Posted on 04/20/2017 6:59:55 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
By now you’ve no doubt heard about the scheduled speech by Ann Coulter at Berkeley which may or may not be cancelled at this point. When Allahpundit dug into the story yesterday he repeated one observation which bears revisiting again this morning.
We’re getting closer to the inevitable moment when someone is literally murdered on an American campus because a right-winger tried to speak.”
That’s rather chilling, but it’s also obviously a very real possibility. Sadly, this reality gives Berkeley the perfect excuse to cancel an appearance by yet another conservative speaker. But that may be easier said than done because Coulter is saying she plans on showing up anyway. (Associated Press)
Ann Coulter fired off an angry stream of tweets Wednesday vowing to speak as planned next week at the University of California, Berkeley after campus officials called off the event for security concerns.
“I WILL BE SPEAKING NEXT THURSDAY,” the right-wing commentator tweeted, calling the move to cancel her planned event on April 27 a ban on free speech…
University officials sent the Berkeley College Republicans a letter Tuesday, saying that officials and campus police had determined they could not ensure the safety of Coulter, audience members or protesters expected at the event.
“We have been unable to find a safe and suitable venue,” said the letter from Vice Chancellor Scott Biddy and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stephen Sutton. “Given current active security threats, it is not possible to assure that the event could be held successfully.”
I wanted to expand on what Allahpundit already provided to cover two points this looming disaster is bringing to light. One is the basic question of whether or not Berkeley actually can stop Coulter from showing up next Thursday and speaking. In theory I suppose they can deny her access to any of the buildings even though they are sort of the property of the taxpayers. They do control access and scheduling for the halls. But what if Coulter brings her own microphone and amplifiers and tries to set up in the middle of the quad? Since it’s school property I guess they can make the case that it’s still under their control, but now you’re in a situation where campus police and administrators may have to be literally standing in the gates and physically blocking her from entering in a show of quasi-military force. Can you imagine a worse press debacle for Berkeley or a more perfect PR moment for Coulter?
Their other option is to simply stand aside, let her try to set up in the public square and do her thing while putting out a statement that they have washed their hands of the matter and are not responsible for what happens. But if it’s taking place on school grounds, they are still responsible if it turns into a bloodbath. Berkeley is out of good options at this point.
The second item to address here is the question of not only how Berkeley, but also the mainstream media will try to spin this story. In the end, that may be what Coulter is going for far more than any prepared text she has ready on the subject of immigration. If she shows up and this thing spins out of control, where will the media be able to assign the blame? People showing up to hear her speak certainly aren’t there to cause trouble. But when the inevitable crowd of figures dressed in black shirts with hoods and face masks (the new, preferred uniform for liberal activists) shows up and begins taunting and then busting heads, how will the school and the MSM pin this on conservatives? Will they blame Coulter for the crime of simply being there and talking? I’m sure some will be happy to try, but that’s pretty much on par with telling a rape victim that they shouldn’t have worn such a short skirt.
At one time I might have cautioned against having Coulter speak, but there’s simply too much of this going on now. (In case you hadn’t heard, Linfield College in Oregon just cancelled an engagement by conservative speaker Dr. Jordan Peterson.) I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but at this point I’m actually hoping that Coulter does show up next Thursday. And there needs to be a significant group of people with good quality cameras filming the ensuing events from all angles. If this thing goes badly pear shaped there should be a record available which isn’t “edited for time” by the major news networks.
Time to rumble?
Of course they will. It's "harmful", it's "hate speech", it "makes me feel unsafe", and is therefore being done with intent, and therefore "self defense" is legitimate against the "oppression".
Couldn’t Ann just go, and with the help of some retired military radio experts...just broadcast from some unmarked van on the grounds of the campus, at a certain frequency within 2 miles of the campus? Everyone could listen to her via their radio?
Bundy ranch redux?
< “We have been unable to find a safe and suitable venue,” said the letter from Vice Chancellor Scott Biddy and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Stephen Sutton. <
Liars! The truth would be: “We choose not to find a safe and suitable venue.”
Hmmm...
Radio Free America being broadcast into the communist gulag of UC Berkely from afar.
I like it.
The Left will disrupt her regardless of where she goes. However, Berkeley is indeed, the belly of the beast. I wish her well, but stay safe. The commies are restless.
“When someone gets murdered” meaning the LW haters are completely out of control, because they lust for blood? The LW professors have driven the masses to this tipping point, filled the students and young people with so much hatred that they can no longer control them. So the answer is to submit to the haters and run and hide from them? this is why foreign college put out intelligent students and why the USA is falling far behind the world with education. the US stopped teaching and became a terrorist training camp
Well...she could just broadcast it from some coffee shop just outside of Berkely, or from the Golden State Bridge. It doesn’t matter. Skippy and the protest gang can rally up all they want.
I do like the term “Radio Free America”.
“We have been unable to find a safe” meaning the Berkeley Professors have preached so much hatred for other that the Masses are no longer controllable. Berkeley has become a terrorist training camp
> Berkeley Professors have preached so much hatred for other that the Masses are no longer controllable. <
True. But it’s more than that. Berkley’s administrators do not want to control those masses in the first place.
I looked it up. Berkley has 68 campus police officers. That’s a lot of cops. Plus Berkley could arrange for even more (sheriff’s deputies, etc.)
But Berkley’s administrators choose not to do any of that. They choose instead to let students threaten - and shut down - speakers they don’t like. And that’s the real tragedy here. There have always been radical students. But anti-free speech administrators...that’s something rather new.
I hope Ann speaks. And I hope other conservative speakers also take the risk, and don’t back down. For this is truly a fork-in-the-road moment.
Cut off UC Berkeley´s Federal money and use some of it to buy Annie a Big Mac.
Why don’t the snowflakes just go to their safe places? Ann can speak and they can be safe eating cookies and warm milk.
The only radios these days are in people’s cars. But the Internet would work. Even if Berkeley IT tried to block her on the campus network, people could still listen on their smartphones.
If she goes onto the campus, she should have a helicopter and pilot ready nearby. Besides the fact that she may actually need it, it would make a glorious exit.
Seems to me the university is saying “we’ve lost control” ...speaks volumes.
I don’t know how anyone can claim someone like Ann Coulter “makes them feel unsafe” when there are commies running around vandalizing stuff, attacking people, setting fires, etc.
Somebody mentioned the term “crybullies.” I am beginning to understand it.
Here is hoping she can speak, and the Alt-Right and other patriots can keep her safe.
Hey police and local officials. When, people are allowed to riot, it will get out of hand. So maybe you should step up and provide some support.... if you are not already doing so.
Hope and pray she does and comes away in good health.
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