Leftist doublespeak has long declared that true freedom can only come at the cost of censoring speech which offends or demeans marginalized groups. This paradoxical ethos is now evident in many aspects of American life including the Obama administration’s support of an anti-blasphemy resolution in the UN and in the doctrine of “Islamophobia” which holds that any criticism of Islam is illegitimate and based on irrational fears. These views have unsurprisingly filtered down to the campuses. The most recent example is Fordham University, a Jesuit campus located in New York City, where the University president, left-wing students, and even the campus College Republican chapter have colluded to deny Ann Coulter the right to speak on campus. What’s worse, they have lauded their decision under the guise of free speech.
The controversy began when Fordham’s chapter of the College Republicans invited well known conservative author and commentator, Ann Coulter, to speak on campus. Coulter is a mainstream conservative who is well known for her commentary on Fox News and other stations, for her numerous books and articles, and for speeches at CPAC and other large conventions.
A group of leftist Fordham students got wind of Coulter’s planned campus appearance and organized a Facebook page and petition aimed at denying her the right to speak on campus. Titled, appropriately, “Stop Ann Coulter from Speaking at Fordham,” the Facebook page claims that Coulter has displayed “immense bigotry, xenophobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of intolerance…in her books, interviews, and otherwise over the course of her career.” Abiding by the leftist principle that censorship=freedom, the group paradoxically claims that “All voices, whether conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, religious or secular…deserve to be heard” yet also states “there is no room at a university whose motto is ‘men and women for and with others’ for the endorsement of hate speech.” By labeling Coulter, a mainstream Republican, as a hatemonger, these self-appointed czars of campus speech see fit to ban her voice from campus.
Stirred to act by the Facebook page and petition, Fordham president Father McShane issued a statement slamming Coulter for her views and rhetoric while painting himself as a martyr for the cause of free speech by dint of his refusal to ban her outright from speaking on campus.
“Student groups are allowed, and encouraged, to invite speakers who represent diverse, and sometimes unpopular, points of view, in keeping with the canons of academic freedom. Accordingly, the University will not block the College Republicans from hosting their speaker of choice on campus,” McShane declared.
He went on to viciously excoriate the students who invited Coulter, stating, “To say that I am disappointed with the judgment and maturity of the College Republicans, however, would be a tremendous understatement. There are many people who can speak to the conservative point of view with integrity and conviction, but Ms. Coulter is not among them. Her rhetoric is often hateful and needlessly provocative…Still, to prohibit Ms. Coulter from speaking at Fordham would be to do greater violence to the academy, and to the Jesuit tradition of fearless and robust engagement.”
McShane then called upon the Fordham community to protest Coulter’s speech, declaring “I fully expect our students, faculty, alumni, parents, and staff to voice their opposition, civilly and respectfully, and forcefully .” Nowhere in his statement did McShane offer concrete evidence of Coulter’s lack of “integrity” or of her “hateful and needlessly provocative rhetoric.”
So far, in the retelling, this story plays out as free speech cases often do on college campuses. Angry leftist speech-Nazis protest conservative speakers and university administrators grudgingly defend their right to speak–either because they are required to on Constitutional grounds, in the case of public universities, or because they feel obliged to pay lip service to the now-bedraggled doctrine of academic freedom. Usually the script ends with the campus conservatives brazenly flouting their dissenters and proceeding with their event regardless of the personal or academic costs.
But this story has a twist. Instead of rising to the defense of Coulter, the Fordham College Republicans collaborated in their own silencing by assenting to the leftist coalition’s and McShane’s unsubstantiated charges about Coulter’s “hateful” views and rescinding her invite to speak on campus.
“Looking at the concerns raised about Ms. Coulter, many of them reasonable, we have determined that some of her comments do not represent the ideals of the College Republicans and are inconsistent with both our organization’s mission and the University’s,” the organization declared in a public statement. “Consistent with our strong disagreement with certain comments by Ms. Coulter, we have chosen to cancel the event and rescind Ms. Coulter’s invitation to speak at Fordham… We hope the University community will forgive the College Republicans for our error and continue to allow us to serve as its main voice of the sensible, compassionate, and conservative political movement that we strive to be. We fell short of that standard this time, and we offer our sincere apologies.”
The College Republicans claim that they made the decision to cancel the event prior to Father McShane’s statement, but the end result is the same—they yielded to public pressure and defamed Coulter in the process. And they missed learning a valuable lesson. It may well be that Coulter’s views and rhetoric are a bit right of their own blue-state Republican leanings. But just because Coulter’s views aren’t entirely in sync with their own does not mean that they should not be heard or debated on Fordham’s campus. What more appropriate forum could exist for the clash of ideas than a prominent university? Fordham has hosted left-wing speakers at least as extreme in their views as Coulter is in hers, including Holocaust denier Norman Finkelstein who spoke at Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 2009. Finkelstein has said that he believes that the “only difference between Israeli terrorism and Hamas terrorism is that Israeli terrorism is three times as lethal” and has described September 11 as “payback time for the Americans.” Yet McShane did not write an angry diatribe chastising Students for Solidarity, the left-wing anti-Israel group who invited Finkelstein to campus for their “Palestinian Awareness Week.”
