Ann Coulter vs. the Jesuits at Fordham: A college invite is rescinded
Pundit Ann Coulter
I have written this blog now for several years, and only mentioned acidic pundit Ann Coulter once. Three weeks later, I am bringing her up again because this incident demonstrates a sensible way to handle controversies over college speakers.
Coulter was invited to Fordham University in New York to speak on Nov. 29 by the College Republicans.
The planned appearance triggered protests and a student petition. A group of students argued that tuition should not be used to underwrite speakers at the private college who are “not compatible with the values the Fordham community professes – particularly the Jesuit tenet of ‘Men and Women for and With Others’.”
See what you think of Fordham President Joseph M. McShane’s response and of the decision Friday night by the Fordham College Republicans to cancel Coulter’s appearance.
First, Father McShane’s statement:
The College Republicans, a student club at Fordham University, has invited Ann Coulter to speak on campus on November 29. The event is funded through student activity fees and is not open to the public nor the media. Student groups are allowed, and encouraged, to invite speakers who represent diverse, and sometimes unpopular, points of view, in keeping with the canons of academic freedom. Accordingly, the University will not block the College Republicans from hosting their speaker of choice on campus.
To say that I am disappointed with the judgment and maturity of the College Republicans, however, would be a tremendous understatement. There are many people who can speak to the conservative point of view with integrity and conviction, but Ms. Coulter is not among them. Her rhetoric is often hateful and needlessly provocative — more heat than light — and her message is aimed squarely at the darker side of our nature.
As members of a Jesuit institution, we are called upon to deal with one another with civility and compassion, not to sling mud and impugn the motives of those with whom we disagree or to engage in racial or social stereotyping. In the wake of several bias incidents last spring, I told the University community that I hold out great contempt for anyone who would intentionally inflict pain on another human being because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or creed.
“Disgust” was the word I used to sum up my feelings about those incidents. Hate speech, name-calling, and incivility are completely at odds with the Jesuit ideals that have always guided and animated Fordham.
Still, to prohibit Ms. Coulter from speaking at Fordham would be to do greater violence to the academy, and to the Jesuit tradition of fearless and robust engagement. Preventing Ms. Coulter from speaking would counter one wrong with another. The old saw goes that the answer to bad speech is more speech. This is especially true at a university, and I fully expect our students, faculty, alumni, parents, and staff to voice their opposition, civilly and respectfully, and forcefully.
The College Republicans have unwittingly provided Fordham with a test of its character: do we abandon our ideals in the face of repugnant speech and seek to stifle Ms. Coulter’s (and the student organizers’) opinions, or do we use her appearance as an opportunity to prove that our ideas are better and our faith in the academy — and one another — stronger? We have chosen the latter course, confident in our community and in the power of decency and reason to overcome hatred and prejudice.
Joseph M. McShane, S.J., President
From the College Republicans late Friday:
The College Republicans regret the controversy surrounding our planned lecture featuring Ann Coulter. The size and severity of opposition to this event have caught us by surprise and caused us to question our decision to welcome her to Rose Hill. Looking at the concerns raised about Ms. Coulter, many of them reasonable, we have determined that some of her comments do not represent the ideals of the College Republicans and are inconsistent with both our organization’s mission and the University’s. We regret that we failed to thoroughly research her before announcing; that is our error and we do not excuse ourselves for it. Consistent with our strong disagreement with certain comments by Ms. Coulter, we have chosen to cancel the event and rescind Ms. Coulter’s invitation to speak at Fordham.
We made this choice freely before Father McShane’s email was sent out and we became aware of his feelings – had the President simply reached out to us before releasing his statement, he would have learned that the event was being cancelled. We hope the University community will forgive the College Republicans for our error and continue to allow us to serve as its main voice of the sensible, compassionate, and conservative political movement that we strive to be. We fell short of that standard this time, and we offer our sincere apologies.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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413 comments Add your comment
BitterEXdemocrackkk
November 12th, 2012
7:30 am
Ann Coulter is one of the most brilliantly witty journalists in America and her humor is sometimes difficult to understand for the indoctrinated clueless masses. Young college skulls of mush are mostly spoonfed politics from a lieberal viewpoint, as is campus norm, and they know no other actualities associated with the Constitution. They don’t know a republic from a democracy. Where’s all the leftwing ‘tolerance’ for free speech?
