Countering Coulter

The hard work of social and cultural criticism

counteringcoulter — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:35:07 +0000

I have to first start by saying I did not go to see the Coulter talk, but instead read and heard the news coverage about the talk. It is this coverage that prompts me to write today because I am quite embarrassed to once have been somewhat proud of my two degrees from the University of Western Ontario, and am not all embarrassed to say that this is not any longer the case. Bringing Ann Coulter to campus was a ridiculous mistake, and speaks volumes about how the campus community is being ‘dumbed down’ by the ludicrous claims of uber conservative ideologues that they have ‘no voice’ at the university.

It is pretty clear from what has been reported that Ms. Coulter’s talk and answers during the Q and A were representative of what she has to offer to cultural critique, which is very, very little. That this talk was hosted by a university is shocking, not really because anything she has to say is shocking or unsettling, but because it is so utterly free of any kind of intellectual merit or value. Isn’t Coulter better seen as a media pundit and popular author rather than a voice that merits serious consideration? University spaces are simply better than that- are simply meant to be spaces for more difficult work than making jokes based on absurd stereotypes. And there, I said it: universities are spaces for elites, as in those who take seriously the rigors of thinking, formulating ideas and making claims on the truth. People trained and dedicated to intellectual development. There are spaces for people like Ann Coulter: they are called soap boxes.

It is, after all, pretty easy to discredit most of what Coulter says, and most of what she is reported to have said in London last night- she spews junk that on reflection doesn’t even make that much sense. Hardly worth the effort of trying to discredit it, in fact. The only thing she ever says that is quite correct is that there are lots and lots of people who don’t want to hear the kinds of things she has to say. That she mistakes those people’s dismissal of her for people trying to silence her and her opinions is her problem. She, however, quite expertly manages to make this our problem by claiming that we are trampling her freedom of speech. That is, she wants us to believe that her detractors, (who are horrified by her utter lack of responsibility to be respectful of other people, to tell the truth, to approach knowledge production carefully and with hard work) are not just sick and tired of divisive stupidity, but that they are trying to silence her challenging insights.

This trick- of making their problem our problem- will buoy up Coulter’s supporters for some time, and win them some new support now that her talk has been canceled at the University of Ottawa. So the work now is going to be to make very clear the differences between open and honest debate among equals dedicated to the hard work of social and cultural criticism and whatever it is that ideologues like Coulter bring to the table.

Anonymous,
London Ontario

Aisha’s radio piece

counteringcoulter — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:04:40 +0000

Here is the recording -
http://chrwradio.com/…/anncoulter.mp3

About Bjorn’s e-mail

counteringcoulter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:59:37 +0000

Tiara Sukhan, on our response to Bjorn’s e-mail-

A thoughtful and well-articulated response to a patronising and judgmental statement from Larson. It is supremely disappointing that so many of the supporters of this event are unable to discuss their own views without resorting to personal demeaning attacks and baseless generalisations.

Thank you for creating this forum for those of us who share a desire for truly respectful debate around these issues to engage in it.

Ann Coulter on Women

counteringcoulter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:15:32 +0000

“If we took away women’s right to vote, we’d never have to worry about another Democrat president. It’s kind of a pipe dream, it’s a personal fantasy of mine, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

”I think [women] should be armed but should not vote…women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it…it’s always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care.’

“Liberals have managed to eliminate the idea of manly honor. Instead, all they have is womanly indignation.”

As a UWO student, I’m extremely disappointed that Ann Coulter apparently represents the best we can do in terms of quality, engaging and interesting speakers. Someone so backwards as to suggest that the vote should be taken away from half the population cannot possibly provide new or productive insights to her audience. Even more ridiculous is Coulter’s sponsorship by “The International Free Press Society”, considering that what she advocates for women is an extreme loss of freedom. A person who proudly uses this kind of blatantly sexist rhetoric does not deserve the honour of lecturing to students.

Ann Coulter laughs in the face of democracy, I thank the creators of this blog for trying to restore it.

- Voting Woman

Are you concerned?

counteringcoulter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:01:08 +0000

If you’re concerned about the messages that Ann Coulter has brought and will bring at Coulter in Canada events, you can use this blog to reply to Ann Coulter and her supporters.

We have set up this site to help people to communicate their concerns about the Coulter in Canada events.

You can contact us at coulterinlondon at gmail dot com

As we receive critical statements, we will re-post them on this site
(… provided that you don’t mirror the hateful, nonsensical, and blatantly false qualities of Ms. Coulter’s media persona).

Whether or not your statement is signed will be up to you.

This blog also will be seen by residents of Ottawa and Calgary, and we’ll accept and re-post submissions from those areas too.

Yours truly,
Concerned students and citizens