Betsy DeVos boo'ed

Discussion in 'Political Discussions' started by ThePatriotHistoria, May 11, 2017.

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  1. ThePatriotHistoria

    ThePatriotHistoria New Member

  2. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    The conduct of those students was reprehensible. The commencement speaker for my Bachelor's graduation was a hack Democrat politician who I had/have absolutely no use for, but I listened quietly and applauded politely when she was done.

    There is a serious lack of decorum and manners in today's society.
     
  3. TomE

    TomE New Member

    This is certainly a bit disheartening, but the students are simply choosing this avenue to protest, express their thoughts/disdain, etc. Sure, it is a bit annoying, but at the same time, market forces will sort this out. Those who don't want to be associated with this type of behavior will choose to attend or to work elsewhere and the general perception of the university may be damaged. If the university administration is serious, they'll look very closely into how to best address this type of behavior moving forward.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I've got two things. The first is that I think it's OK to let a speaker know that you don't approve of or agree with there message. Applause is approval, boos are disapproval. But just as applause can be polite and short, so can booing. It should not interfere with the person's ability to deliver their speech. The second is that a commencement address is not a political rally and it shouldn't be treated as one. I think it's inappropriate to create a major disruption of an event that is, in essence, a celebration. To me it seems like starting a fight at a little kids birthday party. Even if you've got a legitimate gripe, you've got to choose a better place and time.
     
  5. ThePatriotHistoria

    ThePatriotHistoria New Member

    I'm sure they will. I'm just saddened that the graduates at that ceremony won't/can't be held responsible unless they are residing at the University for other work...
     
  6. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    My position on this is that universities should never hesitate to host controversial speakers, with the one and only exception of commencement. Whether or not it was poor form for the students to jeer her, the administration made the mistake-of-origin by inviting a commencement speaker that any fool should have known would be poorly received.
     
  7. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Controversial for who?

    Well over half of the continuing ed graduates (the largest amount of grads) at my commencement were police officers, pretty much all of whom hated the commencement speaker, and anyone with half a brain would have known that.

    Was she invited anyway because the administration knew that a group of police officers aren't going to act like classless jerks at public event that's supposed to be a celebration? Do we now have to select our commencement speakers based on how the graduates, supposedly mature adults, might react?
     
  8. Steve Levicoff

    Steve Levicoff Well-Known Member

    As everyone knows, I swing both ways. No, not that way – get your minds out of the gutter. I mean that I’m liberal on some issues, conservative on some issues, and can hang out with both liberals and conservatives.

    Having said that, I’ve found that, universally, conservatives are far better at dialogue when they don’t agree with the other party. And far more civil.

    The best example I’ve seen of this recently is when Bernie Sanders spoke at the convocation of Liberty University. Ultra-liberal, openly socialist Bernie Sanders. And the students who packed the house that day were not only civil, they were downright excited to hear him speak. They laughed at the right times, they applauded at the right times, and they never shouted him down or turned their backs if he said something with which they disagreed (and he said several things with which, by nature, they would disagree).

    Granted, there are some obnoxious right-wingers out there, but they don’t hold a candle when it comes to obnoxious left-wingers.

    It reminds me of something Juli Loesch Wiley (founder of Prolifers for Survival and longtime activist on the Catholic left) once said: “This is my left wing. On my left wing, as we all know, you have liberal dope-smoking fornicating hippies. And this is my right wing. On my right wing, as we all know, you have conservative Regan-voting anti-choice misogynist reactionaries. Now I think we can agree that a bird cannot fly with just a left wing or a right wing – you need both wings and the middle of the bird.”
     
  9. Stanislav

    Stanislav Well-Known Member

    "Universally"? Good joke, Steve.
    I'd agree that the Left should do discipline thing better. Would make their actions more effective.

    I'm not a Bernie fan (more of a Hillary supporter, frankly). But, come on, Betsy DeVos is no Bernie Sanders.
     
  10. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Are you missing the point on purpose, or did you really not understand why the comparison of the two events applies?
     
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  12. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

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