Wallis the dog
November 12th, 2012
7:38 am
Personally, I think Ann is a national treasure. Nevertheless, using student activity fees for this type of event is questionable. The university should have hosted an open event as a debate with Ann and some off-the-shelf liberal. Then it would have been fun to watch the reaction from the all-too-quick-to-censor left.
Mountain Man
November 12th, 2012
7:45 am
“The university should have hosted an open event as a debate with Ann and some off-the-shelf liberal. ”
Baseball bats provided?
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
7:48 am
Did Truth in Moderation just compare Ann Coulter to Jesus at 12:46? I knew she was a bit off, wrapped up in some warped delusions, but that one is particularly amusing. But I guess that’s the kind of fantasy you get from someone who teaches her son that the fact that she didn’t abort him is evidence for creationism and against evolution. Truly twisted. (And “Scientific Creationism”, as if there were such a thing! That’s an oxymoron, genius.)
Mountain Man
November 12th, 2012
7:59 am
“I’m a Christian first, and a mean-spirited, bigoted conservative second, and don’t you ever forget it.” by Ann Coulter”
Yea, I remember the part in the New Testament where Jesus says: “Hate your enemies”.
She must have that “new conservative” Bible.
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
8:11 am
“Unfortunately, your years of childhood religious brainwashing make it next to impossible you’ll ever be able to either understand or accept this.”
You have no idea how I was brought up, child, so stop pretending you know what I believe.
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
8:12 am
“Not sure how long you have been reading, but the blog, as the banner says, is about “education in Georgia and the nation.” Has been for years as regular readers can tell you. (You can read the archives on college-related topics.)”
So what does Ann Coulter have to do with education? Why focus on her?
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
8:16 am
“Coulter simply profits off of a narrow base of hate-filled, reactionary zombies who buy her books and visit her web site on a daily basis.”
As does Jesse Jackson, Bill Maher, Michael Moore, Owl Gore, Al Sharpton, Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, Keith Olbermann etc.
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
8:30 am
How’d the election work out for you last week, Phil? Must have been quite a shock to those of you in your bubbles.
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
8:40 am
“How’d the election work out for you last week, Phil? Must have been quite a shock to those of you in your bubbles.
Pretty badly, ma’am. Thanks for asking.
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
8:47 am
Phillis, are you really hurt by the outcome or are you just really, really angry? It must be difficult when your whole world comes crashing down like that. Soon you might even have to come to the realization that your “MBA” is a fake degree.
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
8:49 am
“Phillis, are you really hurt by the outcome or are you just really, really angry?
Little girl, no not angry. Just amazed that there are so many losers who want to live off the government like you.
“It must be difficult when your whole world comes crashing down like that. Soon you might even have to come to the realization that your “MBA” is a fake degree.”
Then again, if the country goes broke, you’ll actually have to feed yourself.
jarvis
November 12th, 2012
9:06 am
Private school….they censor whoever they want on their campus. If you don’t like it, don’t go there.
I’d have a completely different opinion if this was a public university.
Ken
November 12th, 2012
9:10 am
In the end, tolerance fails to tolerate Coulter’s views or at least her manner of expressing her views and. Yes, her tone is often harsh, but so what. Isn’t that what we’re to tolerate? If it is her ideas, then state them clearly and dispassionately, and then offer your rebuke. No one on this message board has done that. Just a lot of “harsh” accusations and characterizations that resemble Coulter’s own tone. If you are truly wanting to deal with Coulter, deal with her views. Don’t dismiss her.
jarvis
November 12th, 2012
9:10 am
That should read, ” they can censore whoever they want on their campus.”
jarvis
November 12th, 2012
9:12 am
@PH, are all MBA’s fake degrees or just Phil’s?
