Free (idiotic) speech [Arrest at Ann Coulter's Austin visit]

Austin American Statesman ^ | Friday, May 06, 2005 | EDITORIAL BOARD

[Arrowhead1952]

EDITORIAL BOARD

Friday, May 06, 2005

Conservative author and gadfly Ann Coulter must have been delighted by the protesters who disrupted her talk at the University of Texas Tuesday night. It added to the sensationalism she thrives on.

Coulter expects to provoke controversy when she speaks at a university. The $30,000 she earned for her appearance at the LBJ Library auditorium makes enduring some heckling and rudeness worthwhile. Plus, she gathered a few anecdotes for her next best-selling book and can point once again to the intolerance of the anti-free speech left.

But what is good for Coulter and her right-wing screeds is bad for the university, which has seen this kind of thing before. Whether it's Henry Kissinger, Ward Connerly or Coulter, a coterie of radical students and professors insist on sabotaging speakers whose views they oppose.

Worse for UT, the disruptions reported in the Daily Texan, the student newspaper, were particularly puerile. Not just rude and obnoxious, but also silly, stupid and sexually suggestive. Sophomore Ajai Raj, whose vulgarity at the speech got him arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, is hardly a First Amendment martyr.

As Daily Texan columnist James Burnham wrote, Raj's behavior was "inappropriate, uncalled for and entirely pointless."

It's no surprise that students would demonstrate, but the childish level of the protesters — imitating flatulence, flipping the bird and such — is astonishingly base for the state's flagship university. You'd think the top 10 percent could do better.

Coulter is obnoxious, so much so that it's doubtful she believes even half of what she says and writes. But her provocative discourse has made her rich, and the protests, like the absurdity at UT, only add to her bank account.

The antidote for hate speech is truth, not more hate speech. Students at a top university should have learned that by now.

[Arrowhead1952]

[junta]

These liberal fools ought to ask themselves why is it that Coulter is getting rich and why she has such a wide audience.

[chapin2500]

"Coulter is obnoxious, so much so that it's doubtful she believes even half of what she says and writes."

Gimme a freakn break.

[whereasandsoforth]

To doubt that Ann believes half of what she says implies she is not speaking the truth, because Ann could NOT not believe the truth so she must be telling lies when she speaks.

No, dear dull Austin-American, Ann believes every word she says to be truth. So do I. If Ann were telling lies about liberals, they wouldn't be near as upset with her. It's telling the truth about liberals that turn them belligerent and violent.

[nuconvert]

$30,000.....

And what's Churchill making these days? And what does the Austin American Statesman have to say about his hate speech?

[BTHOtu]

". . .the state's flagship university."

I don't think so.

[Enterprise]

"The antidote for hate speech is truth,"

Well alrighty then. Bring it on.

[BeAllYouCanBe]

" The antidote for hate speech is truth, not more hate speech. "

There ya go, "hate speech is now defined as anything that doesn't support the liberal line.

[MichiganCheese]

I think Blather is asking $75,000 for each of his speeches.

[TheForceOfOne]

Coulter is obnoxious, so much so that it's doubtful she believes even half of what she says and writes.

Obnoxious to liberals who can't believe what they're hearing after the thorough brainwashing by the Ward Churchill's of the world.

[goldstategop]

When even Austin's liberal flagship newspaper thinks liberals went overboard, that's news. Not that I expected them to defend Ann Coulter but one can do without puerile obscenity at a lecture event.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[junta]

They thought Reagan obnoxious as well.

[Arrowhead1952]

Coulter is obnoxious, so much so that it's doubtful she believes even half of what she says and writes.

I had to laugh at that take as well. The left is so screwed up, it is funny to listen to them defend themselves.

[BadAndy]

$30,000 is an obscene amount of money to make for an lecture. That's more than many people make in a year. Virtually NO ONE has anything to say that can justify that expense. No wonder I am paying ridiculous tuition expenses for my kids. I love Ann but if this is what speakers get for an appearance this is outrageous. And yes I know KKKlinton gets $150K even though the only place he should be appearing is in a Federal prison.

[HEY4QDEMS]

When the left stops telling lies about us, we'll stop telling the truth about them.

[goldstategop]

I doubt liberals believe even half of what they say and write. At least not the stuff they say when the cameras are around and every one's paying attention.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[TheForceOfOne]

Every time I think of the liberal mindset, I get this image of a group of soldiers hiding behind a rock and so scared of the opposition forces that every time they hear the slightest sound all guns are blazing in every direction as their hearts beat at near heart attack levels. Needless to say they never hit their mark only wasting ammo.

[Arrowhead1952]

". . .the state's flagship university."

That statement should have been - ". . .the state's flagship LIBERAL university."

[goldstategop]

Hey, if people like what to hear what you have to say, you can charge what you think its worth. No one forces any one to attend your lecture. There's nothing "obscene" about lecture fees. You get to make a living besides just writing best-selling books.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[MinuteGal]

Why don't you print what the Raj Head actually said, Mr. Editor?

"What?", you say.....I'ts too filthy for your rag of a newspaper?????

You're a yellow-bellied weasel.

I'll bet that if Ann used "gloryosky" in her speech, the word would be in your headline....in caps, yet

Leni