a threat to prosecute," she said, writing for this conservative website.  That's not enough attention for Ann Coulter.  She must be feeling Sarah Palin envy, because her next move is perhaps the dumbest and most hypocritical thing I may have ever heard. 

In a speech Monday at the University of Western Ottowa, The Vancouver Sun reports Ann Coulter said that the letter targeted her as a"'member of an identifiable group and as such, she will be filing a complaint with the Human Rights Commission alleging hate speech."

"I'm sure the Human Rights Commission will get to the bottom of it," Coulter said to loud cheers from the 800-strong audience. "I think I'm the victim of a hate crime here. Either what (Mr. Houle) did was a hate crime, or the whole commission is BS."

This is the same woman who, Monday, according to ajc.com, told a Muslim student to "take a camel" instead of flying.  He had asked her about remarks that Muslims shouldn't be allowed on airplanes at all and should take flying carpets, instead.

Several Muslim students walked out.

Can they file a 'hate crime' grievance against her? 

What about the folks Ann Coulter mentions in these infamous quotes?

"I think the government should be spying on all Arabs, engaging in torture as a televised spectator sport, dropping daisy cutters wantonly throughout the Middle East and sending liberals to Guantanamo."

"I don't know if [former U.S. President Bill Clinton is] gay. But [former U.S. Vice President] Al Gore - total fag."

"[Canadians] better hope the United States does not roll over one night and crush them. They are lucky we allow them to exist on the same continent. "

"These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever -- and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA? This is truly a war in which we have absolutely no interest. "

"a question on reparations has got to be confusing when you're half-white and half-black. What do you do? Demand an apology for slavery and money from yourself? I guess biracial reparations would involve sending yourself money, then sending back a portion of that money to yourself, minus 50 percent in processing fees -- which is the same way federal aid works."

On 9/11 widows:

"These broads are millionaires, lionized on TV and in articles about them, reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis... These self-obsessed women seemed genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them... I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much. "

"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times building."

I'll stop there.  You get the point.