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
9:13 am
I’m doing quite well for myself, Phillis, but thanks anyway. I’m in the top 7% and own two houses, so I’m doing just fine.
It seems a “businessman” like yourself would know better than to suggest that it’s Democrats who live off the government, when all the actual data (not from the Faux News bubble that you live in) suggests that most of the people who live off of the government, by far, come from red states. The blue states pay more into the government and support the red ones, which take more from it. Here’s the data, although I doubt you have the quantitative skills to process it: http://taxfoundation.org/article/states-vary-widely-number-tax-filers-no-income-tax-liability
You should allow me to introduce you to the Hardcore Gym in Athens or Jackie Eberhart’s place. Then I could acquaint you with juji gatame and you could take a tour of St. Mary’s.
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
9:14 am
jarvis- I don’t converse with child abusers.
jarvis
November 12th, 2012
9:18 am
@PH, I don’t get that reference.
jarvis
November 12th, 2012
9:28 am
Thanks for clarifying Phil.
Phil from Athens
November 12th, 2012
9:29 am
“I’m doing quite well for myself, Phillis, but thanks anyway. I’m in the top 7% and own two houses, so I’m doing just fine.”
Sure you are, ma’am. I’m sure your two trailers are doing just fine.
“t seems a “businessman” like yourself would know better than to suggest that it’s Democrats who live off the government, when all the actual data (not from the Faux News bubble that you live in) suggests that most of the people who live off of the government, by far, come from red states. ”
Can you please point out where I said “only democrats” live off of welfare? Do you always lie?
“The blue states pay more into the government and support the red ones, which take more from it.”
Not meant to be a factual statement.
“Then I could acquaint you with juji gatame and you could take a tour of St. Mary’ss”
I love when stupid people try to play internet bully. “I’ll beat you up!” says the crybaby. I am shaking in my boots, child.
bootney farnsworth
November 12th, 2012
9:52 am
@ Monica
I’m debating you here, now, in a public forum and you are shrieking the leftist playbook worse than a Celine Dion does one of her songs. you allegedly oppose censorship the concept, but have no issue with the actions that enable it.
that’s no only cowardice, but hypocrisy at its finest. you get to keep your high moral standards knowing other people will do your dirty work for you.
as for my pseudonym: its commonly known here I use it because I am engaged in a fight with the state and cannot risk reprisals. if you wish to go one on one in person, let Maureen know and I’ll be happy to visit you and call you and intellectual coward (on this issue) in person to your face. and you can learn first hand just how well studied and quick on my feet I can be.
you, too, benefit here from the ability to take the time to measure your responses, so that “point” is less than moot. as is your journalism degree, except for further showing your left of center intolerance credentials.
but I do give you points for trying to promote yourself as being smarter than me in ways which have zero bearing on the topic you can’t defend logically. sorry, but that dog don’t hunt either. the number of degrees you have is immaterial to me in nearly every sense of the word. I’m neither impressed or intimidated by your letters or alphabet soup following your name.
since you made the point of YOUR tax dollars supporting Fordham, guess what: so do mine, if it comes to that. as do the taxes of the Fordham republicans. so taking that tack, I demand on behalf of our taxes she be allowed to speak.
I abhor my tax dollars being used to help a man I vigorously oppose (Obama) promote a socialist welfare state while leaving an US ambassador to die in Libya.
but as I hope you know, that’s not the way our system works. we don’t get to pick and choose how our taxes are applied based on individual preference.
lastly, your bit about Ann’s stupid comments fails poorly and pathetically with the three following words: Freddy’s Fashion Mart. if you can show anywhere Ann stood outside a mosque inciting violence which lead DIRECTLY to someone’s death, link it.
