By Scott Tibbs, October 23, 2004
I have been reading some comments by Leftists regarding the thugs who assaulted Ann Coulter on Thursday night when she was speaking to conservative students at the University of Arizona. I am stunned at how lightly some Leftists are taking this act of terrorism.
Reminder: Two Leftist thugs (Phillip Edgar Smith and William Zachary Wolff) charged the stage when Ann Coulter was giving a speech, throwing custard pies at her.
There should be no doubt to any reasonable person that this is an act of terrorism. Merriam-Webster defines terrorism as "the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion". Smith and Wolff physically assaulted Ann Coulter because they disagreed with her political views. Other than the difference in scale, how is that different from September 11th?
The hypocrisy of these Leftists is clear. If a conservative had rushed the stage and threw something at a Leftist speaker, these Leftists would blow out their vocal chords screeching about it.
Some Leftists would mock the truth that Smith and Wolff engaged in terrorism. After all, they only tried to hit her with a custard pie, right? Wrong! The "silly" nature of their assault on Coulter does not negate the fact that Smith and Wolff physically assaulted her.
What if Ann Coulter had been carrying a firearm and shot these thugs as they charged the stage? She would have been justified if she had done so. There was no way for her to know that Smith and Wolff were not planning something a lot more sinister than a pie to the face. Given the increasing ferocity of some radical Leftists as Election Day approaches, and given the hateful attacks Coulter has faced in the past, she would have had a legitimate reason to believe that Smith and Wolff were planning on doing serious physical harm.
Of course, this kind of unjustifiable behavior is nothing new. In fact, uncivil behavior by the Left has been a prominent feature of local politics here in Bloomington, Indiana.
- In 1994, "feminists" protesting a speaker brought to Indiana University by Collegians Activated to Liberate Life walked up to the stage and vomited on him in protest of his speech.
- Two years ago, former Monroe County Commissioner Kirk White had to be escorted out of a public hearing on Interstate 69 for his own safety after Leftists physically confronted him after he finished his comments.
- Leftist radicals disrupted a rally to "expose and close" the Kinsey institute in 1997.
- This campaign season, over 150 Bush/Cheney yard signs have been stolen.
- Last week, supporters of Congressman Baron Hill shoved and spit on supporters of Mike Sodrel outside of the television station where the two candidates were set to debate.
I had the chance to watch a video of the attack on Coulter by Smith and Wolff. As one of the thugs charged the stage, Coulter yelped in fear and ran for her safety to the back of the stage. The cowards then attempted to run away, but were apprehended by heroic members of the audience. I am shocked that anyone who watched this act of terrorism can take it lightly.
Those who do not take this act of terrorism seriously are living in a September 10th world. One would think that the destruction of the World Trade Center and the deaths of 3000 people would be a wake up call that we cannot take terrorists, any terrorists, lightly.
The fact that Leftists do not take the assault on Coulter seriously has a much more serious effect. Laughing at the crime perpetrated by Smith and Wolff ultimately serves to encourage terrorism. When Leftists laugh off a physical assault on a conservative columnist, it sends the message to thugs and terrorists that violence is acceptable. If charging onto a stage and assaulting a conservative pundit is acceptable, what if they step it up a notch or two? When that happens, I hope these Leftists look at themselves in the mirror and realize the damage they have done.
