Is Mark Steyn One Up On Ann Coulter AND Dick Cheney?

BigTime,He'sOnHisWayHe'sMakin'It

Cheney-O-MiteVille

Remember when Ann Coulter came to Canada awhile back, in March of 2010, to be more precise?

And remember how a single, pointed, intelligent question from a female undergraduate at the University of Western Ontario caused the conservative comedian to first debase herself and her audience before she finally descended into self-ridcule?

...Fatima Al-Dhaher, a political science student from London (Ontario), rose and spoke about comments Coulter made after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The firebrand Republican had suggested Muslim countries be invaded, their leaders killed and all Muslims converted to Christianity. She later suggested Muslims denied air travel take “flying carpets” instead.

“As a 17-year-old student of this university, Muslim, should I be converted to Christianity? Second of all, since I don’t have a magic carpet, what other modes do you suggest,” Al-Dhaher said to loud and sustained applause.

“I thought it was just American public schools that produced ignorant people,” Coulter replied, prompting her own round of applause.

Coulter then noted many Japanese were converted to Christianity after the Second World War and “we haven’t heard a peep out of them.”

To shouts of “Answer the question,” Coulter finally replied “What mode of transportation? Take a camel.”....

Well....

You may also remember that very soon after that Ms. Coulter then cancelled a scheduled appearance in Ottawa, at the last minute, citing security concerns and unruly mobs.

Of course, it turns out that neither was actually an issue. Here is what we wrote about that incident at the time:

Apparently the cancellation was caused by alleged security concerns that arose due to an even more alleged unruly mob.

Well, it turns out that there really was no 'security' concern or an 'unruly' mob.

And that is according to the police AND the university's administration.

Here is the official statement on the matter that was released Wednesday by the the U. of Ottawa:

OTTAWA, March 24, 2010 — On Tuesday, March 23, an appearance by Ann Coulter was scheduled on our campus, organized by the International Free Press Society Canada and the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute.

The University of Ottawa has always promoted and defended freedom of expression. For that reason, we did not at any time oppose Ann Coulter’s appearance. Whether it is Ann Coulter or any other speaker, diverse views have always been and continue to be welcome on our campus.

Last night, the organizers themselves decided at 7:50 p.m. to cancel the event and so informed the University’s Protection Services staff on site. At that time, a crowd of about one thousand people had peacefully gathered at Marion Hall.

“Freedom of expression is a core value that the University of Ottawa has always promoted,” said Allan Rock, President of the University. “We have a long history of hosting contentious and controversial speakers on our campus. Last night was no exception, as people gathered here to listen to and debate Ann Coulter’s opinions.

I encourage our students, faculty and other members of our community to maintain our University as an open forum for diverse opinions. Ours is a safe and democratic environment for the expression of views, and we will keep it that way.”

Please note that this is the University of Ottawa’s official statement and no further comments will be issued.


So there you have it.

Free speech and open discourse......

It would appear that conservative comedians named Coulter just aren't that into either of them.

Allegedly.

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So.

Where does Mr. Steyn fit into all of this?

Well, it turns out that he too will soon be travelling across Canada giving speeches and, we can only presume, also telling a few 'jokes'.

Why?

Because he will be filling in for Dick Cheney, who was supposed to do it, but cancelled at the not-quite last minute citing concerns for his safety because of the possibility of prosecution...errrr....protests.

Which is not, at least according to the good Mr. John 'First Law' O'Sullivan of the extremely fair and uber-balanced National Review, to say that Dick and Liz Cheney actual cut and ran.

Quite the contrary, we think, according to Mr. O'Sullivan:

...Mark Steyn will be giving attendees at the huge meeting in Toronto an evening of pure Steynamite on April 24th. Mark has stepped in to replace Vice President Dick Cheney and Elizabeth Cheney following their withdrawal from the event because of security concerns stemming from their experiences in Vancouver in September 2011.

As the organizers of the Toronto meeting explain: “[Last] September 26, 2011, a large group of thugs attempted to block the entrance to the Vancouver Club. Their actions put the patrons, event staff, and Vice President Cheney in danger. The Vice President was unable to leave the premises for over seven hours until these violent protesters were dispersed. During these protests, patrons were physically assaulted outside the Vancouver Club.”

Well, you must expect that kind of thing in a Wild West kind of place like Vancouver in a province known even more threateningly as “British California.” But we cannot yield in the fight for civilization and free speech against the Hooligan Left and their allies, the International Human Rights Lawyers Cartel....

Of course, those anti-'First Law' scoundrels from the Canadian Press had a somewhat different story of the original 'Cheney In Vancouver' protest that included actual real eyewitness reports, etc., but, well, you know....

****

Anyway.

It turns out that Mr. Steyn's management has apparently received at least one vague but menacing Email wherein the alleged Emailer suggests that Mr. Steyn should "look over his shoulders more....someone is sneaking up on you with a crowbar."

To his considerable credit Mr. Steyn has essentially made light of this actually real, if somewhat remote, threat and he's forging ahead, waterboard jokes at the ready, regardless. And that, no matter how you slice and/or dice it, is a cut above the non-cutting and non-running of both Ms. Coulter and Mr. Cheney:

Here is Mr. Steyn's story in his own words:

I've been out and about promoting the big Steynamite night in Toronto on April 24th, at which I'll be pinch-hitting for Dick Cheney, and already the fan mail is rolling in – at least for our promoter, Ryan Ruppert:

*From: *Bob Gueldoff

I thank God that ass hole Cheney thinks Canada is too dangerous to come too......shows what a moron he is [ understatement of all time]..I mean Cheney is one of the worst persons in History ...right up there with Hitler..would you bring Adolf to Canada to speak if he were alive??

YOU are an asshole..a goof...a money hungry brain dead lump ..I will do anything for a buck kind of guy.....

..people like you should look over their shoulders more......someone is sneaking up on you with a crow bar....I would not park in any dark corners if I were you.

I hasten to add that's not from my sometime acquaintance Bob Geldof of Live Aid fame, but Bob Gueldoff of Canada. On the John Oakley show this morning, I somewhat carelessly said that anyone buying tickets for the first three rows would be entitled to a free personal waterboarding from me. But we may have to offer a comp to Mr Gueldoff.

So.

Kudos to Mr. Stein.

We think.

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That's not to say that some folks from the extremely fair and uber-balanced online media have not made a slightly bigger deal of this than has Mr. Steyn....One example of this, in our opinion, is the online reportage and commentary of Mr. Andrew Lawton who is the Editor-In-Chief of the well known and highly cited 'Landmark Report'...

Sharp-eyed readers may, or more likely may not, recall that we have mentioned Mr. Lawton's very fine, fine, finest-of-the fine online reportage and commentary before....Why?....Well, it turns out that Mr. Lawton, like us, once covered the on-campus appearance of a former Conservative Party campaign worker in Guelph named Mr. Michael Sona way before the good Mr. Sona very suddenly left the employ of the Conservative Party of Canada recently....Those interested can read all about that April 2011 incident here....

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