sharp right, then a sharp left
JoelVilmar of Right Wing Howler will almost certainly never be invited to speak at USF’s University Lecture Series.
Then why should Ann Coulter be asked to speak?
On the surface there are many similarities between the two. The political ideologies are nearly identical. Both are often accused of near or outright bigotry.
The students who are protesting Coulter’s invitation are not infringing upon her freedom to speak; they are upset that their own tuition was spent on bringing her to USF. I admire this active interest, but I can only hope that every one of those protesters is registered to vote and is planning on exercising that right next month. That would be a far more effective and fair expression of their opinion.
The next speaker in the University Lecture Series is Aaron McGruder, writer of the comic The Boondocks. I’ve heard many conservatives direct a lot criticism towards McGruder, even some accusations of bigotry. His appearance, like Coulter’s, will be paid for by student tuition.
The USF student body is made up of countless political viewpoints, including those that might find McGruder much more offensive than Coulter. That the ULS has booked these two speakers back to back shows me that a concerted effort was made for balance. USF was not afraid to court controversy, but it was at least fair enough to level the controversy. For that the university deserves a lot of credit.
Coulter and McGruder have something very much in common that makes them worthy speakers - widespread influence. They have both proven effective voices for large segments of the population. Ignoring one or both of them will not erase this influence.
I would challenge those planning on attending one of the lectures to attend both, thereby receiving a more complete portrait of the student body at USF, as well as one of this entire country.
And if anyone is still upset about Coulter’s appearance, look at it as a chance for a repeat of the pie-in-the-face incident.
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October 19th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
The difference is that Vilmar is a liberal who parodies right-wingers, while Ann Coulter is a serious right-winger.
I would like to hear Vilmar speak, myself. I’m sure he’s even more hilarious in person than he is on the Internet.
October 20th, 2006 at 4:53 am
College is supposed to be about broadening your horizons and embracing different viewpoints. Which is why it is good that they are brining in people like Coulter and MacGruder. The problem of course will be that they will attract “their own kind” if you will. Not many libs will attend Ann’s speech, and likewise few cons will be in the seats for MacGruder.
I’m disappointed every day to see that so many people are so stuck in their political ideology that they can’t even consider the other side’s viewpoint. They just shout at each other.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Sun Tzu