Posted on 06/13/2006 3:02:44 PM PDT by Mike Bates
In the controversy over Ann Coulter's comments about the group of 9/11 widows, there is one critical question, from the point of view of ensuring standards of accuracy in the media. How does Coulter know it to be true that, "I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much." There is no evidence whatsoever that those women enjoyed their husbands' deaths, and Coulter offers none. The only "evidence" for this preposterous and hurtful claim is that the women became activists and sought the media spotlight and took a political position at odds with that of Coulter. But what does that prove?
I think Coulter probably would have been correct to say that the women appeared to enjoy the media attention. You don't go on these shows unless you enjoy them to some degree. But enjoying a death? And the death of a loved one when fatherless children were left behind? Coulter's comments are not only false but cruel. She has also made other disparaging personal comments about the women.
In journalism, facts and truth are supposed to matter. Opinions are allowed, and Coulter, a columnist for Human Events and many other newspapers, is entitled to her own opinions.
SNIP
If the matter only involved personal opinions about people or things, Coulter's comments wouldn't really be newsworthy or significant. But she is claiming to have inside knowledge of the personal psychology of this group of women who lost their husbands on 9/11. That is why the comments have generated so much outrage—except from a few conservatives unwilling to criticize her.
(Excerpt) Read more at aim.org ...
I have read two of Coulter's other books and have seen the paragraph from which the controversial quote was taken. The books that I read both have the same flaw: she makes a series of excellent points, usually well-substantiated, and then spoils it with some over-the-top comment that gives liberals an opening to make HER the issue and ignore her salient points. If I'm smart enough to see this, why isn't Coulter? If Coulter can make inferences about the Jersey Girls enjoying their husbands deaths, perhaps I can make inferences that Coulter enjoys being a controversial celebrity more than she enjoys effectiveness in spreading the conservative message.
"If these women were appearing to support the war effort, we'd be lavishing them with praise..."
no, we really wouldn't because if they WERE supporting the war effort and/or President Bush we would never have heard of them.
Once again, a mischaracterization of what was plainly said. Coulter said that WE DON'T KNOW if they were going to divorce, which means that it was a possibility that determines whether or not they should be showered with all that attention. THERE ENTIRE CELEBRITY (and the reason they pawn themselves off as geopolitical experts) depends on this point, therefore it's fair to explore it.
Whether or not they even had good points to make is irrelevant, because being a widow had nothing to do with it, even though the media and Democrats want to pretend that it did.
Until Coulter came, that is.
And how's that pedophile charge against you going? See how easy it is to play that game?
It's not right when Ann does it just because she's on "our side".
It was a little over the top, but not by much -- and certainly not nearly as over the top as the backlash against her here, there and everywhere.
The fact remains that there is something extremely distasteful to say the least about how the "Jersey Girls" are conducting themselves, a la Cindy Sheehan, which is why I say Coulter's comment is at worst just a near-miss. They are flies buzzing around the remains at Ground Zero.
But while her goal is laudable, her method is hamhanded nad offensive. She has no idea if these women enjoyed their husbands' deaths--none. Anyone who's ever seen a variety of bereaved people knows there are a multitude of ways for people to cope. Out of all the 9-11 widows, these four happened to be liberals who dove into politics. Were they conservatives, and Al Franken said the exact same things, we'd be calling for his head--rightly.
Ann had a chance to expose the democrats' use of bereaved widows as debating pawns, and she let that get lost under the predictable reaction to her saying widows enjoyed what happened to their husbands on 9-11. Ann is a smart person, but that was probably the stupidest move she's ever made.
If Michael Moore had said the same thing abot Lisa Beamer that Ann Coulter said about the Jersey Girls, what would Free Republic have to say about it?
Be prepared to be taken off some Christmas card lists.
And who is thinking Ann is over the top?
I believe that would be 3 chapters... maybe you should read the book before you talk trash about it?
Good point. Excellent point. Just excellent.
But because she's Ann, she gets a pass.
But for the fact that their husbands had died, these women would be nobodies. But since they are victim, they are beyond criticism. They are untouchables inasmuch as anyone finding fault with their motives is automatically seen as being grossly insensitive.
Ann Coulter was dead right on the money. The fact that this sentence has brought out the wolves in the MSM is proof positive that Ann Coulter was right as rain in her observation. The fact that so many conservatives have fallen for the propaganda being put out by the MSM is proof positive that they still weild a tremendous influence over public opinion.
Quite a few of us, if you take the time to read the thread.
And some good public conservatives. Cliff Kincaid. Hugh Hewitt who called the comments disgusting. Laura Ingraham. To name but a few.
Are these women not doing what they want to do? IIRC there has been criticism of these women by other of the 9/11 bereaved.
Says a poster who is in his third incarnation on a conservative website.
If anybody wants to wade through my posts, they're welcome to do it, obviously.
It's important that lurkers realize that not all conservatives here worship at the altar of the bleached blonde.
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