“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; if you don’t like what Ann Coulter has to say, don’t attend Ann Coulter’s speaking event.”
Two prominent liberals have spoken out about UC-Berkeley’s decision to cancel Ann Coulter’s speaking appearance over safety concerns. Bernie Sanders told the Huffington Post that he disagrees with Berkeley’s decision to silence Coulter.
“To me, it’s a sign of intellectual weakness…what are you afraid of—her ideas? Ask her the hard questions. Confront her intellectually. Booing people down, or intimidating people, or shutting down events, I don’t think that that works in any way.”
Sanders made the argument that disagreement sparks conversation and dialogue. Exchanging ideas and healthy debate are the cornerstones of higher learning. What’s next? Throwing tantrums when students don’t agree with ideas professors present to them?
One thing missing in the United States today are civil conversations regarding politics. Many people only listen to react and not to understand. We live in a country where disagreeing with certain opinions and policies can sometimes earn labels like “racist” and “sexist.” Rather than countering speech with questions or statements presented in a respectful manner, the United States is resigned to see more violence break out. It’s become difficult for those with conservative views to exercise their First Amendment rights and often find themselves confronted with angry mobs and pitch forks when they do.
Another notable liberal coming to the defense of Ann Coulter is HBO host Bill Maher. On his show Real Time, Maher had some fiery words for UC-Berkeley.
“Berkeley used to be the cradle of free speech, and now it’s just the cradle for f***ing babies. I feel like this is the liberal version of book burning—and it’s got to stop.”
UC-Berkeley canceled Coulter’s appearance after they claimed to have received information from law enforcement regarding threats to Coulter’s safety. The school tried to reschedule her speech for May 2, during a week when school isn’t in session due to finals preparation, but Coulter pushed back. Since she was free that day and arrangements had already been made, Ms. Coulter says she will be showing up to Berkeley on April 27 as planned.
During an appearance on a Fox News show hosted by Judge Jeannine Piro, Coulter criticized Berkeley law enforcement for their stand-down orders during violent protests and riots. She also stated that it is up to the Berkeley police to do their jobs and keep her safe. Silencing conservatives from practicing their freedom of speech is a dangerous road to go down in these United States. We are a developed country where diversity all but defines who we are as a nation.
While tolerance is often preached, and crammed down the throats of individuals with religious convictions and differing opinions, liberals in Berkeley have been behaving in the very manner they claim triggers them. This shouldn’t even be a conversation right now. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; if you don’t like what Ann Coulter has to say, don’t attend Ann Coulter’s speaking event.
