Rumor Has It ...
that Ann Coulter is coming to the hood.
She's apparently coming to highlight the "liberal" bias on college campuses while she speaks about "Islamo-fascism" at the end of the Muslim Ramadan.
I find it ironic that every "liberal" college campus has a College Republican group that sponsors lectures by folks such as Coulter. That's sure evidence of a liberal bias, let me tell you. And, yet, there are conservative colleges where a College Democrat group simply does not exist
As someone who spends just about every day at College, I'll be the first to admit that the college environment generally trends liberal. But that's a far cry from claiming that there is systematic liberal bias on college campuses. It would be like me saying that the US military exercises a conservative bias because it trends conservative.
And it baffles me even more that conservatives decry the cult of victimhood, yet almost always, without fail, speak of their victimization by the "liberal" academy.
Still, it baffles me that conservatives who want to be taken seriously would bring someone like Coulter to represent their movement and speak on their behalf. Believe me, Coulter is not sympathetic to an open exchange of ideas. She is about as far removed from the idea that different critical points of view, and the people who espouse them, deserve a respectful hearing and platform.
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9 comments:
Maybe Ann Coulter really does represent their movement, their ideals, and what they think about "different critical points of view".
Remember, according to a lot of these folks, William F Buckley is now either a liberal, or "intellectually senile".
She is about as far removed from the idea that different critical points of view, and the people who espouse them, deserve a respectful hearing and platform.Right Huck. By the way when was it that she threw pies at people? When has she physically assaulted someone who had a different view? Those are left wing tactics. Speaking her mind is not the same as preventing another’s right to speak.
don_cos - I don't support throwing pies at people or pysically assaulting anyone for any reason, much less for having a different political position. So, that's a red herring and doesn't make Coulter's behavior any more justifiable. Any person who declares me "Godless" without even knowing me is not someone who conveys respect or even openness for different viewpoints. She might not be throwing pies at me, but she trafficks in hate and vilification with the best of them. If your defense of Coulter is that she doesn't throw pies and some crazy liberals do, that's not much of a defense. I know some people who don't throw pies but who say very ugly things about other people. I wouldn't call them respectful of different viewpoints. And yet the fact remains that Coulter gets invited to "liberal" colleges and universities where she can decry "liberal" bias. One doesn't usually hear of "conservative" colleges doing likewise with hate-spewing liberals.
I'm not arguing that she doesn’t blast people. She does go overboard with many of her comments. However that does not make her wrong, nor does it deny those with opposing views the chance to speak their minds. You should already know that the pie throwing is only an example. Coulter is not the only one who has had to face physical resistance because they don’t bow to liberal ideology.
You are correct (as far as I know) about conservative colleges. I don’t know of any liberals being invited to speak. But it is also my experience that the conservative colleges are honest in that they admit that they are conservative, while liberal colleges tend to make claims that they are unbiased. How often do you see a conservative college preaching about tolerance and then shutting out opposing views? We see this all the time from many (though certainly not all) liberal schools.
GW University is a good example of the (so called) tolerance in liberal schools. When fake anti Islam flyers were spread on campus the GWU administration promised expulsion of those responsible. Young America's Foundation students were called into an administrator's office, presumed guilty, pressured to sign a statement admitting guilt and disavowing hate speech. They were brought before a university 'peace forum,' where they were jeered by liberal students. Now that the real (liberal) perpetrators have been found, no action is being taken. They are liberal so they get a free pass.
The difference between Coulter and so many (not all) “tolerant progressives” is that she is honest about it. One of the reasons that I visit your blog is because even though I disagree with many of your views, you at least allow the opposing view to be heard. Of the left leaning blogs I have encountered yours seem to be unusual in that I can comment without being immediately banned for the crime of having a different view. (I do have to give the Democratic Underground credit in that they tell you right up front, in the rules, that their sole purpose is to support the Democrats and anything else is not welcome.)
How do you feel about Ann Coulter speaking at Tulane next week?
don_cos - As to your last question, I support Ann Coulter speaking on Tulane's campus on principle as a matter of free speech. And I also support her ability to do so in a civil and respectful forum. I have to say that I don't expect Coulter to be civil in what she will say, but that doesn't mean those who oppose her have to be uncivil back to her.
