Xavier U, Prepare For The Pestilence

My first question is why this university in Ohio would grant a forum to Mann Coulter (due to speak on September 6th), but as long as they have…

People For (The American Way) is teaming up with state groups like ProgressOhio and Equality Ohio to raise support for the progressive student groups at Xavier that fight for the American values -- equality, diversity, social justice -- Coulter routinely attacks. Since Coulter's speaking fee of $20,000+ equals about $5 per Xavier student, we are asking progressives to chip in $5 to support groups like Xavier's Gay-Straight Alliance, Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity and Earthcare.

Can you spare just $5 to support the same communities Coulter regularly bashes for pay?

As Ann Coulter is speaking, People For, our Ohio partners, fellows from our affiliate People For the American Way Foundation's Young People For program and other progressive students and activists will participate in a rally on Xavier's campus, where we will counter Coulter's divisive message and present a check to Xavier's progressive student groups for the total amount raised by all the participating groups.

YOU can be there in spirit. And YOU can help turn this into a model that can be used across the country -- a way for progressives to turn radical right-wingers' vitriol, bigotry and intolerance against them, while at the same time bolstering our movement.

When you donate, you can write a little note to Ms. Coulter that we'll see gets sent her way. Donate more than $5 and the extra will go toward People For's ongoing efforts to:

• create this type of response to right-wing demagogues on campuses and in communities across the country;

• monitor and report on the Radical Right (including via our Right Wing Watch blog);

• work with our allies and our affiliates (PFAWF, YP4, YP4 Action) to build the tools and resources activists like you can use to fight the Right in your own communities.

People For was founded over 25 years ago by Norman Lear, Barbara Jordan and other leaders in direct response to the growing influence of Radical Right figures like Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. Mobilizing Americans to challenge the Right remains a core part of our mission, and with people out there like Ann Coulter, we still have our work cut out for us.

Please kick in $5 in support of Xavier's progressive student groups and as much as you can to People For's efforts to track, refute and defeat the Radical Right.

Thank you.

-- Your Allies (Against the Radical Right) at People For the American Way

And as I always do when it comes to anything involving Coulter, I'll let that scholarly man of letters Henry Rollins have the last word (he throws in an "F" bomb or two, so be warned).



Update 8/17: And by the way, here is the latest from Ann Coulter...

Mr. Bush was supposed to bring peace and prosperity, democracy and freedom to Iraq. Instead, he has destroyed the country, leaving thousands of people homeless with no food or electricity and without their leaders, who went on vacation because of the heat.

Our troops, who are carrying gear in the heat, don't matter (to him). So far, 3,600 have been killed. Another 27,000 are in hospitals and having their benefits questioned or cut.

Bush's legacy and his library will be built on coffins and on the backs of disfigured young men and women. Bill Clinton may have lied but no one died.

The only people who still believe in Bush are those who are too ashamed to admit how wrong they were.

And as usual, that letter was from Ann Coulter of Bensalem, Pa.; it appeared in the Bucks County Courier Times today.