Well I see the Con hooker Ann Coulter has received a rapturous redneck reception in Calgary.
And since it's the Hate Capital of Canada she chose her targets carefully:
The closest she came to targeting any minorities was when she cracked three or four jokes about gay activists. At one point she criticized how gays compared their struggle to that of segregated blacks.
"You'd think there were ‘straights-only' water fountains," she said. "As if a gay male would ever drink non-bottled water."
And why am I not surprised?
"It's quite a country you have here," Coulter told Evan Solomon, host of Power & Politics, on CBC News Network on Thursday. "I'm more determined than ever to turn pretty much from Calgary through the west into the 51st state now. We got to save the good Canadians."
Answer: because Coulter and Calgary go together like shit and toilet paper. Alberta already is the 51st state.
And if she really annexed that one-party redneck province I would be so grateful, I'd buy her a rubber
On the other hand this really bugs me.
Because all Francois Houle ever did was warn Coulter that this was Canada not Amerika. The organizers cancelled the University of Ottawa rally. And do these professors really believe that a university should be a place for hate speech ?
And while we're at it why aren't all these Free Speechers in our right wing media more exercised about what is happening to free speech thanks to our Con government?
It's always great fun to see conservatives getting all worked up about freedom of speech, as they did over the dust-up between Ann Coulter and the University of Ottawa...but you have to wonder if the right-siders are missing something – as in perhaps drumming up as much noise on their own government's record on freedom of speech. It's a record worth a look.
Instead of following Coulter around like groupies, and licking her like a pork chop.
And when will they ever learn that when you direct public insults at already marginalized groups it's not freedom of speech. It just adds fuel to the flames of bigotry and diminishes and endangers lives.
Marginalizing minorities not heroic or debating anything. It's cowardly, ugly, and EVIL. Which is why we the marginalized will not put up with it. And why I'm with him.
While the middle-aged wring their hands about the anti-Coulter protests, there's a lesson to be learned from the youth. The students at the University of Ottawa who put their boots to the ground in protest clearly and forcefully expressed their view that Coulter's racism, her homophobia, or her penchant for glib sound bites about how torture should be a televised spectator sport had no place on an enlightened, multicultural Canadian college campus in 2010--at least not on theirs, if anywhere in a civilized society.
They said No thanks. Take it back where you came from. It's not welcome here. It isn't that the students, or the university, were "afraid" of her right to free speech. They just weren't that into her.
So when a hatemongering RepubliCon hooker from Amerika comes to Canada to attack us. Like they attack gays and Muslims and all kinds of other people in her degenerated country.
And all these old white straight men in the media drool all over Annie and call her a victim.
And gang up on the decent and very Canadian Francois Houle.
I say the hooker can say what she wants ....or go play with her rubber
But as for those yankee- licking Free Speech Screamers... If the hooker turns them on that much.
Why don't they give her a call?
But we are better than that. And more Canadian.
We think she's a skanky bigot.
And we will RESIST...
16 comments:
And don't forget it was her people who released the private email from Houle.
Publicity stunt all the way.
Yes Ann Coulter is awful, but Calgary isn't. You have put forth an unfair representation of the Calgary population. We are more accepting than you would think. For instance, just a few days ago there was a protest dowtown against racism. Yes some lame skinheads showed up, but the ones promoting tolerance were the ones that stole the show. And, yes we may have rednecks here, and there are lots of cowboy hats and pickup trucks, but were not all that conservative as you may think - we like the "fags" too - hell we even have a gay rodeo. Anyways.
Ann Coulter came to Calgary, but so have other very opinionated people. Ok, She's a political personality, but most of us are aware of her public record of blunders and misinformation. Clearly, you can't take too much that she says seriously, because she appears to love shocking and pissing people off. Maybe one day, she'll realize how inane she really is and show up at her next public event wearing a big red nose and floppy shoes, because once a clown, always a clown. Is anybody laughing?
I think the lines are getting crossed here. The same pious attitudes that dismiss Anna Banana as failing to meet standards or satisfy tastes, are now attacking Calgary. It was the University of Calgary that invited her, not the city. Trying to suppress the unacceptable bits are we? Let's stop being so self-righteous shall we!
I could give a rats ass about her myself.
Bravo Simon!
Long time my friend since I visited your site. I've missed your writing.
