Arrest made at Coulter speech (Austin, Texas)

Daily Texan ^ | May 04, 2005 | Yashoda Sampath

[Flightdeck]

Arrest made at Coulter speech

Student arrested, charged with disorderly conduct after offensive question

By Yashoda Sampath

Incessant heckling and shouting culminated in an arrest Tuesday night during a speech by Ann Coulter, an extreme right-wing pundit, at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.

Shouts became so pervasive during the question-and-answer session that Coulter informed the organizers she would no longer take questions if the hecklers were not silenced. For a time, the shouts were considerably lessened, until the issue of gay marriage was broached.

Coulter said she supported the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman on the basis that a good woman civilizes and inspires a man to strive for something better, leading to a question that was met with a stunned silence.

"You say that you believe in the sanctity of marriage," said Ajai Raj, an English sophomore. "How do you feel about marriages where the man does nothing but f--- his wife up the ass?"

UT Police officers approached Raj to arrest him, resulting in a mass exodus of protesters chanting, "Let him go."

"The person had been disruptive the entire event," said Matt Hardigree, former Student Events Center president. "He took the opportunity to say something lewd and offensive and then made masturbatory gestures as he exited."

Hardigree said that Cheryl Wood from the Office of the Dean of Students spoke with some of the protestors before the event, and assorted members of the Distinguished Speakers Committee asked them to sit in the back if they had signs and to leave quietly if they wanted to leave.

According to Jeffrey Stockerwell, a friend of Raj, officers violently seized Raj and illegally searched him after his question.

Police have charged Raj with disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor.

Representatives of the Austin People's Legal Collective were taking statements from everyone at the scene, in case it should be taken to court.

Raj worked at the Texan on a volunteer basis for a brief time in March.

Before the speech began, the International Socialist Organization protested outside of the library, with about 12 people holding up signs with slogans such as "Racist, sexist, anti-gay, right-wing bigot go away" and "Stop the new McCarthyism."

The booing began early into Coulter's speech, when she issued a joke to pro-choice advocates.

"I wonder why those 'I Heart Partial-Birth Abortion' T-shirts aren't selling better," she said, followed by a combination of cheers and jeers.

Coulter went on to decry the conservative media bias she said liberals complain of, and she challenged the undemocratic actions of liberals with respect to Iraq and to the judiciary.

"They're always trying to act like they're oppressed," she said. "So let's do it. Let's oppress them."

One student asked Coulter why universities and institutions place microphones in front of Coulter when she advocates terrorism against liberals, prompting Coulter to mention the strength of her book sales. Coulter has had four New York Times best sellers.

The $30,000 event was co-sponsored by the Texas Union Student Events Center and Student Endowed Centennial Lectureship Committee.

[tom h]

Voreddy, I hope you're right but I fear you're wrong.

Most Asian Indians I meet are fiscally very conservative but culturally very Eastern, which finds the essence of Americanism (freedom, rugged individualism, classless) and the stereotypes of Americanism (cowboy, NRA gun-nuts, hicks) very repelling. You have Indian relatives and I don't, but I would venture that most Indians vote Democratic based on friendships and colleagues I have known through the years.

The only immigrants these days that are fiercely pro-American patriots are those that come from formerly Communistic countries -- Russia, Poland, the Baltic Republics, Hungary -- or those living under the threat of Communist aggression -- Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand.

[voreddy]

tom

those cultural values you listed, particularly rugged individualism, I would think are held in high regard in those communities. Their children work very hard and the parents are well aware of the opportunities that work lends itself too. There's no doubt that most Asians probably vote Dem, but I think that goes for almost all immigrants. Most of my first generation Polish friends vote Dem. I'm not sure why.