Joseph C. Ben-Ami

It has been several weeks since the book The Armageddon Factor was released, igniting a storm of controversy that author Marci McDonald says she neither intended, nor anticipated. Perhaps so, but one gets the feeling that she’s not entirely unhappy with the attention. What really bothers her, she says, is the invective that has been directed her way since the book’s publication. Now she’s fighting back…and she’s using me to do so.

At a recent meeting of G8 Ministers in Halifax, Bev Oda put to rest weeks of speculation by announcing that Canada would definitely not be funding programs that promote or perform abortions as part of its contribution to the proposed Maternal Health Initiative in developing countries. Judging by the reaction of some in the media, one would think the Conservatives were planning to ban food shipments to victims of famine. In fact, the decision makes good sense.

Now that the storm surrounding Ann Coulter's visit to University of Ottawa has subsided, it's worth while asking who is really to blame for the behaviour of those students who sought to prevent her from speaking. Most observers point an accusing finger at university VP Francois Houle, claiming that his letter to Ms. Coulter suggesting that she risked prosecution for promoting hatred was a green light for protesters. I think that's too easy an explanation.