Very few people have the ability to irritate me to the point of utter disgust. However, no matter what she says or whom she’s talking about, ultra conservative Ann Coulter manages to do the job…every time.
Coulter, who is a New York Times best-selling author has recently released yet another highly controversial and offensive new book, Guilty: Liberal Victims and Their Assault on America. In Guilty, Coulter dives to a new low as she veraciously insults single mothers, select mainstream media outlets, Democrats and President-elect Barack Obama.
During an interview this week with Matt Lauer of the “Today Show,” Coulter said single mothers are the culprits of society’s problems. Among her abundance of accusations, Coulter blamed single mothers for the overcrowding of prisons, unwed pregnancies, and teenage runaways.
“Countless studies on the subject make it clear,” said Coulter in the interview. “Look at any societal problem on the subject and you’ll find it is really a problem of single mothers.”
While there are many American households led by single mothers, it’s unfair to say that these women are the reasons for society’s problems. There are countless mothers who single-handedly raise their children and those children grow up to be respectable, law-abiding citizens who didn’t get pregnant as teenagers nor ran away.
Aside from Coulter’s incorrect assumption in regards to the problems facing society, I have a major issue with the fact that she placed very little “blame” on men. By failing to acknowledge the men who may have chosen to not be responsible husbands or fathers, Coulter suggests that single mothers are the entire blame…as if women desire the burden of not having help or involvement from their children’s father. As a woman herself, it seems as if Coulter would have been a bit more objective in her assessment.
In addition, Coulter is incorrect in regards to coverage of this issue, as there are many mainstream media outlets (including “Today”) that have addressed the importance of nuclear families.
In an extreme fashion, Coulter attacked Obama repeatedly throughout her book. One of the most vicious examples is Coulter’s repeated referral to Obama as “B. Hussein Obama.” By eliminating his first name and constantly using Obama’s middle name, Coulter attempts to keep the false and controversial assumption that the president-elect is a Muslim at the forefront of people’s mind. The writer’s obvious disrespect to the nation’s next president is not only highly offensive, but also teeters on the lines of an act of hate crime.
It’s important to note that while Coulter also referred to President George W. Bush many times in her book, she never referred to him as G. Walker Bush. When Lauer asked her why not be consistent when referring to Obama and Bush, a stumped Coulter said, “It is funny. I’m not going to deny that there’s something ironic about having just gone to war with an enemy named Hussein and there runs a guy whose middle name is Hussein.”
Referencing Obama negatively wasn’t Coulter’s only slight on the president-elect. She also claimed that during his campaign he wasn’t asked about issues. I strongly object to such an insinuation because not only was Obama repeatedly asked about every possible issue that plagues this country, but every single word he uttered was intensely scrutinized. I think most would agree that Obama was held to a much higher standard than any of his opponents.
Coulter’s constant badgering and assault on people limit her credibility immensely. While she has a gift for writing, that talent is minimized by the way in which she writes and the subjects she opts to focus on. The United States is currently in one of the most challenging times that we’ve seen in a very long time. Now is the time to address issues that face this country. We must concentrate less on things that divide us and focus on rebuilding America to the respectable state that it once was.