McShane, who quoted the maxim “the answer to bad speech is more speech” in his original statement shaming the College Republicans for inviting Coulter, made clear his true feelings by lavishing praise on the club for their decision to disinvite her: “The leadership of the College Republicans acted quickly, took responsibility for their decisions, and expressed their regrets sincerely and eloquently… our extended Fordham family passed the test with flying colors, engaging in impassioned but overwhelmingly civil debate on politics, academic freedom, and freedom of speech.” McShane’s use of the word “test” is telling. The “test” here is clearly a political litmus test and the College Republicans passed by deeming Coulter too extreme to be allowed a voice on campus.
The news media chimed in, praising McShane’s handling of the situation as if he had actually defended free speech—instead of shaming conservative students to the point of self-censorship. Among these was Maureen Downey of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “Get Schooled” blog who asserted that “this incident demonstrates a sensible way to handle controversies over college speakers.” Salon.com editor-at-large Joan Walsh chimed in to state, “I happen to believe that the path back to civility involves civil people not merely smiling and being civil but forcefully calling extremist Republicans out on their cruelty and extremism. Father McShane shows the way.”
Father McShane has indeed shown the way to a generation of students at Fordham. He has taught them that free speech is only worth defending if it conforms to the whims of the ruling leftist elite and that academic freedom means using one’s position and influence to stifle opposing views. It’s a shame that our young conservatives are buying it.
Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.
What a mixture….
1) A Christian "Father" who forgot what is an abomination in God's eyes. A "father" who followed the liberast adage CURB YOUR GOD faster than they attached this sticker to their bumper. A "father" who actually panders to homosexual Mafia in the university!
2) Homosexual Mafia in a religious university!..
3) Students of a religious (!) … RELIGIOUS (!!!) university who massively support the leftist and liberast agenda so much that they reject even such a sellout "conservative" as Ms. Coulter!..
4) Coulter (!) of all, the very Coulter who had made a keynote speech for a so called GOP leaning pederasts – and proud!
5) The very Coulter who is perhaps the most dishonest and blind water carrier for the treasonous GOP, which defended the GOP's betrayal, and attacked the patriots on the issue of ineligibility and criminality of Obama/Soetoro/Soberakch since day one non-stop.
6) The college Repoooblicans which have changed the sides and betrayed even such a spineless and shameless party creature as Coulter.
Welcome to America – the despicable…
you can read her great column here:
http://www.anncoulter.com/
Yes, Ms. Coulter is right that the 1965 T. Kennedy act paved the way for dissolution of the national identity of America, in particular for islamization of America. (That is why the item 13 in http://www.resonoelusono.com/Platform.htm ). However in respect to outsourcing, illegal immigration, cheap underclass labor there has been no difference between GOP and Dems. Ms. Coulter regurgitates the same faulty (as though) two-party paradigm – which must be destroyed.
Meanwhile I took a closer look at this particular system of so called "religious" (Jesuit Catholic mind you!) universities. Here is what you see there:
http://www.fordham.edu/student_affairs/multicultu…
sexual (!) identity, Registration for the Fall 2012 LGBT
https://www.usfca.edu/clubsorgs/lgbtq_caucus/
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Caucus
These are so called institutions of higher learning including the spiritual learning, to which parents send their kids in hopes to instill in them God's values (for quite a high tuition).
Alas, the educators and staff of these "universities" have betrayed their God and will be damned!
Spineless Fordham Republicans. I am ashamed for them. I am ashamed of my college. Half a century later and it is a bunch of sniveling toadies at the top who push around the clubs and claim "it's for the school" Rubbish at Rose Hill
Gawd, mainstream idiots that believe whatever the crackpot left says, including what it says about Ann Coulter.
People don't like her because she's "mean". Well boo hoo! If they can't take the heat they should stay out of the kitchen.
Ann says:
Most Americans don't realize that, decades ago, the Democrats instituted a long-term plan to gradually turn the United States into a Third World nation. The country would become poorer and less free, but Democrats would have an unbeatable majority!
Under Ted Kennedy's 1965 immigration act, our immigration policy changed from one that replicated the existing ethnic population to one that strictly favored unskilled immigrants from the Third World. Since 1968, 85 percent of legal immigrants have come from what is euphemistically called "developing countries."
We can't admit computer scientists from Spain fleeing their failing socialist nation because we have to make room for a recent Senegalese immigrant's brother-in-law with no skills but great needs.
Don't let the facts get in the way of your cool story
Please Tmmy give us the "facts:
Don't encourage it.
https://images.encyclopediadramatica.se/5/50/Butt…
"Most Americans don't realize that, decades ago, the Democrats instituted a long-term plan to gradually turn the United States into a Third World nation. The country would become poorer and less free, but Democrats would have an unbeatable majority
That's probably because there isn't any such plan.
Yet, while she is psychotically uncivil, it's perfectly rational to whine about folks being "mean" to her. Makes sense.