That's my personal opinion. But, I also will say that if groups want to peacefully protest Coulter's appearance, then I support such efforts as well -- as long as they remain peaceful and as long as they are respectful of Coulter's right to speak.
Knowing Tulane's student population, which tends to be more apathetic if not actually ideologically moderate (Tulane is an expensive, private institution, after all), I can't imagine there will be much of anything controversial happening around Coulter's speech.
On another level, conservatives often point out that speech is not without its consequences, and that boycotting or protesting speech one disagrees with is part and parcel of the process. That said, I don't see how, if Coulter gets an invitation to speak and is allowed the space and the podium from which to speak, those who would protest her speech exhibit evidence of a liberal bias and liberal intolerance at universities.
Also, just because someone is upfront about their intolerance doesn't really make it any more or less acceptable. You can say that you respect someone for being upfront, but does that translate into respect for someone on the substance of his or her positions? It almost comes across as such. For instance, saying one respects David Duke because he is at least up front about his racism, and then chiding some liberal University President for his duplicity regarding supposedly supporting free speech and then seeming to prevent its expression seems to make David Duke somehow better than that liberal University Professor. Likewise, I don't think it is in any way respectable that the DU uses its qualifier as cover for bad behavior. It's one thing to say that you come out of an unabashed ideological position; but it's another thing to then use that as some kind of legitizing excuse to be crude. Coulter can be an up-front conservative without calling all liberals Godless, don't you think?
I also will say that if groups want to peacefully protest Coulter's appearance, then I support such efforts as well ~ Huck
I have no problem with that.
Knowing Tulane's student population, ~ Huck
I must say that I have not heard of any extreme or out of line tactics by Tulane students or facualty.
if Coulter gets an invitation to speak and is allowed the space and the podium from which to speak, those who would protest her speech exhibit evidence of a liberal bias and liberal intolerance at universities. ~ Huck
If they do not attempt to stop her then I have no issues with them protesting. As a matter of fact I would have to say that a peaceful protest that does not overstep and interfere with the speaker is indeed tolerant and praiseworthy.
David Duke ~ Huck
Strawman! I do not and have never supported Duke. Even tolerance must have limits. And despite my statement about giving credit to the DU. I do not have respect for the site (because of the vile insanity exhibited there).
some liberal University President ~ Huck
If said Liberal professor preaches tolerance and free speech but takes action to prevent opposing views then yes said professor is duplicitous. It would be much better if he/she were up front and honest about their views. Unfortunately we have ample examples of such duplicity at many big name liberal colleges.
Coulter can be an up-front conservative without calling all liberals Godless, don't you think?
As a matter of fact I do think this.
Hi, don_cos - As to your most recent comments, I agree almost completely. One comment on this:
If said Liberal professor preaches tolerance and free speech but takes action to prevent opposing views then yes said professor is duplicitous. It would be much better if he/she were up front and honest about their views.
I'd phrase it differently. I'd say it would be intellectually honest for such a person to be upfront about it; but I wouldn't say that it would be much better. For instance, being up front and honest about racist views is not much better than being sneaky about them. The end result is still someone with racist views, and being honest about them or being sneaky about them doesn't improve that person's standing in my eyes.
But that's a minor quibble. I know that both of us wouldn't think too highly of any such person regardless of whether they were up front about their bad behavior or not.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's always a good experience for me to have an exchange with you.
I'd phrase it differently. ~ Huck.
This is mostly splitting hairs. Looks like we agree on the important part.
It's always a good experience for me to have an exchange with you. ~ Huck.
Awww, aren’t you the sweet talker! :-}
One (or maybe two) last question;
Are you going to go hear Miss Coulter, and are you going to post on it?
don_cos - I just posted another item on the Coulter visit, and I answered your question there. I'm not planning to go to her talk because I don't want to be a masochist and subject myself to being belittled by her, because surely that's what she intends to do. If I really thought Ann Coulter would be trying to engage in a thoughtful dialogue, I might have a different reaction and I might attend. For instance, I would go hear Jonah Goldberg or Ramesh Ponnuru or William F. Buckley, Jr., give a talk because they, at least, don't belittle the essence of my being. They don't go around insulting me and my family and friends who are liberal by calling us Godless just because it gives a thrill to be so mean.
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