Ann Coulter @AnnCoulter October 22, 2012
I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard.
She responded to the ensuing hue and cry with her predictably graceless flair:
Ann Coulter @AnnCoulter 2h
Ann Coulter sticks by ‘retard’ tweet, says ‘screw them’ to the word police
I admit it. I despise this woman. I am incapable of rising above my contempt for her and responding to anything she writes or says in any terms and manner other than her own.
There is only reason this shrill, odious and spiteful woman is permitted a forum for her tedious, discriminatory and insane points of view and that is because it drives commerce.
While I am unable to rise above the flow of bile Coulter introduces into the national discourse, on this occasion a champion has done it for me. His name is John Franklin Stevens. He has penned an Open Letter to Ann Coulter. It reads as follows:
Dear Ann Coulter,
Come
on Ms. Coulter, you aren’t dumb and you aren’t shallow. So why are you
continually using a word like the R-word as an insult?
I’m
a 30 year old man with Down syndrome who has struggled with the public’s
perception that an intellectual disability means that I am dumb and shallow.
I am not either of those things, but I do process information more slowly
than the rest of you. In fact it has taken me all day to figure out how
to respond to your use of the R-word last night.
I
thought first of asking whether you meant to describe the President as someone
who was bullied as a child by people like you, but rose above it to find a way
to succeed in life as many of my fellow Special Olympians have.
Then
I wondered if you meant to describe him as someone who has to struggle to be
thoughtful about everything he says, as everyone else races from one snarkey
sound bite to the next.
Finally,
I wondered if you meant to degrade him as someone who is likely to receive bad
health care, live in low grade housing with very little income and still
manages to see life as a wonderful gift.
Because,
Ms. Coulter, that is who we are – and much, much more.
After
I saw your tweet, I realized you just wanted to belittle the President by
linking him to people like me. You assumed that people would understand
and accept that being linked to someone like me is an insult and you assumed
you could get away with it and still appear on TV.
I
have to wonder if you considered other hateful words but recoiled from the
backlash.
Well,
Ms. Coulter, you, and society, need to learn that being compared to people like
me should be considered a badge of honor.
No
one overcomes more than we do and still loves life so much.
Come
join us someday at Special Olympics. See if you can walk away with your
heart unchanged.
A
friend you haven’t made yet,
John Franklin Stephens
Global Messenger
Special Olympics Virginia
John Franklin Stephens
Global Messenger
Special Olympics Virginia
It has never before occurred to me to include Ann Coulter in my prayers but, on this occasion, I pray she reads this and learns something about tolerance from her friend, John.
HL October 25, 2012
2 comments:
I'd read this somewhere else. Mr. Stevens did a great job. But when money and power are involved integrity takes last place. Rather than raise the level of mankind she diminishes what humanity could be. The kicker is, apparently she really does not care.
I tip my hat to Mr. Stevens: well said! Though his open letter was addressed to Ms. Coulter he was actually speaking to everyone else out there (i.e., readers like me) giving us food for thought, insight and opportunity for reflection.
I have heard of Ms. Coulter in the past but almost immediately dismissed everything about her: her name, whatever verbal discharge it was she felt she had to push upon people and whatever else it was that I've already forgotten. Harold's blog (which I came across by coincidence) jogged my memory a little bit. To be honest, I had to ask my husband "who is this A. C. again?"
On a normal day I would not even waste more than a minute of my time with the "whole of her" and whatever else that has anything to do with Ms. Coulter.
Today I felt the need to take the time because people like Mr. Stevens should be acknowledged. And because of people like Lea who seems to have a good head on her shoulders.
Mr. Stevens has something worth while to say. There are so many people like him out there that make a positive difference every day without the need for sensationalism or making a fast buck. We should remind ourselves of this fact. Let's pay more attention to the true champions out there!
People like Ms. Coulter thrive and probably make a very good living because they find an audience that responds to them in one way or another. I find, this audience can be categorized into two types:
a)the kind that take the time to actually listen to what she has to say and follow her via social media, daytime television, etc.
b)the kind that jump onto her bandwagon to make a buck off the first mentioned (daytime t.v. producers, talk show hosts, publishers, etc.).
Where there is an audience there is a buck to be made. The sad thing is: it seems that being offensive, vile, mindless or just cheap is "catchy" and people are quick to respond in one way or another. No matter the damage and no matter the cost (to others).
I'm with Lea on this one: "rather than raise the level of mankind she diminishes what humanity could be".
Offensive, vile, cheap, mindless is what it takes to be good at making a buck? Do we really want to be an audience to that?
I wish, the majority out there was a little more selective. Come on, guys! Let's not be an audience to the likes of Ms. Coulter!
Speaking for myself: when I log off here I will most definitely remember John Franklin Stevens' name but what's her name again is already on her way out.
Rosalie
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