Strictly Right

Regular readers will remember that the Strictly Right team – Andrew, Ari, and I – were among the organizers for the Ann Coulter in Canada Tour. In March, Francois Houle wrote a letter to Ann Coulter threatening criminal charges for what Ann was about to say. Weeks later, the University of Ottawa President, Allan Rock, admitted that he had prior knowledge of the letter and that it was sent on behalf of the entire university administration.

Allan Rock slithered into the shadows and let his underling take all of the blame for the threatening letter. Once the story was out of the news, Allan Rock admitted his responsibility.

Allan Rock is not only a coward. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and a former Justice Minister. Ironic, seeing as he approved a letter that created a security risk for a guest to his campus.

Here is the story from the National Post Blog:

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Adrian MacNair: Allan Rocks admits his role in Coulter fiasco – April 19, 2010

The President of the University of Ottawa, Allan Rock, has broken his silence on the cancelled Ann Coulter speaking engagement on March 23 and acknowledged his involvement. The address was cancelled when angry student protesters showed up to physically block her from speaking.

The incident made a mockery of the free speech debate, and fans of Ann Coulter were angry at the cancellation, blaming an  e-mail from University Provost Francois Houle. Mr.Houle had welcomed the American Conservative in a letter also sent to media organizations, while at the same time warning her that Canada has strict laws on hate speech and that she could face criminal prosecution if she violated those laws.

In retaliation, Ms.Coulter has been reported as launching a Human Rights complaint that Mr. Houle incited hatred against an identifiable group. In her case, that would be conservatives. She also denigrated the University in her typical joking style, before moving on to the University of Calgary, which went ahead without further incident.

Mr. Rock, had previously served in the Cabinet of Jean Chrétien, most notably as Justice Minister and Health Minister, before beginning his jobs as University of Ottawa President on July 15, 2008. While Mr. Houle took the brunt of the outpouring of criticism, he all but disappeared. Until, three weeks later, he has admitted in an interview that he knew of Mr. Houle’s letter all along.

To read more, click here to visit the National Post Blog site.

Tags: Allan Rock, Ann Coulter, Francois Houle, University of Ottawa