This whole Coulter thing....
So Ann Coulter is coming to Wellesley....
Community's been in an uproar, of course.
The main issue is that fine, bring someone as right-wing as you can get, but not someone who uses hate speech. The Republican club, who are bringing her (along with co-sponsors), are hoping that after her lecture, we can have some serious debate and discussion, not with her but with one another. A controversial figure like her stirs up interest, and more moderate people they've brought in the past haven't had many people attend.
They brought Schafly a few years ago - actually, when I was a prospie. I got here the night Schafly was talking, and saw it televised across campus. My understanding is that while she did get a reaction from people, and many people showed up at the lecture, her presence did not in any way make people more tolerant and thoughtful about right/left issues. I do think people here are anti-right/Republican to an insulting extent, sometimes. But I don't think is going to help - quite the opposite.
I'm really not a fan of paying Coulter. I do see this as supporting her. Not just monetarily, but by giving her some validity that I don't think she deserves. "Hey, look, even the famous all-womens 'liberal' WELLESLEY COLLEGE wanted me as a speaker! I'm just that important," she can say. Only plus a lot of insults and not like that. But it's 1:30am and I need to go to bed so this whole thing may not make sense.
And the fact that part of my student activities fee is going to pay for this insane, hate-mongering woman to come here, well.... that troubles me. Some of the students who are part of the Republican club have explained that she's a successful, smart woman. Which may be the case, but I don't feel that because she's capitalized on hate speech and her looks, that makes her worthy of god only knows how much money.
Community's been in an uproar, of course.
The main issue is that fine, bring someone as right-wing as you can get, but not someone who uses hate speech. The Republican club, who are bringing her (along with co-sponsors), are hoping that after her lecture, we can have some serious debate and discussion, not with her but with one another. A controversial figure like her stirs up interest, and more moderate people they've brought in the past haven't had many people attend.
They brought Schafly a few years ago - actually, when I was a prospie. I got here the night Schafly was talking, and saw it televised across campus. My understanding is that while she did get a reaction from people, and many people showed up at the lecture, her presence did not in any way make people more tolerant and thoughtful about right/left issues. I do think people here are anti-right/Republican to an insulting extent, sometimes. But I don't think is going to help - quite the opposite.
I'm really not a fan of paying Coulter. I do see this as supporting her. Not just monetarily, but by giving her some validity that I don't think she deserves. "Hey, look, even the famous all-womens 'liberal' WELLESLEY COLLEGE wanted me as a speaker! I'm just that important," she can say. Only plus a lot of insults and not like that. But it's 1:30am and I need to go to bed so this whole thing may not make sense.
And the fact that part of my student activities fee is going to pay for this insane, hate-mongering woman to come here, well.... that troubles me. Some of the students who are part of the Republican club have explained that she's a successful, smart woman. Which may be the case, but I don't feel that because she's capitalized on hate speech and her looks, that makes her worthy of god only knows how much money.