Your discription of her is a slander (and you know it), and a better and fully accurate description of yourself, and your ignorant and hatefilled posts.
you know what the Gender/Ethnic studies people say about people being "mean" when they agree with them?
"GTFO with that Tone Argument™"
If you zionist jews like free speech so much, why do you keep on censoring me on this website? Afraid the goys might learn the truth?
Dude, it's nothing we can't go see the exact same thing of if we went over to Stormfront dot org. We know what you're selling, and it's boooolsheeeeet.
You haven't proven ANY of the libellous crap you have posted.
If my dog sh!ts on the lawn I clean it up.
Same thing happens when you come here.
because you're an inbred neanderthal and moron
Don't agree with you much, but that comment was succinct and perfect
No,it's because you're a Jew hating troglodyte,DeShawn.
The reason you are being censored: It is because you are an idiot.
Hey DeShawn…..learn the truth? You wouldn't know truth if it was right in front of you.
And, the truth is: You are a pile of worthless trash..
https://images.encyclopediadramatica.se/5/50/Butt…
The truth is that 23 fictitious Islamic regime states were created by Britain when oil was discovered. Unlike with Israel, none of these states existed 100 years ago, all were created in secret with none voted for at the UN, all were handed to one Islamic family with no conditions attached.
Contrastingly, Israel was a sovereign country 3,000 years ago, with Jerusalem her Capital – at which time neither Islam or the pre-Islamic Arab race existed. So much for sacred Islamic soil boastings.
I'm definitely no fan of Ann Coulter, but what the College Republicans did was treasonous to their own political party. If they didn't want her at their designated location, they should have never called her in. These "College Republicans" were either weak or they were R.I.N.Os. I've never heard of Republicans turning their backs on one of their own (with the exception of the fact that the Republican Party backed away from welcoming the Tea Party; that's the first one I've noticed). What a shocker. The Republican side is divided and the Democratic Party is organized. We cannot play this game of division anymore. Otherwise, we are playing into the hands of the Left.
"Otherwise, we are playing into the hands of the Left. "
Now you're starting to get the picture!!! Keep following that line of thought and see where it leads you.
" I've never heard of Republicans turning their backs on one of their own"
Neophyte. You may not have lived through it as I have, but you could at least do your research! You must be incredibly naive to think that traitors are only found on the Left, or that sinners are only found outside the walls of a church.
Everybody has a right to free speech and a defense. They were rude and acting like spoiled brats…need a darn good spanking for acting like children!
” I’ve never heard of Republicans turning their backs on one of their own”
Newt Gingrich has turned his back on Republicans on occasion but John McCain does it more regularly. Then there is McCain’s worthless daughter Meghan and Ronald Reagan’s worthless son Ron Reagan. How about David Brock, Gov. Christie, Mayor Bloomberg, Joe Scarborough, Lindsey Graham, Saxby Chambliss, Olympia Snowe, Peggy Noonan, Susan Collins, and Scott Brown. Lets not forget the more than 2 million traitors who voted Republican in the 2008 election but turned their backs on Romney in 2012. Joe Lieberman wasn’t a Republican but he betrayed the conservatives who supported him but you would expect that from a liberal.
BTW, I’m a big fan of Ann Coulter.
For Fordham leftists, just a few facts from Ann:
Most Americans don't realize that, decades ago, the Democrats instituted a long-term plan to gradually turn the United States into a Third World nation. The country would become poorer and less free, but Democrats would have an unbeatable majority!
Under Teddy Kennedy's 1965 immigration act, our immigration policy changed from one that replicated the existing ethnic population to one that strictly favored unskilled immigrants from the Third World. Since 1968, 85 percent of legal immigrants have come from what is euphemistically called "developing countries."
We can't admit computer scientists from Spain fleeing their failing socialist nation because we have to make room for a recent Senegalese immigrant's brother-in-law with no skills but great needs.
Since when did Norman Finkelstein become a holocaust denier.
Google not working for you?
Enlighten me
They can't. They're going to dredge up the same out-of-context quotes and innuendos.
he claimed the extent of what happened to the Jews in Germany was exaggerated to provide sympathy to Jews.
If you need more I got that to. Enjoy
Professor Finkelstein is a disciple of the discredited historian and Holocaust denier David Irving, whom he considers an authoritative scholar. Finkelstein refers to the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis as the “Six Million” in quotation marks, and says that nearly every self-identified Holocaust survivor is a fake, a thief, and a liar. In an interview with the German paper, Die Welt, he said: “Not only does the 'Six Million' figure become more untenable but the numbers of the Holocaust industry are rapidly approaching those of Holocaust deniers. . . . Indeed, the field of Holocaust studies is replete with nonsense if not sheer fraud.”
You seem to be taking his words out context , you wrote:
"Professor Finkelstein is a disciple of the discredited historian and Holocaust denier David Irving, whom he considers an authoritative scholar"
This is what Finkelstein has to say about Irving "personally, I don't like the fellow … I think he is a Nazi" hmm some disciple. Finkelstein cites American historian Gordon Craig whom he agrees with that Irving a "useful irritant"; a devil's advocate historian.
