The things I miss, living where I do

I know of Ann Coulter, but I've never actually seen her on TV or read anything she's written. But I know her by reputation and she, apparently, has a thing or two to say about me.

And my kids.

Shakesville's Paul the Spud cites a Media Matters post that runs down a few of the more charming passages in Coulter's upcoming book.

Most intriguing to me, of course, was the fact that choosing to leave a relationship that wasn't working did not, in fact, result (as I believed) in me being happier with myself and my life, and consequently being a better parent to my kids (among other things).

Not at all.

Coulter calls children whose parents divorce "future strippers" in a chapter titled "Victim of a Crime? Thank a Single Mother": "In any event, divorced mothers should be called "divorced mothers," not "single mothers." We also have a term for the youngsters involved: "the children of divorce," or as I call them, "future strippers." It is a mark of how attractive it is to be a phony victim that divorcées will often claim to belong to the more disreputable category of "single mothers."* [Page 36] Later in the chapter, Coulter writes: "Single motherhood is like a farm team for future criminals and social outcasts." [Page 38]

Apparently, it was all about career advancement for the girls.

It's a perplexing world, where a book such as this (if you liked the single mother bit, you should see the excerpt on which Democratic presidential candidate was the biggest pussy -- to say nothing of the Nazi parts*** -- it's all really rather stunning) is destined to become a New York Times Bestseller, rather than (well, okay - perhaps in addition to) garnering the ridicule it deserves, or simply being dismissed out of hand by, one would have assumed, most rational adults.

* So the simple, factual term "single mother" is disreputable. Bummer. I guess I could switch to "divorced mother whose children Ann Coulter has determined are to become strippers** and/or criminals"...but that's so very cumbersome.

** I suppose any discussion of "stripper" as a potentially legitimate and profitable profession is a bit beyond the scope of this post.

*** There's actually a passage reverse-conflating**** Nazi Germany and the writers of Murphy Brown. I kid you not.

**** Presumably to nullify Godwin's law by preemptively assuming that the other side will be making the Nazi comparison...I have to admit, I got a little lost at the end there.