Today I stumbled across the following quote by Ann Coulter:
(Incidentally, this was posted to Facebook by the same friend who sparked my Athiest, why don’t you just shut up? post)
Is it just me or is that statement by Ms Coulter as insulting as it is absurd?
This is a single-sentence lesson in how to create a giant straw man. Coulter obviously wants to make liberal-minded people seem evil and she does this by concocting a ludicrous position (that abortion is less upsetting than chopping down trees) and then unilaterally ascribes this position to a large and diverse group of people.
Why does Coulter try and sell such an obvious straw man as a legitimate liberal position? Because she is ignorant and likes getting attention for saying outrageous things, I imagine.
I consider myself to be liberal, I’m not sure how liberal I am because I don’t really spend a lot of time trying to fit my thoughts into a narrow definition.
I don’t have a moral or philosophical position on chopping down trees. Sometimes you need to and sometimes it can be avoided and I’d like to see chopped-down trees replaced by newly-planted ones. I understand the ecological impact of logging and am appalled by the damage that is being done to the rainforests.
I do have a moral and philosophical position on abortion. In my opinion it is wrong. When I fell pregnant with my first child I was very young, unmarried and unemployed and I considered abortion. I didn’t consider it for very long, however, and decided that I could not terminate a life to cover up my mistakes. That was the best decision I have ever made and I would never undo it for anything.
Does that mean that my decision would work for every woman who falls pregnant? No.
I have a very supportive family, am well educated and have never had trouble finding employment. I knew that I would be able to cope. But many women are not as fortunate as I am.
I don’t think that what I decide to do with my uterus is anybody’s business but my own. By extension, I don’t think that anybody should ever be allowed to tell any woman what to do with her body, especially when the consequences are bearing a child. That is too big a responsibility to be forced into by anybody.
In my opinion, the people trying to force women to have children against their will are the conservative, religious sectors of society. This is supported by the actions and statements of the religious, condemning women and killing doctors for exercising their rights to do with their bodies as they see fit. And I think it is deeply perverted to try and exercise that kind of power against anyone.
And I’m sure that for every “liberal” out there, there will be another opinion. Some may agree with me, some may differ, and some may not give a damn either way. But I think that Ann Coulter should be more careful about her public statements in the future. Saying demonstrably false, stupid, ignorant things might make her feel all controversial and edgy, but it makes her look stupid and ignorant.
As you mother, I just want to say I will be eternally grateful that you did not have that abortion….. What would our lives be without our wonderful Owie??!!
My opinion is, unless the foetus is shown to be unlikely to survive for any length of time due to physical or mental abnormality, or the mother’s life is in serious danger, abortion is not an option.
The only area where I am in two minds is when the pregnancy is as a result of rape…. Then I dont know what I would do. My heart says have the baby and put it up for adoption, but my head says no, because the pregnancy was forced on the woman. I really have difficulty with that situation…
Yeah, I couldn’t have an abortion. It’s not the right choice for me and I’m glad I chose the way I did. I am pro-life and pro-choice at the same time.
Love the title…agree wholeheartedly.
Ann Coulter probably cares deeply for babies when they’re unborn, but if they grow up to become poor because their mothers were kept in a state of financial duress due to being undereducated and underpaid while trying to raise a baby, let’s see how much Ann cares about them then :/
I don’t think she cares about unborn foetuses at all. think she cares about making a name for herself.
But her point is it’s not an organ…you mentioned your uterus….it’s a human being that changed your life…enlarged your heart…a uterus doesn’t have a soul…and, obviously, a tree doesn’t her. She uses dramatics to get our attention…on that level she is very successful. Her point is missed in the reactions though….if you think about it…not reactionary thinking…but her intent…she is saying what’s more important….where is your passion? That’s all
I got out of it….she was uses radical illustrations….and she is witty enough to get pur attention.
Except that most abortions in the USA and the UK are performed before 6 weeks gestation. The embryo can’t be considered a child at this point.
I get this sort of thing quite a bit. I am always accused of being a liberal. I guess in many ways I am and in many ways I am not.
This is another example of classifying a whole cross section of the population via hyperbole.
Remember… generalzations are NEVER true.
Oh, she’s not ignorant. Far from it. But she’s a pundit in popular media. She’s supposed to talk shit. She gets PAID to talk shit. Conservative and liberal media outlets, alike, love her for her shit and make money from it. When she says something that insults someone who identifies as a liberal and who then blogs about it, she hears this sound: “Ka-ching”. Mission accomplished. Media base and relevance extended. Book sales and paid appearances assured another few years.
The trick, I think, is not to be insulted by people whose career it is to insult you. It’s not like it’s true discourse or anything. It’s theater. Now, if that quote had come from a sitting official or even a religious leader, I would take them to task. But this is Ann. C’mon. She’s already got the intelligence, the stunning good looks, the height, the hair. Quit giving her wealth!
Agreed. My Grandad took a line form GB Shaw which he taught me when I was little. “Never wrestle with pigs in the mud. You get dirty and the pigs like it.”
Well said!
Thank you
You’re welcome.