Where does Norman Finkelstein say "that nearly every self-identified Holocaust survivor is a fake, a thief, and a liar"?
You wrote:
"In an interview with the German paper, Die Welt, he said: “Not only does the 'Six Million' figure become more untenable but the numbers of the Holocaust industry are rapidly approaching those of Holocaust deniers. . . . Indeed, the field of Holocaust studies is replete with nonsense if not sheer fraud.”
That wasn't from the the interview, those were snippets from his book. You can paste them together or take them out of context if you like but it's better if you qoute from the original source in context.
Fincklestein is a communist loving, a jihadist enabler and anti-western. He deserves no respect but complete riddicule.
In his 2003 book The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering, Professor Finkelstein wrote, “‘If everyone who claims to be a survivor actually is one,’ my mother used to exclaim, ‘who did Hitler kill?’” “My parents often wondered why I would grow so indignant at the falsification and exploitation of the Nazi genocide,” Finkelstein added. “The most obvious answer is that it has been used to justify criminal policies of the Israeli state and U.S. support for these policies.” Elsewhere in the book, Finklestein wrote:
“The Zionists indeed learnt well from the Nazis. So well that it seems that their morally repugnant treatment of the Palestinians, and their attempts to destroy Palestinian society within Israel and the occupied territories, reveals them as basically Nazis with beards and black hats.”
umm Finkelstein has repeatedly said that he follows Raoul Hilberg's estimates that 5.2 million Jews were killed in the Shoah. His parents were Holocaust deniers, for goodness sake.
He is not a 'disciple' of David Irving, he merely said that Irving shouldn't go to jail for Holocaust denial. I thought the point of this article was to support free speech?
dumbo – normie has been canned by colleges he worked for due to shoddy scholarship – besides being a self-hating Jew, he's a phony
You might question his credentials as a holocaust deniet but from Wikipedia's entry on him should tell you all you need to know.
"Finkelstein has described himself as "an old-fashioned communist," in the sense that he "see(s) no value whatsoever in states."
that doesn't make him a holocaust denier
It makes him a Holocaust celebrator in the finest tradition of Joseph Stalin. Get a clue!
So he is not a holocaust denier then?
Go Google yourself.
Right. He is a Holocaust-supporter, if he's an old-fashioned communist. Get a grip …
Really? Beacuse if you knew your history you'd know that the first one's sent to concentration camps when Nazis took power where socialists, communists, and anarchists. It was also true that a lot of them happened to be of Jewish ancestry. Where do you think this quote comes from… " First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Trade Unionist." ? Get a clue.
Stalin did pretty much the same thing.
How sad, a head of a teaching institution dening both sides to be spoken so a student can make a more knowledgeable decision.Limit informaion = limiting learning. What is he afraid of? The more information, the more knowledgeable, informed decision their students can make. The students are smart enough to make their own decisions. Give them both sides..
Agreed
One more example of the Catholic Church defiling every life it touches. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. It's Tomas de Torquemada all over again. Let the Inquisitions begin!
It looks like Fordham is turning out weak "republicans" like McCain, Romney, blah blah blah. And I see the jesuits are still very skilled in the psychology of guilt. Its like they are Jedi knights and can make their subjects do what ever they want. How does it feel to be such push overs, you college repubs. You guys probably wouldnt dare throw a fit and protest the appearance of Norman Finklefankle, cause you wouldnt want to upset your most adored father McShame.
Freedom of speech my a$$. Go back and retake government 101 and think a little more about the constitution and what freedom of speech really means. Its not protecting polite speech, otherwise whats the point. There is no need to protect polite speech. Come on, show some courage and buck old McShame, he doesnt respect you anyway.
A MINORITY, THE VOCAL MINORITY, the Intolerant Left, are always the ones to win. If Coulter would have been allowed to speak, they would have disrupted it anyway and with no penalty even though every university has Code of Conduct rules against disrupting the right of others to be heard. But, these Leftists, who disrupt meetings, claim it is their right to scream as the right of Free Speech.
When Nonie Darwish gave a speech at the University of New Mexico last semester, several members of Occupy, Students for Justice in Palestine, and the Socialism and Liberation Party, with most being in all three groups, did a MIC CHECK on her and many elderly in the crowd went to remove them. Two women claimed they were brutalized even when the videos didn't confirm that. One man was charged but the university didn't put out one penalty against the students who broke THREE CODE OF CONDUCT RULES.
What does this mean when students ban speakers and disrupt them when they do come? THIS EMPOWERS THEM. THIS SHOWS OTHER STUDENTS WHO ARE NON-POLITICAL THAT REPUBLICANS ARE THE PROBLEM IN THE WORLD. THIS IS BLATANT INDOCTRINATION and by a President, his faculty, and student body and all approved. NOW, WHEN THE LEFTISTS INVITE ONE OF THEIR SPEAKERS, all those who banned Coulter, will now say, "We need a diversity of views. This is free speech" and all the other excuses that they spit on when an opposing view they successfully silenced.