As for people from Calgary protesting being tarred by association. How about making a greater effort to protest all the right-wing crap that emanates from there more regularly. I would love to see proof that the right wing reformatory movements are just part of a very loud "moral" minority.
cool w/v: bostrati
hi Fern...yes this whole affair is just crazy. First they publicize a private e-mail. Then they cancel the event for no good reason. Then everybody jumps on Houle, and all those editorial writers make it sound like Coulter is a victim? I might also point out that this fetishization of individual rights goes against the current of Canadian history that has always recognized collective rights as well. But that would take another post and I think my readers have probably had enough of this story... :)
hi anonymous...yes you're right I know there are good people in Alberta...and even a few in Calgary. ;) But after reading what Coulter had to say about the 51st state I couldn't resist. I'm telling you she's a bad influence. What I was really trying to attack is the tidal wave of editorial comments supporting Coulter and making good people out to be thugs.
I've never been to Calgary, but if I ever do I'll try to make it to the gay rodeo. Because I may hate bigoted rednecks but I do love animals and pancakes... :)
hi chimichanga...I'll say the same to you as I just said to anonymous. I shouldn't generalize, but I would say this. Although I'm sure there are many decent people in Alberta, all we hear out East is that you guys hate us and the only people we see from there are Stephen Harper and his ReformCons and assorted religious fanatics, so what do you expect us to think?
I think I also made it clear in other posts that I think Coulter is a klown, but what horrified me is the number of people of people who take her seriously. And what I wanted to point out is that picking on minorities is not just cowardly and hateful, it can make life harder for some and more dangerous and that's inexcusable.
And I'm not singling out the university of Calgary either. I don't think somebody like Coulter has any place on any university. If they want to invite serious right-wing speakers and have a real debate that's fine. But Coulter is not a serious debater she's an insult machine. And since I'm a scrapper too, I'm only too happy to return the compliments...
hi Beijing York...how nice to hear from you again. I wondered where you had gone, and I hope you've been in a good and happy place.
As for Calgary, I do feel a bit bad about having insulted the good people there. But as you point out it wouldn't be a bad idea if those good people made their voices heard a little louder.
Because so much horrible stuff comes from there, and when Stephen Harper also comes from there, you really have to try harder... :)
hi chimichanga...one more thing... I notice you don't yet have a blog. So now is your chance.
"Chimichanga's Calgary ..."It's not as bad as you think."
Gosh. What a great title. I'm liking your city more already.... ;)
Simon:
A couple of things... you wrote, "Although I'm sure there are many decent people in Alberta, all we hear out East is that you guys hate us and the only people we see from there are Stephen Harper and his ReformCons and assorted religious fanatics, so what do you expect us to think?"
Now, as a proud BC boy, I'm not much in the habit of defending Calgary, but I have heard much the same comment as yours from some Albertans, but in reverse: "Although I'm sure there are many decent people down East, all we hear out West is that you guys hate us and the only people we see from Quebec are Gilles Duceppe and his separatists and assorted nationalist fanatics, so what do you expect us to think?"
Might I suggest that neither view is correct? I recall a fellow from Quebec who I worked with in Banff once summer, Jean Michel, who told me he had been a sovereigntist since he became politically aware, and had grown up being told that "the West hates us". He came west looking for work during a period of high unemployment in Quebec, and found -- much to his surprise -- that "nobody here hates me! Some of the nicest people I've ever met live here, and everyone has been helpful and friendly." Needless to say, familiarity with his western siblings was making Jean Michel re-evaluate all the "stuff" he had just accepted for so long.
It's something that Pierre Trudeau recognized many years ago: ignorance and unfamiliarity with each other breeds suspicion, and listening to our "leaders" (most of whom have their own axes to grind) tends to exacerbate this. That's exactly why he created what (to my mind) was one of his finest creations ever (at least, that was wholly stolen from the NDP's platform, lol) -- Katimivik. Because with familiarity comes understanding, friendship, and respect. It's just too bad that subsequent Liberal and Conservative governments have done their damndest to kill Katimivik off. Dollar for dollar, I think it's one of the best, most effective and worthwhile federal programs out there. (And now I'll quit lecturing.)
Secondly, please TRY not to take Coulter so seriously; as Neil Macdonald explains -- http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/03/24/f-rfa-macdonald.html -- she doesn't even take her own rantings seriously herself:
"After the cameras stopped, and before she hopped into her limo, she told me in a very endearing way that, really, I had to lighten up. Basically, she was telling me, this is just theatre. Have some fun. Toodles."
