NOT GUILTY

A few thoughts on Ann Coulter's Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America.

If anyone has ever truly believed that the best way to drive your point home is to do the exact same thing you are criticizing someone else for, then by all means purchase this book immediately. If on the other hand you feel that elementary school style insults have a way of watering down an argument or that in the event someone has a valid point, it would be more readily absorbed if put forth intelligently then please spare yourself the misery of reading this book. The "I'm Rubber and You're Glue" tactic lost it's efficacy on me around 3rd grade.



Ann Coulter talked in so many circles I was actually dizzy. After every few pages, I had to pick up David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice just to keep my sanity. And yes, I am fully aware of the hilarity and irony that Dinah the Christmas whore attending the Sedaris Family festivities and 34 year old elves referring to Santa as Satan does not offend me in the least, but every other word penned in Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America appalled me to my very core. Here are a few of my favorite goodies:

"Liberals are gay's biggest champions on issues most gays couldn't care less about, like gay marriage. . ." (Huh?)

"Starting only a few decades ago, liberals launched a three-front attack on marriage through the courts, the welfare system, and popular culture." (There we go, championing those gays again)

"Forty years was a long time ago, but not as long ago as slavery existed in this country and we never hear the end of that." (Hmmm, wonder why that is)

"Victim of a Crime? Thank a Single Mother" (Title of ch. #2)

Those lovely statements must have been in one of the 10 out of 264 pages when she is not bashing the New York Times. What's that, oh yes, the Times swings so far to the left that it just had to list Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on Americaas a #1 Best Seller. What's that, oh yes, what is a girl to do but splash that on the cover of her book. Here is a novel idea, if you don't like what the Times has to say, maybe just don't read it. It is no shocker that I do not care for Fox News, but I just choose not to watch it. Not to mention that while it is such an insanely Fair & Balanced news source that is so wildly popular, Ms. Coulter simply must defend it ad nauseam. Hey, if it ain't broke, that's all I'm saying.

Why would a liberal like myself dare to even pick up Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America by the author of such doozies as If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans, and How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must): The World According to Ann Coulter? Curiosity mostly, coupled with the idea I may gain knowledge from reading other's views. Clearly gaining knowledge was not the case here.

You know those conversations you have with open minded people and even though you may not agree there is the possibility that each of you could learn something. Reading this book was not one of those times. I disagree with the notion that Religion and Politics should never be discussed at the dinner table. I believe that if everyone involved can keep an open mind then it is immeasurably important to talk about such things, more so than any mundane topic. One of my besties, Melissa, is a warm, talented, intelligent, and amazingly articulate woman. While we remain on opposite ends of the political scale I always enjoy discussions with her because I become aware of new perspectives. If ever a chat starts to get heated we simply change the subject.

I am sad to find Ms. Coulter to be one of those people that makes an open dialogue impossible. I was hoping to find a well spoken author under the shocking titles, but that was not what I found at all.

Oh well, at least I will always have David Sedaris to make me smile.

Toodles from one Liberal Smalltownista