Ann Coulter calls John Edwards "Faggot"

[Steven E. Webster]

Friends,

Though I am not now, nor ever have been a political conservative, I do enjoy reading Andrew Sullivan's blog. Today he's had a good deal to say about Ann Coulter's remark at the big meeting of Conservatives in Washington where they've been hearing from Republican Presidential hopefuls. Coulter called John Edwards a "faggot" at the end of the speech she gave.

Coulter claims to be a defender of the Christian faith. I wish there was some way we could make her eat her words.

Here's a link to a video of Coulter: http://thinkprogress.org/2007/03/02/coulter-edwards/

I've noticed on Alan Chamber's (head of Exodus) website that he is a fan of Coulter's. I think all these right wing fans of Coulter's ought to denounce her sick fag joke or be forced to eat her words too!

Steven W.

[Jamie McDaniel]

CNN: Coulter under fire for anti-gay slur (http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/04/coulter.edwards/index.html)

[Rick336]

Ann Coulter says that she believes in traditional American values. Then she publicly calls someone a "faggot".

The Foundation for a Better Life list these among what they believe are true American values:

Love
Respect
Caring
Tolerance
Diversity
Character
Integrity
Courtesy
Unity
Compassion
Teaching by Example

Calling someone a "faggot" not only doesn't fit the above list of values but it's the exact opposit of all the values listed.

Apparently Ann Coulter and those who support her have a different list.

Rick Hunter

Website for Foundation for a Better Life:
http://www.forbetterlife.org/be_inspired/values.asp?value_id=35

[revtj]

I've reached a point where I think maybe it's a good thing if people like Ann Coulter just keep on talking. I have enough faith in Americans that I think they can see what she is and what she represents. :confused:

Maybe she will serve as a warning, in a converse sort of way, to moderates and those str8s who have seen no particular reason to take a stand against homophobia that this is what you get if you try to ignore it.

[marutidas]

She has really help Edward's campaign. I dont think anyone will be getting her to campian for them, she has really help us so much with her last speech, I thank her, from the bottom of my heart. She has single handedly made it a popular campaign move to be against bigotry and defimation.:lol:

[BruceChris]

And if she wasn't as attractive as she is, I don't think anyone would listen to her.

I am Hillary, all the way. Please, Ann, insult Hillary. We need the votes.

P&L, Bruce Chris

[dsdrane]

I think she looks like a blonde ringwraith from the Lord of the Ring movies!

:eek:

[u-dog]

but I agree! she looks like she escaped from a mental institution (immediately after recieving shock therapy)

[revtj]

see later post...

[BruceChris]

Yes, she is a child of God, who loves all of us, but she seems to be begging us to make her a target. I can think of two or three jokes about her, that would get me thrown off these forums, permanently.

Yes, TJ, she DOES make a very good argument for abstinence. But that's her abstinence, not mine.

Ann says, "You have to go into rehab, if you use the word faggot" - (But remember, Ann, you DO NOT have to use the word Faggot, to end up in rehab)

P&L, BC

[Daniel]

I happened to see CNN's Paul Zahn discuss the matter with three other commentators this evening. While all three remonstrated Coulter for the use of the word 'faggot', not one put the issue in it's proper context. And that would be if she had used the word 'nigger' or 'kike'.

You can bet the whole discussion would have had a very different tone.

And at the risk of sounding like the nonviolence cop- what gives- huh? The tone of this thread is sounding a lot like the something Coulter would say herself.

[u-dog]

:o :o :o :o :o we're old enough to know better:o :o :o :o :o :o

[dsdrane]

I think the ringwraiths from the Lord of the Ring movies are drop-dead gorgeous...I mean just drop-dead.

Sorry if anyone misunderstood my tone....

;)

[revtj]

Ann Coulter is losing her corporate sponsors!

I don't see anything violent about being grateful and happy when accountability catches up with our detractors. Ann Coulter has verbally abused anybody she thought she could make a buck off of...the gospels show Jesus giving these kind of people some very stern warnings and threats. She has exploited peoples' fears and their patriotism to make herself rich. Just the kind of people Jesus basically told to go to hell. So I don't think we've been out of line on this thread.