I’ll wait.
bootney farnsworth
November 12th, 2012
9:58 am
and once again, for the record:
I don’t care for Ann at all. I find her abrasive and like the average talk show host, counts on her ability to shout down the opposition. I’ve heard she’s actually very intelligent and thoughtful, but IMO opinion she hides it well.
I would never had invited her to begin with, at least not without some certain predetermined guidelines. I favor discussion, not shrieking.
I’m about the bigger principal, not the unfortunate vehicle of the day.
bootney farnsworth
November 12th, 2012
10:07 am
quick sidenote:
I have no idea if Fordham gets any federal or state funding at all.
if they don’t they are of course entitled to invite, un-invite, ect anyone they wish, provided they don’t violate anyone’s constitutional rights.
and in no point in this mess are Ann’s rights being violated.
if however, they do get federal or state support…then it becomes another matter altogether. any institution getting the people’s money can not engage in this kind of philosophical censorship/promotion of one side or the other. they often do, but they’re not supposed to.
either way, to paraphrase Bill Clinton (ironic moment here) Its the principal, stupid.
one would think the Catholic church of all entities would understand that.
bu2
November 12th, 2012
10:16 am
@I love teaching
I could find a comparable example for every one you gave of Coulter’s “hate” speech simply by looking at the leftist columnists in the AJC. But since you don’t agree with Coulter, you find it “hate” speech. But when Sanchez or Pitts or Dowd or Krugman says that sort of thing, its the “truth.”
And like Bootney, I’ve only seen Coulter a couple of times and wasn’t interested in listening to someone so loud and abrasive. And I rarely read the leftist columns in the AJC anymore because its mostly mindless drivel about how evil all Republicans are. Sanchez totally lacks the ability to think and Dowd is pretty bad as well. Both are a total waste of newsprint. Every now and then Pitts will say something interesting, but mostly its just hate filled venom against those he disagrees with. The rest fail to see how unconvincing their arguments are to anyone who doesn’t share their world view. They are writing for those who agree with them, not to have any discourse.
Private Citizen
November 12th, 2012
10:20 am
One of the things I see Ms. Coulter has been paid for is fronting for the official 9/11 story and in her Christmas stocking of demons including those evil Arabs who did those bad things. This was pretty much the full time occupation of a certain high profile media collective. Meanwhile today, a number of uninvolved engineers are stepping forward and calling the NIST report a fraud that did not follow procedure and also ignored the quick shipping offshore the evidence which would be analyzed and reconstructed to figure out what happened. Engineers are calling the removal of evidence a crime and the report a fraud. In this regard, and in a very serious way, Coulter may be guilty of repping on the front end, being part of a cover up. And then there’s the part of Building 7 just falling out of the air in 10 seconds. If you are not updated about these events, you might consider it your democratic duty to be informed.
I recently got an email from an old guy from Chicago who told about when he was a kid in 1972 an airplane was told to not land at Midway airport and then it dropped out of the sky and crashed on a bunch of houses. Inside the commercial airline was Howard Hunts wife and she was flying around the country paying off people with cash so they would not testify about Watergate. Apparently there were many official on the crash site searching for cash, which they found, between 10k and 100k. I had never heard of this and if you want to look it up, do a search for “United 553.”
I really see Ms. Coulter as doing little more than running interference and making redirect noise while BushCo had their way with things. She is part of a collective and industry who were doing this, and their wares were forced upon the public through narrow ownership of major media who would blast the people with this garbage. I have been in rural area when on the radio you have a choice of Limbaugh or Hannity blasting the same garbage at you and there was nothing else on the airways for “talk radio.” These persons are highly paid and do their job well, but it is not honest work. It is a propaganda technique and it works as long as it is supported by the media networks. These persons are hardly populist figures, they are manufactured propaganda artists.
Private Citizen
November 12th, 2012
10:24 am
find that purse full of cash! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQATaW4G8Yk
Prof
November 12th, 2012
11:47 am
@ Phil from Athens, November 12th, 8:12 am. ” “Not sure how long you have been reading, but the blog, as the banner says, is about “education in Georgia and the nation.” Has been for years as regular readers can tell you. (You can read the archives on college-related topics.)” So what does Ann Coulter have to do with education? Why focus on her?”