He said, "We hope the University community will forgive the College Republicans for our error and continue to allow us to serve as its main voice of the sensible, compassionate, and conservative political movement that we strive to be. We fell short of that standard this time, and we offer our sincere apologies.”
On what page of 1984 can I find this quote?
Under Teddy Kennedy's 1965 immigration act, our immigration policy changed from one that replicated the existing ethnic population to one that strictly favored unskilled immigrants from the Third World. Since 1968, 85 percent of legal immigrants have come from what is euphemistically called "developing countries."
Coulter is just an opportunist. If she could make more money as a liberal speaker she'd do it in an instant.
Loyal Asshates, As evidenced by what? Your opinion, or fact? Your opinion is, as always, unimportant, unless you back it up with some facts. Nothing that I've read about Coulter supports your remark.
Do not assume that everyone else is like you. Unlike you, some people, like Ann Coulter actually believe in what they say.
As you can see quite blatently that you libs are all about feelings and no common sense, logic or facts. Liberalism truley is a mental disorder.
DNC usually hires brainless imbeciles like you to oppose conservatives.
How much taxpayers' money did you get from them?
Ann Coulter is the Republican Establishment, and the is not a conservative.
Actually, Ann is quite an intelligent woman who speaks her mind, which oftentimes intimidates people like you.
By the way, did you mean to write, "and she is not a conservative" in your above comment.
1) The Republican students should tell "Father" McShane to go pound sand.
2) The last time I checked freedom of speech is a Constitutional right (at least for now in Obama's emerging police state).
3) The Republican students should all quit Fordham and go somewhere else if these Nazi's don't back down.
4) Islam is, has been, and always will be a gutter "religion."
WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR
THERE CAN BE NO LIFE WITHOUT LIBERTY AND NO LIBERTY WITHOUT LIFE
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
These are powerful, timeless words. They stand as a beacon for all humanity. These words are not only the Constitution of the United States – they are the Constitution of ALL mankind. EVERY HUMAN BEING has the full Constitutional, human right to equality and unalienable rights – Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
There can be no life without liberty and no liberty without life. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are the very essence of liberty. These freedoms are the very essence of humanity. They are the very essence of a meaningful life. The imposition of Islam totalitarianism will be the death knell of liberty.
A person's right to free speech ends when they disagree with the liberal view point.
The liberals are in charge now. Let them have what they want and blame the inevitable consequences on them.
Reminds me of Baldwin saying the people who want to secede should form a country called caucaisa implying we are racist while he lives in an all white area. But I am racist, xenophobe, homophobe, etc for pointing that out.
Another so-called Catholic college! No wonder so many are leaving the faith! If the speaker was someone who defended gay 'marriage' or abortion, I'm sure Father McShane would have no objections!
Settle down, it's not a free speech issue. It's a private institution making a determination about how student funds are used. The College Republicans didn't ask Mitch McConnell or Paul Ryan or someone with any redeeming social or educational value to come speak. They asked Ann Coulter.
But while Coulter offers neither educational value to the school, nor value to society, at large, my feeling is that if the group had the funds and she topped their list, they should have let her come speak.
Jimmy, I'm not a big fan of Coulter. But, she's far, far better educated than McConnell and Ryan and is a noted author, commentator and speaker. But, in your opinion, she's unqualified to speak? Or, is her message too mainstream for the classically trained "moonbat"–"in crowd?"
I actually find her entertaining, and wouldn't mind arguing with her over beers. But I've never heard her add much more to the dialogue than vitriol. There's nothing "constructive" about Ann Coulter. You are probably right about her being better educated, and better at a podium. I picked two political leaders, could be anyone, but at least they are part of the political process and have real world insight into that process beyond ideology and vitriol.
Part of the reason for Coulter's popularity among conservatives is her insight into the Lefts' psyche and her skill at cutting to its' ideological vapidity. That and the fact that hypocrits like Father Blather carefully exclude the works of von Mises, Hayek and other conservative intellectuals from the curricula. They do that because they are incapable of refuting them on scholarly grounds. They CAN exclude the likes of Coulter by just shutting her out of the conversation. In both circumstances it's cowardly censorship.
When you are saying”… Coulter offers neither educational value to the school, nor value to society…” is that your personal opinion or a fact? Because you obviously stating that as a well-known fact. What criteria do you use in determining that? Try to think before you speak.., or write.
It's a considered opinion, couldn't be anything but. I look at it this way: was there ever a time where Ann Coulter was not attacking liberals? Was there ever a time where she positively advocated something without attacking someone or something else? Is there even a redeeming element of kindness anywhere in her work? I conclude she has nothing constructive to offer an educational institution. I find it highly ironic that FPM complains of a lack of "civility" in a discussion including someone who proudly and routinely erodes civility.
I said she's an entertainer and she can be entertaining. I said she should have been allowed to speak. What more do you want from me?
My guess is if the speaker was Rosie O'Donnell or Rosanne Barr Fordham would have no problem. Both of these "women" spew hatred and filth but since they are lefties it would be OK.