[Jamie McDaniel]

I don't see anything violent about being grateful and happy when accountability catches up with our detractors.

This is very true.

So I don't think we've been out of line on this thread.

Unfortunately, I can't agree with this. I do feel that we are very much out of line when we go for the "she looks like..." comment. Even in this situation of Ann using such a word as she did.

What is that show... Ugly Betty. It basically is a commentary on how beautiful people can be so ugly and ugly people can be so beautiful. So it is ok to say that hatred twists people, distorts their personality, and makes them ugly on the inside. Comments on physical appearance however, lets leave those for the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

Just the kind of people Jesus basically told to go to hell.

revtj, I wrote a whole paragraph about why I didn't feel comfortable with that phrase being attributed to someone so close to the Divine. But then I deleted it all because I do remember Spock in Star Trek VI saying, "If I were human, I believe my response would be 'go to hell.' ...If I were human."

If you want to do some activism around this situation, here is a link:

www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/coulter

[Daniel]

Does condemnation of another lead to lasting joy? Does a fit of Schadenfreude lead to lasting happiness?

I have not found this to be so- it makes for a meager meal. It's spiritual junk food- gives a nice kick in the short term but cannot sustain one for the long haul.

Ann Coulter- no matter what her crimes are against our community- is someone who is seeking happiness and joy- just like the rest of us. Her ignorance and misinformation have lead her to conclusions which have caused many people unhappiness- that is not in dispute. It is the ignorance and the misinformation that we address- not the person.

The ability to see one's enemy as one's self is what nonviolence and the Gold Rule is all about. The truth is that what we deny others we deny ourselves. What we give to others we give to ourselves.

Forgiveness. For instance.

The person who insists on their pound of flesh- which is the essence of condemnation- should not be surprised when it is demanded in return.

[dsdrane]

Firstly, Daniel and Jamie, you're better men than I. Truly.

That said, I think we need to lighten up a bit. You're both completely right...obviously. And you're no doubt even right for wagging your finger at the immaturity of a few of us.

But, I'd like to take this opportunity to defend the concept of childishness every now and then. A wise person once said, if you don't laugh, you cry.

Ann Coulter is a truly rotten human being and has a unique ability to get her school yard hazings onto the evening news and into the national media -- I would argue -- precisely because of her looks: she's white, she's thin, she's tall, she's blonde, plus she's a she. If she were Joe Six-Pack (with all due apologies to Mr. Limbaugh), she'd most likely not be on the lecture circuit, let alone on the evening news.

Therefore, vaulting immaturity notwithstanding, I would argue that Ann Coulter's looks are, in fact, completely germane to a discussion of her role in public discourse.

Should that argument not fly, I would simply beg a little indulgence for stupid banter meant to neutralize hurtful words...to laugh, perchance not to cry.

David

[Jamie McDaniel]

Firstly, Daniel and Jamie, you're better men than I. Truly.

Oh, please don't lift me up when it comes to nonviolence of the tongue. Because there will be a time when something I say needs to be flagged, but then there will also be whispers of hypocrisy.

In fact, I remember when I was mad at the AFA and posted a link (http://www.soulforce.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1223#post1223) which has their website being pooped on.

And I recall one of the guys here whom I highly respect saying in a post that Shirley Phelps resembled a dead-faced, grinning, possessed demon/zombie.

Anyway, whether these things (and those in this thread) are violations of nonviolence of the tongue or not, I'll not go into lengthy discussion in this post. I do know though that forum conversations are not merely water cooler talk. They are highly public, search engine indexed writings often read by people who are wanting to quickly get an idea of the folks who make up Soulforce. So I think when forums are tied to an LGBT rights organization promoting nonviolence, that carries some responsibility on the part of the writer. It could be argued that a forum post doesn't carry the same weight as an article written by a member of the staff or board or a statement made by someone participating in an action. Still, I'd say our forums play an important role in showing the world who Soulforce is.

