Friday, March 26, 2010

Coultergate In Cowtown....The Anti-Free Speech Rider

TheMarketplaceOfNobodyElse'sIdeas
ButHerOwnVille



Remember, back in the days when Diamond David Lee Roth used more peroxide than a certain conservative comedian, how VanHalen had that rider to remove all the brown M&M's from the backstage goodie-bowls?

Well, while there was no mention of junk food that looks like deer-poo, there were a bunch of things that folks who wanted to go to Conservative Crackpot Crusader Coulter's Canadian Tour stop in Calgary were supposed to agree to before they arrived.

Here, thanks to the work of anti-CCC crusader, and current Calgarian, Tyler Kinch, is the missive that was sent to potential converts by the Coulter Cultists:

Thank you for registering to attend Ann Coulter’s lecture in Calgary, Alberta as part of “Coulter In Canada 2010″.

NOTE – CHANGE OF VENUE ADDRESS BELOW! Due to an increase in interest, we are moving the event to a larger venue. Please see www.coulterincanada.com (neither work nor reason safe) for a detailed map.

The lecture will now be held on Thursday March 25, 2010 at the University of Calgary’s Red & White Club, located on the 2nd Floor, Olympic Volunteer Centre, McMahon Stadium. If you plan on taking the C-Train to the event please get off at Banff Trail Station and walk through the McMahon stadium parking lot to get to the Red and White Club.

Doors will open at 7:00pm, however to ensure good seating, early arrival is recommended. Ann Coulter will be introduced by Ezra Levant after remarks from the International Free Press Society – Canada and student representatives.

Admission for this event is $10 paid in cash only. If you are a student of any educational institution (high school, college, or university) please present a valid piece of student identification for free admission. For security reasons, no backpacks, laptop bags, large purses, or audio-visual recording devices will be allowed into the venue.

While there will be a Q&A to ensure open, intellectual discussion between attendees of the event and Ann Coulter, the Question and Answer period will be moderated, and any sort of ranting, heckling, or otherwise disrupting of the event will result in removal by security and/or police. As well, individuals caught recording this event will be removed.

The University of Calgary bookstore will have copies of “Guilty” and “Shakedown” available for purchase before and after the lecture. Attendees may also bring a copy of one of Ann Coulter’s or Ezra Levant’s books for the book signing.

Only those who have registered in advance will be admitted to the event.

If you registered on someone else’s behalf, please ensure that this information is passed on to them.

Regards
International Free Press Society – Canada


No heckling?

At a comedy show?

Are they kidding?

****

And as for 'ranting' being subject to 'removal' by security and/or police.....

What, exactly does that have to do with free speech?

But the real kicker, if you ask me, is the extreme irony of a self-declared 'Free Press Society' banning any and all digicam-mediated documentation of the event.

OK?

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8 comments:

deBeauxOs said...

The banning of any and all recordings is a standard requirement at concert halls and other venues such as Vegas.

This basically confirms that Coulter is a stand-up comic disguised as a polemicist or pundit, demanding those privileges awarded to one and the other.

RossK said...

Most definitely deBeauxOs.

But even at concerts, in my experience, if one is caught flashing the digicam one is asked politely by an usher to stop using it.

(ie. the first threat is not 'removal' by goons and/or jackboots)

.

Norm Farrell said...

Maybe the Free Press Society could be a touch more honest and say something like:

We understand that Ms. Coulter and some her audience will be making hateful comments aimed at abusing others, particularly those with dark skins not gained in a tanning salon, and therefore no cameras or recording devices are allowed. We prefer speech to be free of reporting or documenting so that no person has to be publicly accountable for words uttered. After all, while our bigotry is acceptable among ourselves, the world outside world

Anonymous said...

Please go to this address, today, Sunday or Monday for a great cartoon by Bruce MacKinnon.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/toon.php

Drew

RossK said...

Thanks Drew!

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kootcoot said...

Ross, I found your coverage of the Coulter silliness to be the best I've heard or read, ANYWHERE!

I think it is sad that someone like her is even welvome (though I think she should be allowed to say whatever she wants, and charged if she crosses the line into inciting violence or genuine hate speech). You are so right to characterize her schtick as comedy - and low grade comedy for the low forehead crowd at that. It is unfortunate how popular her and her ilk like Beck, Limpballs and O'Really are in our neighbor's land.

Compare her treatment though to that accorded Amy Goodman at the border or even worse, the complete denial of entry to Mr. Galloway or US Air Force Lt. Colonel Ann Wright.

kootcoot said...

above should be, to be picky:

US Air Force Lt. Colonel (retired) Ann Wright

RossK said...

Thanks koot--

I agree that what happened with Galloway, Wright and Amy Goodman was absolutely shameful.

However, having said that, the best way to deal with propagandists is to expose them for what they are - which is what that sharp kid at Western did early last week.

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