Cancelling Coulter and uncivil mobs

Between Rev's post and the comment thread here, there's some discussion about the apparent "mob" of anti-Ann protestors at the University of Ottawa who seem to have led to the cancellation of her talk. Some out there think that protesting the likes of Coulter should fall within Canadian norms of politeness and civility.

Well fuck those Canadian norms for a moment.

There are moments when a bit of incivility is required and acceptable. We've seen over the past few years of the Harper government a rise in the policies that support the sort of sentiments that Coulter advocates. The cases Abousfian Abdelrazik, Maher Arar, Omar Khadr, Mohamed Harkat, Suaad Hagi Mohamud, the current fiasco with Rights and Democracy, etc etc, all suggest an insidious bent to the Harper government that Ann Coulter simply voices in plain language.

She becomes a symbolic target for the impotent rage that many of us feel toward the Harper regime and its perverse and fascistic fans. There is a link.

And if there was a mob, and it was unruly enough to shut down her little talk, fire alarms and all, then so be it.

This is what happens when bigots and fascists show themselves in public to spew their bile. This is also what happens when the public cannot find civil means (pay attention here, Opposition) of redressing the temperament and actions of a far-right minority government hell-bent on destroying the open liberal democracy that about 60 to 70% of us seem to support and enjoy. We find targets we can actually hit, and we push back.

And we sure as hell shouldn't apologise for taking a stand.