And finally, please try to stop calling Coulter a "hooker". Sex workers perform a useful -- and in some cases even worthwhile -- service (I'm thinking of, for instance, providing sexual gratification for some disabled folks who have no other outlet for such). Ann Coulter provides nothing of worth or use at all, and to call her a "hooker" as a pejorative is an insult to all sex workers everywhere. Personally, I call her a "cockroach" -- ugly, nasty and (unfortunately) virtually indestructible to anything this side of a nuclear bomb.
whoops! That should read "that was not wholly stolen from the NDP's platform"
:)
hi 'berto...nice comment. I told you I missed you ;)
You're right about preconceptions and stereotypes,and I do try to steer clear of them. But I think I can honestly say that there is more vituperation coming from Alberta in this direction, than there is the other way around. But wherever it comes from it's bad, because I don't think that Canadians really appreciate how fragile this country is. Now that I've lived in Quebec, Ontario and BC I can say that I don't believe anyone understands the other. But what worries me the most is that where once English speaking Canada defined itself against the U.S., now I fear that it could be defining itself in opposition to Quebec. And although most Quebecers want to remain part of Canada, if they feel they are not wanted, they will eventually go.
Now as to Ann Coulter...please don't quote Neil MacDonald. I should sue you for making me read that shitty column, where he admits that he ADMIRES Ezra Levant !!!!
But on the hooker part you may have a point. I certainly don't want to insult any sex trade workers, because I'm sure most of them are far nicer and more human than he/she is.
I hope I never have to write about Ann Coulter again. But if I do I'll try to come up with something more horrible... :)
Simon: "please don't quote Neil MacDonald. I should sue you for making me read that shitty column, where he admits that he ADMIRES Ezra Levant !!!!"
ME: Yeah, I find the part about how he admires Levant to be a bit nauseating, all right, especially because I think Levant is anything but clever (I think he's boorish, crass, and often *hugely* offensive simply for the sake of being offensive -- much like Coulter) and also because I think he is basically intellectually -- and publicly/politically -- dishonest and/or hypocritical. He is NOT a "free speech absolutist" as Macdonald maintains; if he was he should have spoken out against Kyle Rae's attempt to have Queers Against Israeli Apartheid thrown out of the Toronto Pride parade -- http://www.xtra.ca/public/National/Councillor_Kyle_Rae_pressured_Pride_Toronto_to_oust_QuAIA-8442.aspx -- or against the Harpokons' decision to have British MP George Galloway banned from entering Canada, as just a couple of examples. He never spoke out in either case.
Now, someone like Peter Tatchell is a REAL example of a "free speech absolutist", defending the free speech rights of someone who thinks Tatchell is scum -- http://www.dallasvoice.com/instant-tea/2010/03/31/gay-activist-protests-evangelical-preachers-fine-for-hate-speech/
Nevertheless, I agree with Macdonald's assessment of Coulter, and I do have to give him props for the following:
"She had been writing extensively about liberal media bias and was promoting a new book. Therefore, she was available for a sit-down. Like an earnest dope, I did my due diligence, gathering serious research on the subject and reading non-anecdotal evidence like polling data on journalistic attitudes. Much of that suggested the media is a pretty bourgeois, fiscally conservative bunch with a deep tendency to genuflect to power and protect the status quo."
As far as the mainstream corporate media goes, I think that's accurate and honest as well. I would presume that Macdonald includes himself in that group; if not, he should.
hi 'berto... OK so he was right about this:
Much of that suggested the media is a pretty bourgeois, fiscally conservative bunch with a deep tendency to genuflect to power and protect the status quo."
I shall consequently reduce the amount of damages I will be seeking from you... :)
I'm from Calgary originally. I've lived all Canada and the world. I just stumbled into this post.
#1 Ann Coulter was playing to a loaded crowd. This is not representative of the whole. Over the last 25 years, Calgary has evolved into a very ethnically diverse town. The city gets a wrap like it's just a bunch of bunch protestant white folks. Case in point, our mayor is Muslim
Check your facts here:
http://www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com/live-work-play/live/demographics
#2 Like it or not - Thank God for Alberta's oil. Energy is the driving force behind our GDP and stable economy.
#3 Harper's Cons won a lot of seats in Ontario - Accept that fact.
#4 Calgary does have authentic American roots. The city was settled by cattle ranchers from the U.S. Our business sector is deeeply connected with head offices in Texas. Cowboy culture is bi-national. As such, we don't have the same inferiority complex many Canadians have. We just get a long with our friends from the South and don't think twice about origin.
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