Coulter Calls for Murder, Again
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 07:48:49 PM EST
Nationally syndicated provocateur Ann Coulter has once again justified the murder of people of whom she does not approve.  

Media Matters reports that this time she told San Francisco radio talk show host Bryan Sussman that Occupy Wall Street protesters should be shot, much as anti-war protestors were shot in the notorious episode at Kent State during the Vietnam war.  She describes OWS protesters, in the manner of the Religious Right, as "demonic" and "evil."

"... just remember the lesson from my book: it just took a few shootings at Kent State to shut that down for good."

Coulter also said:

"This is the first time they got bullets back... and that put an end to the protests pretty quickly."

It is not the first time she has looked to the Kent State shootings as a model, nor is it the first time she has suggested violence against or the murder of people with whom she disagrees, including Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Media Matters has a good list for those who are interested in Coulter's sorry career,  but here are some relevant additions.  

Coulter has justified the assassination of abortion providers at least four times in print and on television, and before a national Religious Right political conference, as I reported in 2009.  This included the justification of the assassination of Dr. George Tiller.

Appearing on The O'Reilly Factor she said:    

   

"I don't really like to think of it as a murder.  It was terminating Tiller in the 203rd trimester."

When O'Reilly pressed her on this she replied:

       

"I am personally opposed to shooting abortionists, but I don't want to impose my moral values on others."

Speaking at a national Religious Right political conference in Florida in 2007 she said:  

"Those few abortionists were shot, or, depending on your point of view, had a procedure with a rifle performed on them. I'm not justifying it, but I do understand how it happened.... The number of deaths attributed to Roe v. Wade about 40 million aborted babies and seven abortion clinic workers; 40 million to seven is also a pretty good measure of how the political debate is going."

It is worth noting that abortion is a legal and constitutionally protected; assassinating doctors is not.  Non-violent protest is also legal and constitutionally protected, shooting protesters is not.  There are ways of addressing those who step outside what the law allows, but police and vigilante violence are not among them.  

Nevertheless, Ann Coulter, a lawyer, continues to be featured on media outlets large and small hawking her books.  She appeared on Fox News just last month, and her column at the conservative weekly Human Events is syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate.  There have been occasional brief flurries of outrage and efforts to discourage national media outlets from featuring this proponent of hate, domestic terrorism, and extra-judicial killings.  All to little avail.  




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Ann Coulter takes themes that normally circulate among the extreme right and makes them seem reasonable and justified. She doesn't seem to know or care that none of the students at Kent State were armed, and one of them, Sandy Scheuer, was killed walking to class. As a licensed professional, I wonder how she keeps her own license?

by khughes1963 on Sat Dec 03, 2011 at 09:28:33 PM EST
She doesn't need to practice, she makes her money being a demagogue. Heck, she doesn't even have to pass a state bar.

by NancyP on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 07:04:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]


Hate sells, and she profits handsomely as a result.  Does this poor creature not understand the concept that we each shall reap what we sow?

by Jason Jay on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 10:44:09 AM EST

Are we feeding the trolls by giving them even more publicity as we point out their stupidity and professional (so to speak) incompetence? With the anti-intelligence and anti-logical and pro-ignorance temper in this country right now, we may be doing more harm than good highlighting their supposed virtues.

by Khalila RedBird on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 01:31:43 PM EST
I can understand your argument, ignore those who crave attention and they might yet learn, but in the case of Ann Coulter this would only work by keeping her off of Fox News, which would be akin to keeping a fly away from a trash bin. I think the best any member of the reality based community can do is press people like this and force them to either admit they were talking out both sides of their mouth and take back any call to violence, or double down and make calls like this for violence which limit their support. It is far from optimal, but it is the best we can do with what we have.

by Hirador on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 03:37:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

...it becomes socially permissible, and proliferates.

by Bruce Wilson on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 03:55:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]
There is no reason to believe that Coulter et al value attention from us, or that writing critically about these things in anyway amplifies their project.  The people they are trying to reach are elsewhere.

Couter's remarks are examples of eliminationism, and her new book, is quite openly a form of demonization:  "Demonic: How the Liberal Mob Is Endangering America."  This is not a book published by some obscure outfit, nor is it hard to find. It was published in June by Crown Forum, an imprint of Random House, and is available in mainstream bookstores everywhere.

Coulter appeared on Good Morning America during the book launch, has appeared on at least Bill Maher and Hannity.  So as much as some will be tempted to downplay the matter, it is evidence of the ongoing mainstreaming of eliminationism, and its proponents.

While Coulter et al, stir the pot, push the buttons, generate the outrage, demonize the opposition, and urge and legitimize violence, the rest of America is getting lulled.  

by Frederick Clarkson on Sun Dec 04, 2011 at 05:32:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]





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