As a ranking official of the Arkansas Contrarian Liabilities Union, it pains me to have to defend ranking rank conservative commentator Coulter. There is a move to have her syndicate, Universal Press, drop her newspaper column. Ann Coulter in a speech (not a TV commentary or published essay) called a Democratic presidential candidate a homosexual but used a coarse word. Some in the media call this the “F-Bomb.” It’s not that “F-Bomb,” but another one.<\/p>\n
The candidate probably is not gay. But gay rights groups, Democratic groups, and fans of this politician are making big noises to try to ruin Coulter’s career. This is a marketplace decision, not a political one, however, and I am glad that Universal’s chief, Lee Salem, is saying no to demands it drop her, according to news reports. He elaborated that client newspapers are as always free to drop hers or anyone’s columns. He did not say or need to say that if Coulter runs in too few newspapers for Universal to make revenue he can’t keep her.<\/p>\n
But these groups don’t like that. The news indicates they are campaigning to individual newspapers to drop Coulter’s column, but they’re also calling Universal Press names — not that name — for making it hard for them to be lazy.<\/p>\n
We Contrarians have to stick together, even though we’re talking about Coulter. I don’t mind her calling officials names, even inaccurate, Plame-throwing names. Oh, blame-throwing. No, flame-throwing. I oppose her criticizing non-public figures with her characteristic caustic caws, because they don’t have her arsenal. But she has the right to do so, because she gets to face the consequences of ridicule, if not now then in the next life. I do mind very much when she distorts facts, because lots of people don’t know either current events or history and apparently believe her. But the First Amendment allows her this, too.<\/p>\n
It’s simply anti-American for groups to just call for bans or firings, otherwise known as censorship. These groups need their own Ann Coulters, or if that disgusts them, clever but nice people with comparable on-air and prose talent. You know, the Marketplace of Ideas. My ACLU and the real ACLU believe in that bazaar.<\/p>\n
As Contrarians who envy her soapbox, don’t we have to say, “You go, F-girl. We got your back”?<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
I know all about prison. I’ve seen lots of shows. People often get nicknames in penitentiaries. Some flattering, some mean, some too close to true for comfort — like junior high.<\/p>\n
Going to the pen with a nickname is another matter. It’s going to be tested. When your buds in the bar say, “There goes The Accountant,” you’ll be asked to do other inmates’ taxes or count bartered cigarettes and weigh contraband. If the guys in the neighborhood call you Knuckles, or Godfather, well if you have that sort of name you can take care of yourself, inside.<\/p>\n
When you’re a guy facing prison and your name is Scooter — well, good luck, fella.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Psst, psst, speaking of junior high and cliques and secrets, did you hear the latest about Valerie Plame? Valerie Plame is a spy!<\/strong><\/p>\n Or am I the last to know? -30-<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a ranking official of the Arkansas Contrarian Liabilities Union, it pains me to have to defend ranking rank conservative commentator Coulter. There is a move to have her syndicate, Universal Press, drop her newspaper column. Ann Coulter in a speech (not a TV commentary or published essay) called a Democratic presidential candidate a homosexual […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-spin"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2009,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2010\/06\/robo-fall\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":0},"title":"Robo Fall","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"June 9, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2010 Ben S. Pollock Dear Democratic and Republican parties of Arkansas, and all the interest groups at sea: On behalf of the news media of the state -- and independent blogs such as this, seeing that the corporate media don't pay me to represent them but instead to shape\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News, Spin"","block_context":{"text":"News, Spin","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/news-spin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6064,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2018\/05\/2020-vision-in-2018\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":1},"title":"2020 Vision in 2018","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"May 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember Conner Eldridge? He was the Democratic opponent to Republican Sen. John Boozman in the 2016 general election. Because Republicans are hot stuff these days and it\u2019s tough to tackle an incumbent he lost. He\u2019s back to lawyering. There\u2019s any number of good people like Eldridge who at least for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Body, Home, Street"","block_context":{"text":"Body, Home, Street","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/body-home-street\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Arkansas flag","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/68E60AA6-8967-4CE1-BED4-D7B3EF7BBCE2.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":40,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2004\/01\/we-all-scream\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":2},"title":"We all scream","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"January 24, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Copyright 2004 Ben S. Pollock Friday, Jan. 23, 2004. I like Howard Dean. I didn't care one way or the other before the night of the Iowa caucuses and that speech of his, Jan. 20. Now I don't know if he should be elected president or even the Democratic nominee;\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News, Spin"","block_context":{"text":"News, Spin","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/news-spin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4930,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2014\/10\/debateable-indeed\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":3},"title":"Debatable? Indeed.","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"October 16, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"A full-scale, live television candidate debate just may be the pinnacle of unscripted yet predictable \"reality TV,\" with a local example as proof. It was a circus of tamed animals, no clowns. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor faced Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton at a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brick Bats Reportage"","block_context":{"text":"Brick Bats Reportage","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/brick-bats-reportage\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Illustration of Mark Pryor and Tom Cotton by Shafali Anand. Republished with permission of Talk Business & Politcs","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/PryorVCotton-TBP-640x250-300x117.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":340,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2007\/07\/yes-sir-thats-his-baby\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":4},"title":"Yes Sir, That’s His Baby","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"July 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Relaxation tip: Ignore the presidential campaigns because it's 15 months before November 2008. It's six months before any primaries that matter. Why get worked up? A good part of the chaff will be be blown away by either luck or strong campaigners so you won't get your hopes up for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News, Spin"","block_context":{"text":"News, Spin","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/news-spin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5514,"url":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/2016\/11\/ajar-letter\/","url_meta":{"origin":292,"position":5},"title":"An Ajar Letter to Arkansas Electors","author":"Ben S. Pollock","date":"November 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"To the Honorable (Arkansas elector) Dear M-. _______, I am a native of our state, now living in Northwest Arkansas. This letter is to request you vote for any presidential candidate besides Donald J. Trump when the state's electors meet Monday, Dec. 19. This request does not come from partisanship\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News, Spin"","block_context":{"text":"News, Spin","link":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/category\/news-spin\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Graphic of hand dropping ballot into slot","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/ballot-800px-295x300.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/benpollock.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}