The American university system has been hijacked by the Left.
That is the problem right there, your feelings. Quite pathetic when your only policy position is I feel therefore I am. This nation is certainly headed to a race to the bottom with your liberals feelings on the line.
Can you even read? Did you see what my "feeling" was? Did you see why I thought my "feeling" didn't matter in this situation?
Christ, you're like a child. Except that children can reason and apply logic.
Your every comment displays a fundamental lack of skills and amounts to an all-or-nothing gambit, highlighting your insecurity. No wonder you're so anti-education–it must have been hard for you.
I read just fine thank you, the problem is, you folks on the left have effectively shut down any type of debate that doesn't fit in your leftist world view. The only way now to deal with leftist is in your face talking points and PC be damned, niceties and pleasantries are not going to get it done. It is not that I am against education where freedom of thought is debated, I am against the blatent indoctrination that students are getting with no opposition. Ethnic and womans studies is not education but grievance theater. I would certainly put my MS up against what you have my boy.
Funny, Liberals will not make the distinction of a private organization when they disagree with something that organization is doing.
They did let her. It was the Republican club that withdrew the invitation, because once they thought about it (and yes, they were encouraged to do so by Father McShane), they realized that there was no advantage in associating themselves with this despicable excuse for a human being.
The issue with Ann Coulter is not her ideas, sick as they are. She is a bomb thrower, and her purpose in almost everything she says is to disrupt, offend, and enrage, and to obscure legitimate discussion, not to foster it. This irresponsibility should not be encouraged. No one is censoring her but the college doesn't have to support her by giving her hateful and inhuman bile a voice.
And "mainstream Republican"?? Give me a break! Can you name one prominent Republican who is more extreme than Coulter?
Ann Coulter (and some of her views) annoy me. But I read her faithfully for my edification. While she often makes me angry, she also edifies me by making me think "out of my box".
Fordham can, of course, invite (or dis-invite) any speaker. But, by limiting their speakers to the "politically correct", they are compromising the education of their students.
Shame on Fordham.
Political correctness… yes… "a doctrine fostered by a delusional illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media holding forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end." Texas A&M students figured this out a long time ago. Maybe Fordham's Republican students should consider a transfer while they've still the time and funds to get a real education.
What a shame! What a shame! Fordham University by denying Ann Coulter the right to give a speech has taken a stance that denies the basis of academic freedom, That is dissenting viewpoints. This bastion (Fordham) of intellectual values has flushed the toilet causing it to overflow with McShane,s vitroilic hatred of Coulter's dissenting viewpoints onto its students, filling their brains with leftist ideological opinion the dissent is not allowed in the NEW SOCIETY controlled by the wack-a-doodle lefist opinion makers. What a shame! What a shame!
This is one of the reasons I left the Republican party, they will turn on you and have no cojones. I am a Fordham graduate and I feel that I want to return my degree. What a bunch of sissis, what do they think that they can not confront the speaker during the question and answer period?
It sad that these same brainwashed leftist liberals numb-skulls will embrace the likes of Amadenijad , Marxists and commies to speak freely on their campus. Conservatives must get as mean and dirty as the Demoncrat socialist liberals. This is a war against good and evil. Its time for conservatives to be Breitbart. Being Mr. nice guy like Mitt Romney did gets you nowhere…. but defeated . Romney didn't take a stand for conservative principles and that's why so many voters sat it out . 'Those who stand for nothing, will fall for anything'
Geez, does the food we eat suck the testosterone out of you? It's hard to imagine that these kids are in their early twenties and are so easily cowed.
I often say that our primary schools are run like prisons so that our kids are well acquainted with a beat down mentality. Why is it that education is the sole property of the communists?
I blame their mothers for overdosing them on tofu crap.
I know Jim_C would disagree with me but I think they should have let Ann Coulter speak. It's nice to hear both sides of an issue but far too many on the left DON'T want that. They just want an echo chamber for their views,and their views alone.
What ever happened to "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."? This quote from Voltaire played a part in the founding of this country. Sadly, it means nothing in today's leftist-INFESTED educational system. Shame on McShane and the wimpy, back-down-at-the-first-sign-of-trouble college republicans. Who is ever going to stand up for FREEDOM any more? The fact that freedom is not even remotely understood today is a direct result of the leftists controlling education from pre-school all the way through university. If I were dead, I would be spinning in my grave along with the betrayed founders and all those who died through the years defending our freedoms.
Coulter's freedom hasn't been infringed. The president of a private religious institution is fully within his rights here.
You *might* have a point if Fordham was a public university, but it isn't.
Guest, you'd better believe that if Fordham had denied Rev. Wright or Al Sharpton to speak, there would be hell to pay and being a private institution would be no protection at all.
It's a private Jesuit institution, Jesuits follow a doctrine of social justice and the preferential option for the poor is a dominant theme in their work. This runs counter to Anne Cuolter and her beliefs. So you're attacking the University's religious freedom to chose who gets to speak on their campus or not. Funny… you defend religious freedom and private property only when it's convenient to you…
If this joint were to deny Rev. Jesse Jackson from speaking, they'd be called racist and raked over the coals.
