Well Folks, here is my first attempt at an original blog. Despite tremendous rain and flooding today in New Orleans, a couple thousand people splashed, waded and swam to McAllister Auditorium at Tulane University to hear Ann Coulter speak. Ms. Coulter's visit was sponsored by the Tulane College Republicans as part of Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week.
Now, I have read some of Coulter's books and seen her on various television broadcasts so I was aware of her direct and outspoken views. Regardless of what you think of Coulter...you cannot accuse her of being subtle. Her opinions are also well informed and factually based.
Coulter spoke to the Tulane audience for approximately 40 minutes preceding a 40 minute question and answer session. To summarize...Coulter presented the gist of the fundamentalist extremism of the Islam of Sunni Al Qaeda and Shia Iran and how these radical fascistic ideologies represent a threat to the United States. The bulk of her talk focused on how liberals and Democrats aid and abet those who threaten the United States just as they did during Vietnam, the Cuban Missle Crisis, The Cold War, etc. While not a presentation designed to produce warm fuzzy feelings in Democrats, I found it to be an accurate historical portrayal. Anyone familiar with Coulter's writing would not have been surprised by anything she said.
This is not the interesting part of the story, however. What is truly noteworthy was how the audience responded to and treated Ms. Coulter. Tulane is a quasi-ivy league school drawing students from wealthy families throughout the US and other countries to New Orleans. The student body is a relatively diverse group of affluent people including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Whites, Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, etc. Many come from private schools and few come from failing schools like those in inner city New Orleans. One would expect that students from such a background whose parents pay $48,000/yr for them to attend Tulane would have a certain sense of decorum about them.
This was not the case. Many students came to the auditorium wearing t-shirts decrying their hatred for Ann Coulter. Others brought signs that were inappropriate for public exhibition requiring security to confiscate them.
Once Ms. Coulter arrived on stage it was often difficult to hear her over the incessant catcalling and interruptions from members of the audience espousing liberal points of view.
As bad as things were during her presentation...the situation grew worse during the 40 minute "question and answer" session. Of the 30 or so students who got to the microphone before time ran out...only 2 actually asked a respectful question seeking an answer. The rest were various political speeches or blatant attacks couched in the form of a question. The catcalling and shouts continued throughout the session. I have never seen a more ignorant and rude group of a college students in my life. One would think it was a bunch of high school kids taunting younger kids from a rival school.
So things brings me to the question I would ask of the readers of this blog. What has caused the Left to become so uncivil in its discourse with anyone who does not share its view point? I have heard speeches by Hanan Ashrawi of the PLO, Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton, Muslim Imams, Al Gore, Nadine Strossen...all people of strong, controversial points of view offensive to conservatives. These presentations occurred at state and private schools in New York, New Hampshire and Minnesota and all occurred in an environment of polite and respectful courtesy.
What is it about Tulane's liberals that they feel that rules of common courtesy do not apply to them? Why are these students so closed minded that they feel no need to hear the opinions of others? Coulter was not even given a chance to be offensive...she was attacked from the moment she arrived.
I can offer one partial explanation... ignorance combined with arrogance. These students were mostly from 18 - 22 years in age. Based on some of their statements, most have been totally sheltered from the real world. For example, the freshman sitting next to me, who claimed she found Coulter offensive from the time she sat down, had to ask her friend what the slogan on the College Republicans T-shirt meant. The slogan?
"To Republicans...Every Day is the Fourth of July.
To Democrats...Every Day is April 15th"
This brilliant young mind had no idea what April 15th referred to! Yet, she obviously felt that she has the knowledge and experience to judge Coulter's knowledge of Islamo-fascism, to judge Bush's performance in Iraq, etc.
My job is to educate young people so I firmly believe there are no (or relatively few) dumb questions. I do, however, have a real problem with people who think they know everything, will call people with far more life experience and expertise in a subject liars and deceitful...when they are not even in a position to know what is right and wrong in a situation! Forgive me...but any person who doesn't know what April 15th should not be taken seriously in their knowledge of politics.
The behavior of the rude spoiled children of Tulane is as strong an argument as I can find for mandatory public service in the military!
The Left gets angry at the tone that Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh and other conservatives use regarding them. They are in no position to speak on the quality of discourse!
What do people think? |