So with the Equality Ride launching (our web traffic was double in March and April of last year), Soulforce is mindful of what gets posted to the website. If four of our respected members say Ann Coulter looks like a drug sniffing blonde ringwraith with an abnormally large adam's apple who just escaped from a mental institution, yeah, expect that to get denounced along with a reminder about what we challenge ourselves to believe (www.soulforce.org/article/679) about our adversaries.

[dsdrane]

Jamie!

You had your dog dookey on an offending website?!?!

:eek:

I'm shocked and appalled!

...and I think I'm in love...:love:

Get down with your bad self, Grrl! :award:

[andrewlittle]

... he has to admit that Jaime's last post had a certain element of - well, conviction. Okay, I'll delete the post about that mons ... well, okay, I'll just delete it.

Is it okay to say that, while she is undoubtedly a Child of God, her words and actions seem to show that she is unaware of that fact? Physical anomalies aside, since after all we all have them, there is still a lot of putrid, unusually warm air that emanates from that particular child's - er, mmm, throat.

Despite some of us siblings saying monstrous things, I have to remind myself that we are all children of God, just like Adam (and Eve of course). I will offer an apple for decorum. That's probably all I meant to say in the first place. Yeah ... that's it.

[tdogg]

Daniel and Jamie, thanks for the lessons well-learned PRIOR to me opening my big 'mouth'. I did have some thoughts on Ann's looks, although nothing differentiating bad vs. good. My thoughts were along the lines of methinks she doth protest too much, and I did notice a bit of an adam's apple and some of her features could make an argument towards being slightly 'masculine', so my thoughts definitely drifted towards the possibilties especially since I really don't know all that much about her.

So, in a sense of thoughtfulness, compassion and love, and hopefully non violence as well - Ann Coulter, if you are out there and happen upon our wonderful Soulforce forums, and this thread - please know, no matter who you are or what your views are, there is a lot of love and acceptance here. Please give up your attacks on gays and lesbians, hold on to your opinions if you must, but the comments are not necessary or welcome and certainly not a joke to any of us here. But if you are truly searching for answers, information or generally want to engage in a compassionate dialogue, please feel free to 'drop in'. There is enough love here for you. We only ask that you show respect to us and those we love.

[revtj]

Jamie, I understand your point that this is a public forum. Sometimes I feel like it's a 100% safety zone among friends and that I can go too far if I'm feeling like it and it won't matter.

I take 100% full responsibility for the things I said about Ann Coulter. I alone answer for my opinions and I regret if my opinions somehow misrepresented our overall Soulforce philosophy to which I am fully committed.

That being said, I stand by my statements, only I wish to make them in a more polite, civil form:

I think it is suspect if not outright hypocritical for her to endorse abstinence given her overall fashion choices.

I would not be surprised at all to find that she uses illegal drugs before interviews and public appearances. Something enhances her ego to the point of extreme self-righteous judgment and bitter condemnation that is out of line with her own reality. There have been others, like Rush Limbaugh and Ted Haggard, who were using illegal drugs and going on these kind of right-wing rants. I don't think it is out of line to question this.

I believe she is paid by the right to be the character she portrays and this a form of prostitution to me. I feel sorry for her getting used in this way. I believe losing her job and sinking to a place of having to see herself as others see her, and how 97% of the rest of the world lives, would be a redemptive experience for her.

The only remedy for an inflated ego is deflation and I feel confident in my faith in wishing this for her, not only for her own integrity but also because the evidence shows that the worst human rights offenders in history have had overwhelmingly malignant narcisissm.

The gospel of John portrays Jesus insulting, calling names and condemning religious authorities who exploited the people using fear and faith. In particular John 8 is an extremely hard chapter to read if you subscribe to Soulforce philosophy. My observation is that Jesus felt about his religious home - Judaism - the way a lot of us feel about the churches that nurtured us and then rejected us when we came out. It is a love/anger out of which families have bitter fights in order to find their best selves. I pray Ms. Coulter finds her best self as I too am on that journey to be a better servant of the Lord.

Again, I take full responsibility for my opinions.