Apples and oranges.
oh, no no no! Not at all! Have you heard some of the racist crap he's said over the years? Like calling New York "Hymietown" (racist against Jews)?!
Also.. Norman Finkelstein has never denied the holocaust, what he has been a critic off… is the holocaust pity industry propagated by the Israeli right to excuse any and all abuses committed by the Israeli government.
which is still booolsheet.
GHW Bush
Gerald Ford
Bob Dole
John McCain
Mitt Romney
~ ~ What is it about "DEMOCRAT-LITE" that the Country Club-Eastern Establishment GOP Powers-On-High……like Ann Coulter, Carl Rove, and Bill Kristol whom foist these loser representatives on the electorate, fail to assimilate?
Ann Coulter's "right to speak" (nightly for 12 months) on places like Sean Hannity gave REAL Conservatives the Romney ticket! I have NO tears for this media strumpet who makes millions off of her contrived lack of freedom.
Well said.
That is the problem right there, Country club eastern establishment, we need a real conservative from the mid west.
If Eastern talker, Annie-get-her-Gun,
…..Smith & Wesson oil Lite……were DENIED FOX Access (for once in her 40-plus years)…..
……Conservatives would NOT have to have held their collective noses
……. AGAIN in 2012 for a Coulter's – - – 30% Romney.
Ann Coulter has always had un-fettered access to Sean Hannity, Town Hall, et al. 24/7 – to earn her RINO millions, while ramming Democrat-Lite Romney down tha American gullet.
Spare us.
There are few stupid Jesuits and it would appear that most of them are at Fordham.
No, Georgetown has its quota of them too.
The good Father forgot to add : Sieg Heil! to his address.
Ann Coulter. Pam Geller. Brigitte Gabrielle. Robert Spencer. These are American heroes….brave people standing up to the leftists and liberal indoctrinated shouters and screamers.
Ann Coulter is part of the Republican Establishment, and a big part of the problem. These are the folks who brought us Romney, Dole, Ford, etc. as Presidential Candidates. They are also responsible for Bush 1 (Mr. New World Order), and Bush 2 the dunce who invaded and occupies two countries without cause. The Establishment Republicans have chased away Goldwater supporters, Buchanan supporters, Libertarians, Sarah Palin supporters, and Ron Paul supporters. As a result they have no broad base of support, and will never win another national election. Are you happy now, Republican Establishment?
And for that reason she shouldn't be heard? I'm sure that if Obama wanted to speak at Fordham they'd fall all over themselves to invite him…and look at the mess he has made of this country.
No one said that she shouldn't be heard.
Fordham doesn't deserve conservative or Christian speakers like Ann Coulter. They're the losers in higher education, and not her. They'd rather hear communists, and anti Semites than the truth.
Where's Clement XIV when you need him? Fordham, Georgetown…Jesuits! Blah!
I wonder if Fordham has invited any Muslim Brotherhood terroists, Marxists or Communists to speak. It seems that most universities have no problem with certain radical and offensive speech. Wasn't it Columbia University in NYC that invited Iranian president Ahmadinejad to speak while he was visiting the U.N.? America has really changed…
Why don't you try to find out? Sheesh. That is a very silly and pointless comment.
I used to go to Fordham. I was a lefty slowly converting to a right winger during my freshman year. I guess I could say I never really received decent support from the university so I ended up pursuing another career goal and left. I actually received that petition on Facebook. I really would have liked to see Ann Coulter speak at the university if someone would grant me access just to hear her out, but once I heard that the College Republicans changed their decision, I became stunned on how easy they caved in to the shoutings from the student body and Father McShane's demeanor. I'm disappointed with both parties, including my Fordham friends who were good people turned to raving lunatics. Oftentimes I wish I never went to Fordham University.
It appears that you did learn something during you short exposure there.
I certainly did. Unfortunely, I can't say the same for my colleagues, who swear they think they're good people. I want to put a mirror in front of them so they can see the ugliness they project.
My Alma Mater will not be receiving any further donations from me. Fordham used to be a good school. .
I've already asked them to stop sending me their ridiculous Fordham Alumni magazine and to remove my name from all their mailing lists.
"Republican" does mean "chicken" in Islam, you know. And "Democrat", or "liberal" mean, "sycophant." Or "zombie," depending on context.
LAUGHABLE. Ann Coulter and CIVILITY don't go hand in hand. Even conservatives know she's a loony toon, which is why she was dumped from the National Review….
why is civility required? It is not required of the Left.
You know what happens if a conservative says to a raving lunatic that happens to be a woman or a Person of Color or some other minority, "you know, i'd listen if you weren't so mean/angry/belligerent"?
the raving lunatic says "GTFO with that Tone Argument™, don't try to silence me or whitesplain/mansplain/cissplain, you are a bad person."
In fact on the Left, being mean is REQUIRED, because they believe they are entitled to be mean because they are oppressed!