I think that this blog-topic is really about the difficulties that colleges face in trying to regulate “hate-speech” on their campuses while observing the free speech strictures of the First Amendment. And I can tell you this is a thorny issue for institutions of higher education generally, for I have served on a University committee trying to set reasonable limits on what would be allowed on the University campus and what wouldn’t. (What about Palestinian sympathizers who wish to proselytize on campus against “fascist Zionists” and all Jews?)
This is a worthy topic for a blog about education and its current topics.
I myself wonder if perhaps the Fordham University Republicans backed off their invitation to Ann Coulter because the New York Republicans did not want their party represented by her in strongly Democratic New York, where Fordham University is located.)
Progressive Humanist
November 12th, 2012
11:50 am
I can’t use the term for “eggs” in Spanish? That’s culturally insensitive, Maureen.
Kevin
November 12th, 2012
12:15 pm
I bet they’d welcome some one like Van Jones, Chris Matthews, or Rachel Maddow in a heartbeat? Sad as Miss Coulter could have done some good giving the other side of the liberal classroom vitriol that is taught in class by the academic world.
Newt is nuts
November 12th, 2012
12:16 pm
Maureen –
Going on three days for this now. What, if anything, has anyone learned from all babbling?
I suspect you are a bit sorry for having launched this topic. Seriously, leave it to Bookman and Galloway to incite the bombastic.
Let’s get back to education and, yes, education does involve colleges and the importation of controversial speakers. But, clearly, many of the people blogging here are not capable of understanding the complexities of something like this.
Now, as to the impact of the new constitutional amendment….
Truth in Moderation
November 12th, 2012
12:19 pm
“(And “Scientific Creationism”, as if there were such a thing! That’s an oxymoron, genius.)”
Yes, just like “Progressive Humanist.” LOL!
trailerparkted
November 12th, 2012
12:26 pm
I see we (Republicans) still aren’t learning from the election results. Coulter has to go along with Rush, Hannity, Fox News, Rove etc…….. These people have driven our party to shambles and we will grow to even a larger Minority if they aren’t stopped!
potus obama & vpotus biden
November 12th, 2012
12:39 pm
we think it is “w’s” fault!
Truth in Moderation
November 12th, 2012
12:44 pm
LET’S GO FOR A NEW “GET SCHOOLED” RECORD….8 PAGES OF “Liberal vitriol” against Ann Coulter! When you grow weary of it all, let’s just blog about Ben Bernanke’s “lecture” on the glories of the Federal Reserve hosted by George Washington University. Better yet, let’s find out what they plan to do about the $13 TRILLION IN paper securities (STOCKS, BONDS, AND “OTHER”) sitting underwater at 55 Water St., Lower Manhattan. ARE THE MARINES THERE TO PREVENT LOOTING????????
4 Sure
November 12th, 2012
12:55 pm
Racist opinions plus lies equals millionaire status.Ann , Russ, Franklin ,Pat and Fox news are the biggest con artist and pimps in the U.S. The listening public are the marks and johns.WAKE UP AMERICA. I salute Fordham
Prof
November 12th, 2012
12:57 pm
@ Truth in Moderation. Those 8 pages are really about free speech rights, and where they stop. These days, considering the vile election process we’ve just all been through, I think they’re quite warranted. Although, since you’ve posted earlier that you home-school your children, perhaps this issue of free speech on campus isn’t quite as relevant. as to us other bloggers.
K CONWAY
November 12th, 2012
1:05 pm
IT’S A SHAME THESE COLLEGE PHONIES CAN’T BE OPEN MINDED! ….IF IT WAS THE SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN…THAT WOULD BE OK !!
bu2
November 12th, 2012
1:25 pm
Unfortunately many college professors are trying to indoctrinate now instead of opening minds. They aren’t like my college economics professor. He was a liberal who had worked in JFK’s administration and joked on election day, “I guess I haven’t done a very good job seeing all the Republican buttons.” But when he was teaching he presented both Keynesian and the more conservative Monetarist points of view with equal fervor.
