Call to action

Here's my email to Cleary University's president (his email is tsullivan@cleary.edu):

Dear Dr. Thomas P. Sullivan,
President of Cleary University,

It is with disappointment that I learned that the Livingston Economic Club at Cleary University plans to have Ann Coulter speak on October 1, 2007 to kick-off your Founder's Week Celebration. In light of recent events with the Don Imus controversy, I'm surprised that you would have a speaker like Ms. Coulter speak at your esteemed institution. Mr. Imus has been in the news recently for using bigoted, racist and feminist remarks on his radio show for which he was subsequently fired. Ms. Coulter is, in my opinion, guilty of even worse bigoted remarks. She called presidential candidate John Edwards a "faggot" and she has referred to Muslims as "rag-heads".

Your mission statement states that Cleary University is "committed to the betterment of society". Does Cleary University think it is to the betterment of society to be associated with someone that uses such derogatory descriptions of people she does not like. I have no quarrel with any one's Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech, however, calling others by such hateful slurs is not a good reflection on her or on Cleary University. Do you really want to show your support for people like Ann Coulter and Don Imus? If you and your university really do support such people, then you send a message to every student, member of faculty, employee and alumni that Cleary University does support bigotry and intolerance. What a fine message to send, especially to your students!

I urge you to rethink the idea of having Ann Coulter speak to kick-off the Founder's Week Celebrations. Surely you can find someone who does not use hateful name-calling to get their points across. Let's not give people who use hate speech a pulpit from which to preach their hatred and intolerance. I'm sure Cleary University can do better and does not want to sully its reputation.