David Anderson: How dare The Bee recommend censoring Ann Coulter

Re “We are outraged anyone would invite Ann Coulter to our home” (Page 1D, March 12): One of life’s greatest pleasures is sitting down and pouring through the Sunday paper. So on March 12, I was dismayed and outraged to read the article by Debbie Avila and Rebecca Ortega-Harrington castigating Supervisor Jim DeMartini for inviting conservative Ann Coulter to speak at the April 28 Republican fundraiser. It is righteous and proper for anyone, The Modesto Bee included, to denounce ideas on their merits or to encourage others to boycott the event as a way to discourage Ann Coulter and her message.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am not a fan of Coulter any more than I am of the far left. But to silence the messenger is far removed from silencing the message. For The Bee to decide who can and cannot offer ideas, no matter how repugnant they feel the message is, is anathema to the principles and ideals of being an American or the tenets of the First Amendment. The editor owes an apology to every veteran who has served or died defending every American’s right to voice an opinion, whether one agrees or not. Censorship, especially from a respected newspaper, is not only misguided, it’s dangerous.

Editor’s note: The Bee does not endorse censorship nor has The Bee called for a boycott of Ann Coulter’s performance at the Lincoln Day fundraiser. The Bee invites members of the community to express their opinions, including those that some find objectionable. The authors of the article are community members who expressed their disappointment in those who invited her to the community.

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "David Anderson: How dare The Bee recommend censoring Ann Coulter."