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In her latest bestselling book, Ann Coulter exposes the "victim" ploy that has "the most aggressive people…always wailing about their victimhood." Cultural and policy changes have created the explosion of single motherhood. "We could wipe out chronic poverty in America tomorrow if women could just manage to get married before having children-and to stay married after having children," Coulter argues. Instead of promoting this goal, the government is currently considering even more policy efforts that will promote and reward premarital sex and divorce.
The "victim" ploy works so well because of the generosity and charity that still characterize America. "Americans give more to charity than the citizens of any other country," writes Coulter. After the 2004 tsunami, the U.S. government gave $350 million in aid-but private American citizens donated $2 billion, "while the citizens of other countries gave virtually nothing, allowing their governments' aid to suffice." In 2005, Barack Obama made $1.7 million, and George Bush made $735,180-but they both gave about the same amount to charity (Bush gave over 10% of his income away throughout his presidency). Ted Kennedy gives about 1% of his income away; in 1998, Al Gore gave $353 to charity. The average American in Gore's income bracket gives away ten times that much. Generosity and compassion for the truly oppressed should continue to characterize our country, and we need discernment to tell victim from oppressor, needy from greedy. Coulter administers a salutary dose of that discernment in Guilty. (Crown Forum, 2009, 312 pp., $27.95) |
Take this example of NBC's Brian Williams's version of a "gotcha" question for Obama: "And you had to be thinking of your mother and father."