[revtj]

Speaking of being paid by the right to play a character as being a form of
prostitution...

http
://www.jeffgannon.com/archives/columns/index.html#a000883 (http://www.jeffgannon.com/archives/columns/index.html#a000883)

[nmwolfboy]

Glad i waited until after Jamie's reminders about non-violent speech before responding about Ms. Coulter. Not sure i could have kept a disparaging epithet or two from launching out of my mouth!

i expect Ann to say hateful outrageous things, especially when she's got an audience. But it was the audience's reaction that saddened me beyond belief. Despite initial gasps at Ann's remark, it was plain from their reaction that her audience thought it perfectly acceptable.

i read recently that making bigoted remarks against homosexuals is the only remaining 'acceptable' public predjudice. Imagine if dear Ann had used a disparaging word in reference to any racial group. Or against people with developmental disabilities. Or against any grouping of people other than gays. Would her audience have felt as free to express their delight at her remarks?

-scott

[andrewlittle]

While recognizing dear Jeff as another child of God, it is unfortunate that he used words that are unmistakably ignorant. I would also guess, while seeming to be a remarkably likeable person, that those kinds of words fill his brain, since he issues them forth so freely.

That "faggot" has become the new “N-word” is evidence of how far our culture has drifted. (Obviously, just a spelling mistake on Joe's part) For decades, the “F-word” was the four-letter one you couldn’t say on television, but now it's part of mainstream liberal vernacular. (Thankfully, you'll never find a republican, conservative or Christian using that one.) However, rallying behind a slur of their own, gays can take to the streets in their assless chaps and nipple piercings (at least he noticed - hmmm) and skip the two centuries of slavery and a hundred years of separate lunch counters and drinking fountains to demand whatever they can extort from pandering politicians.

So that's how come our African-American brothers and sisters have acheived full and total equality in each and every respect - they paid the admission price. What's wrong with you folks, eh - didn't you realize there's a mandatory hazing to go through?

And all it took was 2 centuries of slavery and a hundred years of exclusion before the our black friends began extorting their rights from pandering politicians. Damn you guys are impatient. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't the "pandering" politicians have been the easy targets and wouldn't it be the domineering, hateful ones who would have needed extorting?

The Left has no claim to righteous indignation when it comes to “hate speech.” In January 2005 Howard Dean told a group of New York Democrats: “I hate Republicans and everything they stand for.”
Oh, my gracious. Such foul and abusive language. How could any self-respecting, God-fearing, human being utter such disgusting tripe. And, "hate" is pretty strong, too.

Since Dean used such indiscrete language as that, it means, of course, that the door is open for conservative children of God to toss just about any kind of objectionable insults as a result.

Of course, then he ends with:
True to form, John Edwards used the incident to raise funds for his presidential bid. If anything, faggots should be offended by being mentioned in the same sentence as the sleazy trial lawyer.

Good thing he didn't have something like ...
Contribute
Your support will
help me keep
up the fight!
... on the same page. Oh crappe (oops), he did. Go figure.

[scott snedeker]

She harmed herself the most. I'm sure the majority of people see her as shallow. I can guarantee that she will not exhibit the same cronyism again. She shot herself in the foot.

Furthermore she raised consciousness one notch further. No one else will risk a similar blooper. She has brought in a new political etiquette by sacrificing her image, Now the image of the wrong thing to do. She took a chance and lost. Insensitivity backfired.

In a way we are now indebted to her.

The best way to demonstrate her failing is to contrast with a message of non-judgement and non -violence. If she were more in contact with unconditional love of self and others, she would have felt uneasy enough not to make such a comment.

[marutidas]

I agree with Scott, it is a Buddhist teaching that say,"our enemies present us with opprotunities that our friends do not". Ann Coutler, insensative as she might be, has help us show that such inapporpriate tactics are no longer acceptible, especially in the bid for the presidency. And she has graciously removed her self a fundraiser for anyother conservitive canidate as well. And for that she derserves our thanks.:lol:

[Alecto]

I just wanted to throw out there that I thought her defense was interesting. "It's a schoolyard taunt". How does that make it in any way appropriate for a grown adult to use?