Reflective on Politics and the Ignorant Things People Say

Last night, Ann Coulter tweeted this hateful statement: "I highly approve of Romney's decision to be kind and gentle to the retard."

First of all, I have a younger brother with a disability, my family and I have fought long and hard against this kind of hatred. Having lived through several years where people used this word to describe him, and experiencing how detrimental this type of bullying is to a person's self-esteem, I found her statement to be rude and offensive.

Second of, I have to be honest; I had to Google Ann Coulter last week. I usually get my news from outside media sources like The Guardian and BBC, and more often the "Liberal" media sources like NPR, and didn't realize just how rancid a human being she actually is, until I saw some of the things she says on Twitter (like calling the President the "r" word or saying parents should disown their gay children).

I shouldn't really be surprised by how ignorant or down right hateful people can be, but for some reason- maybe its because I allow my faith in humanity to be restored every so often- Ann Coulter's comments do surprise and, of course, offend me.

So, how do I respond? How do those of us that find her offensive continue to respond? Clearly, I am only one person among many and writing a well thought out letter confronting these offenses would do nothing. Why doesn't her PR Rep stop her in the first place? What makes matters worse is that I am sure she has "followers" and "fans" that not only agree with her and share her opinions, but also teach and preach these opinions to their children, family, friends, and neighbors. Ignorance, hate, intolerance, and social injustice is a parasitic condition facing our nation. Perpetuating this condition will only serve to further divide an already increasingly segmented and divided country.

It's not about being a Liberal or a Conservative, it's about being a good person- a good American or citizen of the world (we do live in a globalized world)- who is accepting, tolerant, understanding, educated and informed. We cannot speak of equality, if our actions do not reflect what we say we believe. If you don't agree with the political stance a person or candidate takes, make a well-thought out argument against their platform and suggested policies. Name calling only makes you look ignorant.