Dear, Dear Ann Coulter...

[Gemini Cricket]

Conservative columnist Ann Coulter cut short a speech at the University of Connecticut amid boos and jeers, and decided to hold a question-and-answer session instead.
"I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am," Coulter told the crowd of 2,600 Wednesday.

Source

Waitaminute?! She called the people who came to see her stupid? Well, she and I agree for the very first time ever.

[scaeagles]

Well, they certainly didn't come to listen to her.

I just find it so amazing that Universities, which all claim to be about diversity and thought and whatever, have so many students who wish to disrupt a speaker. Protest? Sure. Go for it. No problem with that. But if someone has been invited to speak, then let the person speak, regardless of who it is. The University should provide for that or not allow the person to come at all - again, whomever it is.

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Well, they certainly didn't come to listen to her.

The whole thing is odd.

1. Why would anyone show up inside if they don't like her? I could see remaining composed until the Q&A section and present her with some tough questions at that time.
2. If there weren't a lot of people who wanted her to be there, why did the university get Coulter to speak? There are less in-your-face conservatives out there if they wanted to showcase the right's point of view...
3. Why would you call a group of people there to see you (obviously there was at least one Ann fan according to the CNN article) stupid? Wouldn't that lose you fans by calling everyone stupid?
4. Univ of Conn is a pretty liberal place, didn't she know that that was the kind of response she was going to get? Maybe she did...
5. The people booing her inside must know that by baiting her this just gets her more press. She loves that, they fell into her trap.
6. Ann needs to learn composure. You can attract more flies with honey than pure vinegar. She sounds like she's losing it.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

1. Why would anyone show up inside if they don't like her? I could see remaining composed until the Q&A section and present her with some tough questions at that time.

Because they (those booing) are stupid

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

2. If there weren't a lot of people who wanted her to be there, why did the university get Coulter to speak? There are less in-your-face conservatives out there if they wanted to showcase the right's point of view...

What evidence is there that there were not a lot of people who wanted her to be there? Those booing were a very small minority of the campus population.

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

3. Why would you call a group of people there to see you (obviously there was at least one Ann fan according to the CNN article) stupid? Wouldn't that lose you fans by calling everyone stupid?

One can only be expected to take the high road or so long. If the crowd was booing, etc. for 15 minutes (an eternity in a situation like this), I say she did pretty good.

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

4. Univ of Conn is a pretty liberal place, didn't she know that that was the kind of response she was going to get? Maybe she did...

ANY commentator worth their salt would love to get an opportunity to speak with the opposition.

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

5. The people booing her inside must know that by baiting her this just gets her more press. She loves that, they fell into her trap.

I think it stretches the bounds of imagination to believe that this was a premeditated trap. I believe that Ann went in knowing it was a potentially contentious crowd, but deciding to go with and see what happens. It is obvious that some people went in with the intent to not allow others to present an alternate viewpoint. The former is free speech. The latter is censorship.

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

6. Ann needs to learn composure. You can attract more flies with honey than pure vinegar. She sounds like she's losing it.

I think Ann held her composure quite well (based on the article). If she had "lost it," should would have stormed off stage and not come back. If your opponent takes off his gloves for a street fight and refuses to put them back on, eventually you have to take them off yourself.

Regardless of how one feels about Ann, I think she did the best she could with a terrible and embarrassing (for U Conn) situation.

[Gemini Cricket]

Interesting point, KB.

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

Regardless of how one feels about Ann, I think she did the best she could with a terrible and embarrassing (for U Conn) situation.

The best she could do was to call a former president a 'buffoon' and her entire audience 'stupid'? Uh, that sounds a little juvenile to me. But it's not surprising coming from a person who entitled one of her books 'How to Speak to a Liberal, if You Have To'. Obviously, speaking with these liberals the way she suggests to speak to them is to name call. I think she deserved what she got. Ya get what ya give.

Not only this, but with her ideal president in office, how can she call any other president an 'executive buffoon'? Is she paying attention to what this president does at all?

And when I say trap, I mean that any time she says or does something outrageous she gets press for it. She knows that. I don't think she did this in a premeditated manner. (I don't think she's that smart.)

[Gemini Cricket]

And as far as the booing goes, is it okay to boo Michael Moore at the Oscars and not Ann Coulter at the Univ of Conn?

------------------

Here are some more highlights for the Coulter speech:

One student asked what she would do if she had a child who came out as gay.
Coulter replied: "I'd say, `Did I ever tell you you're adopted?'"

She also aimed plenty of criticism at the Democratic Party, calling U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California a great candidate for Democrats because "she is a woman and learning disabled."

Source

Nice...

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Well, they certainly didn't come to listen to her.

I just find it so amazing that Universities, which all claim to be about diversity and thought and whatever, have so many students who wish to disrupt a speaker. Protest? Sure. Go for it. No problem with that. But if someone has been invited to speak, then let the person speak, regardless of who it is. The University should provide for that or not allow the person to come at all - again, whomever it is.

"Universities" claim "Diversity". Students on the other hand...

Can't you remember what it was like when you were collage age? That incredible certainty that your views are unequivocally superior to anyone else’s combined with the youthful vigor and the certainty that you can change the world to meet your views if you can just get your message out there? That age does not lend itself well to tolerance of opposing viewpoints. Wrong MUST be righted, truth MUST win out over lies, ahhh I'm not sure if I miss those days or not....

[wendybeth]

There are plenty of other venues where these speakers get shouted down, not just Unies. We so-called adults spend a lot of time arguing about these people, why should college students be any different? As a college student, I would feel invested in that my tuition is helping to pay the speaker's fees for these people. Still, I always just stayed away when a speaker I disagreed with came to our school.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by wendybeth

There are plenty of other venues where these speakers get shouted down, not just Unies. We so-called adults spend a lot of time arguing about these people, why should college students be any different?

And there is a time and a place. Coulter didn't storm off. She went straight to Q&A. Why? So she could just debate the people who weren't going to let her speak.

The issue is one of respect. Moonliner, I have always thought I was right on pretty much everything (as everyone who been reading my posts over the last few years in whatever forum will testify to). However, I would never even consider being so rude as to shout down anyone who was invited to speak. As a student, are you not to learn? How can one learn without listening? If one does not wish to learn, don't inhibit others from doing so.

It's an issue of respect. Of decorum. Of common decency.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

And there is a time and a place. Coulter didn't storm off. She went straight to Q&A. Why? So she could just debate the people who weren't going to let her speak.

The issue is one of respect. Moonliner, I have always thought I was right on pretty much everything (as everyone who been reading my posts over the last few years in whatever forum will testify to). However, I would never even consider being so rude as to shout down anyone who was invited to speak. As a student, are you not to learn? How can one learn without listening? If one does not wish to learn, don't inhibit others from doing so.

It's an issue of respect. Of decorum. Of common decency.

Ann Coulter is hardly a model of either decorum or decency. She also referred to her audience as 'stupid', which is incitive and immature. If she genuinely has a message she wants to get out there, why is she so damned insulting all the time? She wants to provoke people, and she isn't remotely interested in dialogue.