Voice of controversy [ANN COULTER begins YAF tour @ Loyola L.A.: Coming soon to a college near YOU!]

Los Angeles LOYOLAN ^ | 11/30/05 | Rachel Jones

[RonDog]

From www.laloyolan.com:

Voice of controversy

Right-wing speaker will come to campus in January

By: Rachel Jones

Issue date: 11/30/05 Section: News

LMU will soon welcome the voice behind arguably the most feisty Barbie doll ever made. This January political commentator and outspoken conservative Ann Coulter will speak on campus in the Loyolan's fourth annual First Amendment Week.

Coulter signed on to speak last Wednesday, Nov. 23. First Amendment Week will be held Jan. 16 to 19, with Coulter speaking in Burns Back Court on Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The Loyolan is in the process of recruiting a liberal speaker for the same event.

Dr. Evan Gerstmann, the chair of the Political Science Department, spoke at the Loyolan's inaugural First Amendment Week in 2003.

"The First Amendment is at the core of any university's mission. Without the right to speak one's mind openly and to hear unfamiliar ideas, we don't learn and grow as people."

Gerstmann described Coulter as a "polarizing figure."

"I view her as having a detrimental impact on public discourse," he said. "She is often dishonest in her rhetoric and chooses to attack opposing ideas in the most extreme terms rather than look for common ground."

Loyolan Managing Editor Natalie Nordseth arranged Coulter's visit.

"We chose Ann Coulter because we knew she'd get people's attention," she said. "Coulter's speech will help remind the student body what the First Amendment allows, and I hope that it will encourage students to really think about their rights."

Coulter has written four New York Times Booklist bestsellers, most recently "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)." Coulter currently writes a weekly column for Universal Press Syndicate. She has made guest appearances on a variety of television shows, from "Wolf Blitzer Reports" to "The O'Reilly Factor," and has been profiled in Harper's Bazaar and Elle magazines.

Tres Lillard, a junior communications major, is a big fan of Coulter. "I'm excited," Lillard said. "She's a blast to watch, she's really witty…she's become the big mouth for the Republican Party, which is something we haven't had for a while."

Coulter has a reputation for being a divisive public speaker. In October 2004, two University of Arizona students threw pies at Coulter while she was giving a speech in front of 2,500 people at the university. The men missed Coulter, but were arrested and spent the night in the Pima County Jail. According to the Daily Wildcat student newspaper, a student group known as "Al Pieda" claimed responsibility.

In a column after the incident, Coulter said, "Fortunately for me, liberals not only argue like liberals, they also throw like girls."

"Ann Coulter will probably offend many students," said Loyolan Editor in Chief Stephen A. Murphy. "But that's OK. This goes beyond liberal versus conservative, this is about our rights as Americans."

Murphy said that the Loyolan's First Amendment Week was made possible due to the "overwhelming success of our business staff" and the "cooperation and support of Student Affairs."

Even some of Coulter's employers have had trouble with her strong words. MSNBC fired Coulter after she told a disabled Vietnam War veteran, "People like you caused us to lose that war." She was also let go from the conservative online magazine National Review in October 2001 when she gave this suggestion on how to deal with Muslim terrorists: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."

A letter to readers on the magazine's Web site maintains, "It was Ann who decided to sever her ties with National Review-not the other way around." USA Today hired Coulter in 2004 to provide commentary from the Democratic National Convention in Boston, but later rejected her column, entitled "Spawn of Satan Convention."

Coulter attended Cornell University and University of Michigan Law School, where she received her J.D. and served as an editor of the Michigan Law Review. She lives in New York City.

[RonDog]

Some one should make sure Carville takes his medication and rabies shot.

LOL!

Ol' Serpenthead is just PRACTICE for Ann's NEXT appearance in Los Angeles: with Al FrankenFraud.

From www.uj.edu:

2006 Public Lecture Series

Monday, January 30 John Edwards & Newt Gingrich		Monday, February 27 Colin Powell	Monday, March 27 Al Franken & Ann Coulter
	Monday, April 24 George Stephanopoulos interviews Wesley Clark, Tom Ridge & Natan Sharansky
Tickets go on sale, Monday September 19, 2005 • Series Subscription: $225 • 310 440-1246 7:30pm at the Gibson Amphitheatre (formerly known as Universal Amphitheatre)

[jude24]

The first is the remnants of a flame war a year ago, where the my mailbox was slammed with offensive emails.

