The Martyrdom Of Ann Coulter

Where to begin with Ann Coulter? While her tirades are usually directed at liberals of all stripes, this time she’s taking on the University of Ottawa for making her the victim of a “hate crime”. The crime in question? A letter from the University administration warning her to exercise “restraint, respect and consideration” during a talk she had planned for the students. Thus, she filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. One of many many self-ordained Paul Reveres in service of the conservative cause, Coulter persists in decrying the transgressions made against her predominantly wealthy, white camp as though, despite the facts, they were in any way disenfranchised.

Coulter’s targeting of the University of Ottawa administration and Canada’s Human Rights Commissions came at the end of a half-hour speech that attacked political correctness in the United States and the mainstream media, which she said was uncritical of the Obama administration and unfairly biased against conservatives.–––Vancouver Sun 3/23/10

As a television personality Coulter can be perplexing: her blonde mane and all-American appearance (some might say, ahem, Aryan) make her fiery rhetoric seem that much more severe. This is only worth mentioning because our culture places so much emphasis on appearance, of which sexism is of course a byproduct. We like our American girls to talk as pretty as they look. In contrast, by the time Glenn Beck launches into the same kinds of assaults on all manner of “unpatriotic” activities, his crocodile tears and sweaty brow have already belied the demons bubbling under his surface. So of course there is a double standard at work, which Coulter exploits to great effect––like a Trojan Horse, she cloaks her violence with an ostensibly pleasing physical appearance. The following quotes speak volumes:

“Originally, I was the only female with long blonde hair. Now, they all have long blonde hair.”–––CapitolHillBlue.com 6/6/00

“I am emboldened by my looks to say things Republican men wouldn’t.”–––TV Guide 8/97

And here we get her views on Sarah Palin’s real, if dubious, ascent to the global political stage:

Although she is of course a product of feminism––a fundamental link in the human rights struggle, incidentally––Coulter’s conservative views are a shot to the foot.  Case in point:

“I think [women] should be armed but should not [be allowed to] vote.”—Politically Incorrect, 2/26/01

If women shouldn’t be allowed to vote, then why should they be allowed to become Vice President? The double standards and hypocrisy she rails against have found a cozy nesting ground right inside her own mind.