The New York Times reported Sunday the three leading contenders for the Republican nomination, Sen. John McCain, Rudy Guiliani and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney denounced conservative author and commentator Ann Coulter for calling Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards a "f----t."
Ann Coulter is the author of several books, including "High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton," and "Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism." She is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel as a political commentator, and is known for her biting, often offensive criticisms of liberal and Democratic ideas, politicians and voters.
This is not the first time Coulter has been the object of criticism for her remarks, as she has made over-generalizing and offensive comments about Arabs and gays, among others.
The Lantern would first like to applaud the three Republican candidates for calling out Coulter and denouncing her counterproductive actions. Our leaders, from whatever political party, carry a burden of responsibility to encourage productive public debate and to usher in constructive discourse. When political commentators from "the left" make offensive remarks, we fully expect Democratic leaders to similarly respond.
The Lantern believes Fox News Channel and other news organizations should stop calling on Coulter as a source for political insight, as her patently offensive and derisive commentary adds little to the public discourse, and serves as mere entertainment for her fan base. The nature of her comments, though sometimes clever, are worth more for their entertainment value, and that is not the goal of journalism.
If Coulter were the spokeswoman for a political campaign, there would be relevance in interviewing her. If she were the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank, there would be relevance in interviewing her. But she isn't. Her fame is the sole beneficiary of her actions, and large media organizations are giving her more attention than she deserves.
The Lantern is not calling for a complete ban on everything Ann Coulter. That would be antithetical to how we view the role of the news media - which is to either find the truth or the reality of situations and to tease out meaning from ideas.
If a story of particular relevance to her education, research or personal life is newsworthy, then her views may deserve attention. But the media should not be used as means by which a mean-spirited, offensive and insensitive hack gains more attention and notoriety for her own purposes.
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