The second one is legal CYA so I can weigh in on legal issues.

[RonDog]

This sounds like condescending pandering.

Oh, thank you, Mz. Nordseth for allowing us to kiss your @ss.

Actually, Natalie Nordseth is one of the GOOD GUYS!

As Managing Editor of the campus newspaper (The Loyolan), she was one of the driving forces behind getting Ann on campus...

...in the face of threatened disclipinary action -- for violating LMU's "hate speech" codes, by inviting Ann.

[BillF]

Thanks for the ping, Ron.

[rdcorso]

Ann might be arrogant and sarcastic but she's not a mouthpiece for the republican party.I find it refreshing that she refuses to let the PC police intimidate her.

[Humidston]

Ewwww, that was perfect!

[rownessarow]

i go to lmu, and will be attending the speeches tommorow. should be interesting.

[RonDog]

Thanks for the ping, Ron.

De nada. :o)

We look forward to reading about the DC Chapter protecting Ann at GWU next month.

[ajolympian2004]

Michelle Malkin coming to Boulder on March 1st... Woo Hoo! I can get my book signed! Thanks for posting this!

[RonDog]

You are welcome!

That's what FReepers are for!

[BillF]

Human shield time? If we take a pie in the face for Ann, we get to eat the pie, right?

[Steve Van Doorn]

"For ALMOST everybody. :o)"

Are you going? Maybe I will see you there?

[Bush gal in LA]

Please let us all know how it goes. I'm mad it's not for the general public. I'd pay to see Ann.I hope you guys that are lucky enough to attend tomorrow all have Annes back. Gotta watch out for those evil pie throwers.

[RonDog]

I hope you guys that are lucky enough to attend tomorrow all have Ann's back.

I understand that Ann now travels with HER OWN (professional) security people....

...but I am very confident that she will have a few AMATEURS in the audience to help protect her, just in case.

[RonDog]

I'm mad it's not for the general public.

I'd pay to see Ann.

Part of the problem is the SMALL SIZE of the venue that they have chosen for this event -- which only holds FIVE HUNDRED people!

From www.lmu.edu:

Rec Center Back Court-Burns

This facility is located on the 2nd floor of the Burns Recreation Center. This large basketball court can be converted into any set up style desired.
Maximum Capacity	500 (theater style)
Square Feet	6784

Ann's speeches generally attract SEVERAL THOUSAND people.

[RonDog]

I'd pay to see Ann.

We are working on THAT idea, too. :o)

The problem with Ann's NEXT appearance here in the Los Angeles area (after THIS one)...

...is that you have to buy ALL FOUR parts of that "Speakers Series" -- at $225 per person -- just to see her squash Al Franken like a bug.

See my post #21 - above.

It may be possible to arrange for some ALTERNATIVE way to see Ann in L.A. -- in the not-too-distant future.

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP! Great post!

[Lancey Howard]

How much you wanna bet that this "Rachel Jones" is a fat liberal chic?

[Lancey Howard]

Did you notice how this report about Ann's visit is written in a tone reminiscent of how the ACLU explains itself when it goes to court to defend marches by Illinois Nazis?

"Even Illinois Nazis have the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."
"Even Ann Coulter has the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."

Loyolan Managing Editor Natalie Nordseth arranged Coulter's visit. "We chose Ann Coulter because we knew she'd get people's attention," she said. "Coulter's speech will help remind the student body what the First Amendment allows, and I hope that it will encourage students to really think about their rights."

[RonDog]

How much you wanna bet that this "Rachel Jones" is a fat liberal chic?

You might not want to read TOO MUCH into Rachel's "Barbie" charcterization of Ann.

Even ANN plays with that image -- at times.

Go to www.talkingpresidents.com/products-af-coulter.shtml

Ann HERSELF does the recorded messages that you hear when you push the doll's buttons!