I want to make my intentions perfectly clear: I want Ann Coulter, the conservative firebrand and provocateur, to speak at UF. In fact, the event should be required for everyone to attend. If a student values his or her education, listening to Coulter speak is a must.
Before I go into why I think Coulter would be a great lecturer, I want to say I can already hear the complaints and misgivings over such an event. Some students will undoubtedly protest this speaking engagement. Some will write angry columns in newspapers lambasting Coulter and her views. The reasons for such a backlash will hover around the fact that a Trump-supporting, pro-life, anti-immigrant, Bible-thumping, gun-toting pundit on the right that says outlandish statements should never speak on campus.
However, I believe Coulter should speak for these very reasons.
Saying Coulter is a firebrand is an understatement. Her most recent book, "Adios, America: The Left’s Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole," takes no prisoners. The subtitle itself is enough to make any American recoil. As a main-street conservative who knows Coulter’s shtick, I immediately disregarded the book and her views. When I had heard her say Mitt Romney’s idea of illegal immigrants self-deporting is not as crazy as people think, I ignored her message even more.
Little did I realize, I was denying myself the opportunity to listen to a very smart (Ivy-League educated) and rhetorically gifted speaker explain a view and disposition many Americans share. Additionally, her tell-it-like-it-is and brash speaking style is entertaining, to say the least.
So, I decided to listen to her speaking engagements during her book tour. And as it turns out, I found Coulter’s arguments extremely detailed and persuasive. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the book’s main thrust — she backed up her opinions with cold, hard facts. I was shocked about how little I actually knew about the immigration system. In retrospect, listening to Coulter’s speaking engagements was beneficial. After all, I know many conservatives devour Coulter’s writing and help her achieve The New York Time’s bestselling author status.
To be fair, I do not support all of the ideas Coulter mentions in her book and I do not necessarily agree with her pugnacious approach to issues. But I do appreciate the fact that such a talented individual gave such a full-throated, passionate and unapologetic account of an extremely divisive stance on an extremely divisive issue. Such an account takes bravery, especially when our culture and media are so willing to haphazardly throw words like "nativist" and "racist" around.
Despite having a person speak about political positions most UF students have never encountered — and probably don’t condone — that would benefit everyone involved, I am confident this speaking event would never happen. Students would say Coulter is too provocative and try to cancel the event. We only like speakers to visit campus if they agree with what we believe. Just this past month, we invited the overwhelmingly liberal voices of Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that legalized gay marriage, to speak on campus. Where’s the diversity in that?
I truly believe many students — especially students on the left — have never had their political views challenged before. These students should welcome a speaker like Coulter who would really take them to task.
The best part about going to college is the ability to engage with people of different life experiences and opinions. That’s how we learn. However, can you name one Trump-supporting, pro-life, anti-immigrant, Bible-thumping, gun-toting professor or student who says outlandish statements?
Exactly. We need this voice on campus. We need this teachable moment. We need Ann Coulter to speak on campus. Our education depends on it.
Michael Beato is a UF political science senior. His column appears on Mondays.
