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Ann Coulter’s stirring up stuff in Canada!

Coulter is provocative, and she’s not afraid to say things–true things–she knows will generate a media backlash.

The “[i]nflammatory right-wing pundit” spoke at the University of Western Ontario yesterday. In a move that has to be tongue-in-cheek, Coulter said she will file a human rights complaint alleging that University of Ottawa vice-president academic and provost Francois Houle’s e-mail to her constituted “hate speech.”

Houle urged that Coulter exercise “restraint, respect and consideration” in her speech to the students. Houle added, “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…Promoting hatred against any identifiable group would not only be considered inappropriate, but could in fact lead to criminal charges.”

Mark Steyn posted the entire e-mail.

“I’m sure the Human Rights Commission will get to the bottom of it,” Coulter told the audience.

Is she being ironic? Former Weekly Standard publisher Ezra Levant spoke before Coulter and said Houle’s letter was a “veiled threat.”

Coulter’s detractors don’t realize the more they try to shut her down, the more people are exposed to her point of view, and that’s what they don’t want. Why are people more afraid of ideas than of giving the government power to stop the flow of ideas?

Let the discussion flourish, and challenge your opponent’s arguments with your arguments. Attacking the person is weak, and banning ideas is cowardly.

We certainly wouldn’t allow that in America.