IN the name of tolerance the Left is promoting intolerance and bigotry, that's the point of this column. Fordham U., just like the rest of the Left's education machine, is practicing Orwellian logic and indoctrinating our youth.
It's stupid not to see this but so is all bigotry stupid that's why bigotry is the way to indoctrinate kids. Just by pass intellectual inquiry and thought teach them to feel their way, the Left's way, and the battle for the mind is won. End of Story and end of freedom.
For the Left, it's never been about 'civility' and 'free speech.' Like the Islamists, the Left uses our understanding of civility and free speech against us in order to ultimately impose their beliefs and will on the American people – and they have been quite successful at it too!
the Left has defined the Right isn't it about time we returned the favor? When the Left is being narrow-minded as it is in this particular instance call them what they are—narrow-minded.
The Left has called the Right every name in the book that's negative and not even true, but managed to make the negative names stick, anyway. Since intolerant of dissenting views is true of the Left why aren't we saying so loud and clear?
Make their ideas and what they are clear to the public. For instance stupid, their ideas are just plain stupid. Multi-culturism is a stupid idea and untrue, too, so should be easily seen through if mind and thought are made free to flourish once again in the good old USA. Freedom of thought should be shouted from the rooftops instead of silenced by these stupid bigoted people with their stupid and bigoted ideas.
btw the communists started infiltrating education as early as the 1930s. Where do you think "Dick and Jane" which came out around the 1950s came from?
Republicans are in fykk scake massive retreat with their tails tucked, afriad to further or defend any ideology they once claimed they would die for.
There are two school of strategy among conservatives at this point: 1) Become/remain challnegers and obstructionists to the liberal agenda or 2) Let the liberal agenda prevail unabated untill it self-destructs under its own hper-spending and regulation and hope to be around to salvage whatever is left over. This Republican group has apparantly chosen the latter course. I have seen many others adopt a similar approach, but with different motives. Some are just tired, some think conservatives, like Coulter, have been too harsh and we need to be "kinder and gentler", and others are waiting for liberal-induced disaster. Funny thing. I don't recall seeing liberals restrain themselves when their efforts go south. I see them continuing to slander, demean, ridicule, and call their opposition "intolerant" when their demands personify intolerance. Nice when you get to have it both ways. Congrats, libs. Shame on you, Repubs.
Try "Republicans are in full scale massive retreat…"
It's called Fascism and it usually triumphs because of the cowardice of its opponents.
I just wonder if a list of speakers can be published which have spoken at Fordham while Mr. McShane has been in leadership. I am just wondering if his standard "rhetoric is often hateful and needlessly provocative…" can be applied to the speakers of the left that have spoken without comment. If so… Mr Shane should be asked to step down for his hypocracy and probable discrimination.
And yes I know that Mr. McShane has a title other than "Mister", but until he acts like a Christian, I shall not give him recognization as a leader within Christianity. That would be an insult to Yeshua. Just as it would be an insult if I called the Racist jew hating Mr. Sharpton with a term of Christian leadership.
After effectively barring conservative columnist Ann Coulter from speaking on campus last week, the Jesuit college Fordham University welcomed infanticide and bestiality advocate Peter Singer for a panel discussion on Friday.
According to Fordham’s media relations website, Singer, a tenured Princeton bioethics professor, spoke from 4 to 6 p.m. in a panel the university promised “will provoke Christians to think about other animals in new ways.”
Singer has long lamented the societal stigma against having sex with animals.
Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/fordham-university/2012…
Well well… nothing provacative there … the most nortorious unethical bioethics professor ever… nothing provacative unless you are a sociopath… Mister McShane please call your office… You are sponsoring a guy who never met a human that shouldn't be murdered. Maybe the panel will include a Satanist and representive from NAMBLA.
Note to Fordham Republican Club – WAKE UP! Time to redeem yourself before it is too late.
Thanks for the post Diving Father. Solid .
The President of Fordham should be terminated, with prejudice. As for the rest of the gaggle of liberal Progressives, they will hang on their own petard. Actally, they already have. No credibility whatsoever. They have NO clue what freedom of speech means. No, no! That is wrong. They do know what it means, they have simply chosen to destroy it.
Fortunately, Fordham is unknown outside of New York–its reach is minimal. Though the liberal Progressive regime in the United States if broad. I live near Berkeley, California. You know, where there were riots in the '60s about 'free speech'. Long forgotten in the academy. It's now run by thugs.
If you do not like Ann Coulter, don't go see her speak. But, do not try to deprive those who do of their right to see her. If you want to hear some really offensive speech, listen to the left…Ann doesn't hold a candle to them. One example…MSNBC…
Chris Matthews and Bill Maher, for starters…
Wow! I can't believe the level of censorship and ignorance that is perpetuated at this "university". How can leaders at a Jesuit "university" allow leftists "progressives" (=Communists) who are against the Bible and what it teaches on sin, homosexual and other sexual sin, abortion, and Israel?? I DO NOT GET IT. The leaders and that "Father" do not read the Holy Scriptures of the Bible and in complete opposition to God's WOrd.