Truth in Moderation
November 12th, 2012
1:36 pm
@ Prof
Actually, my post was quite literal. If you are a Prof(essor), you must be smart. JUST WHAT IS GOING ON AT 55 WATER STREET, as I write? Every stock,bond,and mortgage, and “other” paper securities traded ON THE PLANET goes through this building. http://www.silverstackerhaven.com/index.php?/topic/1396-special-report-the-dtccs-365-trillion-flood-fraud-bix-weir-andy-hoffman/
http://theautomaticearth.com/Finance/did-hurricane-sandy-cause-365-trillion-in-damage.html
bigindian
November 12th, 2012
1:37 pm
Both sides, the university officials, and the student group should be commended for their actions.
Jim Guinnessey
November 12th, 2012
1:37 pm
Father Joseph McShane, S.J., for Pope! I love Fordham University.
Pete
November 12th, 2012
1:42 pm
God help us if anybody thinks Coulter is a “national treasure” and ‘brilliantly witty.” She is a scourge on civil discourse and a national embarrassment. And Phil from Athens, all the blogs I get are from Republicans. I guess they are hypocritical and rant about handouts and yet get them themselves.
Dawgs 67
November 12th, 2012
2:03 pm
Have any of the people responding to this bolg ever read any of her books? Do you think is lying? Her books are well researched and successful. This is political correctness on steroids. WHAT A JOKE..
Truth in Moderation
November 12th, 2012
2:04 pm
I’m still waiting for the Get Schooled Brain Trust to tell me what is happening at 55 Water St. with the supposed “underwater” vault filled with $13 TRILLION IN PAPER SECURITIES, the Federal Reserve MANDATED holding company. Have the Marines surrounded and secured the building and COMPUTERS to guard against Wall Street looters????? This affects every citizen in the U.S. and around the world!
Great ATL Guy
November 12th, 2012
2:05 pm
Let her speak anywhere she likes… just like Rush and Sean, since it’s a free country …. but have the repubs not figured out that these oafs helped lose them the election, catering to under-educated listeners and Walmart moms? When will they learn? I voted for Romney, but had to tune out the aforementioned repub talking heads who do WAY more harm than good… in fact, I can’t think of any good they do… if you can, please let me know. They are very much to blame for the hatred and partisan politics prevalent today.
AT
November 12th, 2012
2:09 pm
If it had been the College Democrats/Liberals and they invited say Bill Ayers to speak, there would have been crickets.
At least Ann Coulter hasn’t blown up buildings or tried to overthrow our government.
Great ATL Guy
November 12th, 2012
2:23 pm
Maureen, why are you giving AC free publicity here? The rest of the media had agreed not to give Shirley Phelps Roper any, citing lunatic fringe that shouldn’t get any air time or in print… AC should be the same. She is no longer relevant and old news. If the repubs were smart, they would WAY distance themselves from her and realize they will never get anywhere with the likes of her, Sean and Rush on their side.
The Truth
November 12th, 2012
2:29 pm
What’s up with all these right-wing nutjobs posting all day on the AJC blogs? It’s bad enough that they’re defending ‘Man’ Coulter, but I think they should be looking for a job instead of collecting SSI Disability and welfare and blogging all day long…
pb
November 12th, 2012
2:33 pm
Don’t care if Ann Coulter has not blown up any buildings. She is vile, hate-filled, does nothing to contribute to the debate. Someone above said she is a “witty, intelligent writer.” Well, maybe she is intelligent… But her main purpose seems to be to incite people, who really don’t need any encouragement. Like a few months ago, when she called John McCain, a “douchebag”. Stuff like that, is why I have no use for her, even though I agree with most Republican and conservative ideas I would not go across the street to see her speak.