Ann Coulter Criticized for 'Civil Rights Are for Blacks' Comment
ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" host Ann Coulter has landed herself in hot water after saying that "civil rights are for blacks."
The comment arose as Coulter was imparting opinions on the Democratic party's strategic focus on Latinos ahead of the November elections.
"Democrats are dropping the blacks and moving on to the Hispanics," Coulter said during a roundtable discussion that also included Univision anchor Jorge Ramos, former Clinton labor secretary Robert Reich, and Melody Barnes- the former Obama domestic policy adviser.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Coulter also stated that Democrats have stopped supporting African Americans when it comes to civil rights, and instead have began to argue for "civil rights" for other groups.
"I think the way liberals have treated blacks like children and many of their policies have been harmful to blacks, at least they go to the beneficiary group right," said the 50-year-old conservative lawyer.
"There is a legacy of slavery and Jim Crow laws," Coulter continued. "We don't owe the homeless. We don't owe feminists. We don't owe women who are desirous of having abortions or gays who want to get married to one another. That's what civil rights has become for much of the left."
Stephanopoulos interrupted Coulter to ask, "Immigrant rights are not civil rights?"
"No, I think civil rights are for blacks," Coulter replied. "What have we done to the immigrants? We owe black people something. We have a legacy of slavery. Immigrants haven't even been in this country."
Barnes did not agree with Coulter, and said that immigrants are discriminated against and therefore need the same protections offered to those who fought for civil rights.
"I think you misunderstand the history of what's happened to immigrants and the history of discrimination against immigrants in this country," said Barnes, who credited the work of the late Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy.
Many viewers also disagreed with Coulter, including Twitter users.
"Last week, I told @AnnCoulter that we need to talk. This week, we REALLY need to talk. Please stop referring to black ppl as 'the Blacks,'" Michael Skolnik, Co-President of GlobalGrind.com, wrote.
"Short memo to White conservatives," Skolnik added. "Black people are not a family called 'The Blacks.' Cc: @AnnCoulter"
Coulter recently released the new book, "Mugged: Racial Demagoguery From the Seventies to Obama," and in addition to being a conservative social and political commenter, she is syndicated columnist. The author has defended her comments in the past, describing herself as a polemist who prefers to "stir the pot" who does not "pretend to be impartial or balanced, as broadcasters do," she said during a speech at Cornell University.
