Posted on 05/18/2008 5:49:01 AM PDT by kellynla
ST. LOUIS -- Some felt the silent protest with white armbands and the dramatic turning of backs was disrespectful. But those who took part said it was a fitting way to show their disapproval that Washington University was honoring a woman whose views and life’s work they strongly disagree with.
For her part, Phyllis Schlafly, the 83-year-old at the center of the controversy, said she thought it was "juvenile" of students who were "raining on their own parade." But it didn’t ruin her moment, she said.
At today’s commencement ceremony held on a sunny Brookings Quadrangle, Schlafly did not seem to notice the hundreds of backs turned to her while a citation heralding her accomplishments was read. A tense hush settled over the gathering of more than 14,000 people. Schlafly responded with a tranquil smile she held for several minutes as she was given an honorary doctorate of humane letters.
Margaret Bush Wilson, a retired civil rights attorney, volunteered to introduce Schlafly as faculty and students were calling on the university to rescind the degree. Wilson said after the ceremony that while she does not agree with many of Schlafly’s views, she is a strong advocate of free speech.
"Vigorous, free-flowing debate is the cornerstone of our American life," Wilson said at today’s ceremony.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
I’m cynical enough to believe a large donation (not from Schlafly herself) to the college must have been linked to the granting of the degree.
“juvenile” of students who were “raining on their own parade.”
seems to be a college norm
LOL :-)
Doesn’t show a lot of class, but I will say that if Hillary Clinton had been speaker at my law school graduation (as some had proposed) I would have sat on my hands the whole speech.
Agreed. I’d be surprised if money did not change hands. No major US university would give her a platform otherwise.
It must have been a lot of money.
I had no idea, she is as generous as she is accomplished. I'd have called them the meat by-products of the American education racket.
The Klingons have a word for this, discomendation.
I had no idea she was 83 now. My hat is off to her for continuing to fight the good fight.
I was fortunate to have Bill Buckley speak at my commencement. (I was fortunate to be there myself!)
What a waste of carbon credits...
The students were just being the good little Marxists they were trained to be.
This is how people treat freedom loving, pro sovereignty, non socialists in the US today.
Won’t be too long now, if people get the government they deserve, they are about to get what they deserve....and then some.
I was going to write something, but after that, why bother?
Could I ask when he made that statement particularly? RIP, mr. Buckley.
Mark Stephen Wrighton Chancellor, Washington University in St. Louis
... The University's total operating budget is $1.8 billion, and its $5.7 billion endowment places it among the top private universities in the United States.
Some of these institutions are sitting on some major bucks...
Liberals showing their backsides: that’s what they do best.
Total operating budget: $1.8 bil.
University's endowment: $5.7 bil.
Freedom of speech: Priceless.
Agreed. I’d be surprised if money did not change hands. No major US university would give her a platform otherwise.
It must have been a lot of money.””
Phyllis and several of her family have degrees from Wash Univ.
Well, I bet that would have really showed Hillary...
A few hundred out of 14,000? Maybe 3 or 4%. But the MSM will not relate that little factoid.
Phyllis is in a league of her own and one of the greats.
The university gets credit for honoring her, the leftists need to grow up and allow conservatives to speak.
They are on the level with brownshirts in the streets of Germany in the 1930’s.
If she had set up a bookstore or conservative center on campus, they would have stood outside and protested calling her a “racist”, “homophobe” etc.
This whole show show yesterday is just the lefties way of saying “Jew” like the stormtroopers did in Germany outside shops then.
“Some of these institutions are sitting on some major[tax free] bucks...”
they are indeed, but yet they have no problem in charging outrageous prices....here’s the breakdown on Washington University’s costs.
http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/10824.html
and so Mom and Dad, that Women’s Studies degree for your daughter is gonna run you right at $200,000....plus you get to go to graduation and see it spoiled by a bunch of rude punkass ingrates.
Sen Grassley[R.Iowa]wants these schools to start spreading the dough around more or lose their tax exempt status...I think he’s right.
Liberals - children trapped in adult bodies.
No matter how Liberal, sometimes a headlineworthy token situation might be done as an example of how open-minded and fair it still all really is.
Just as the ACLU from time to time takes a no-brainer case on behalf of principles they generally oppose.
Let’s do the best we can to think the best of our very best, and that certainly includes Schlafly.
Now, let them have Ann Coulter next year.
OK, then that’s the hook. I’m still surprised the University would do it.
They are lucky the protest was so minor.
Liberals are not real big on free speech.
Let’s not forget Margaret Bush Wilson. She certainly showed courage and demonstrated there are liberals out there we may disagree with but who still have a lot integrity.
In 1981, when Phyllis Schlafly drew a good crowd when she spoke at Occidental College, despite the picket line formed by student protesters in front of the auditorium. During her address, some students in the audience periodically interrupted her by shouting slogans. I was later told that fraternity members were seated at the front to provide her with security.
I’d have turned my back too, if the commencement speaker at my graduation ceremony had been some sort of political ideologue. The simple fact of the matter is that graduation is supposed to be about the accomplishments and potential of the graduates, and not about the egoes or hobby-horses of the speakers or the faculty. That is the wrong place to be partisan.
Dont’ bother me with your lack of good manners.
Lack of good manners? How is it good manners to inject politics into a commencement ceremony in the first place?
Correct, except for one thing: they are not "liberals" in any true sense of the word. Let us call them what they are: fascist thugs.
WW II Vets turned their backs on Clinton during Memorial Day services.
So true.
I genuinely fear the end of America is upon us.
A chill wind blows.
Socialists lie when they say that they support diversity. They have no tolerance for conservative thinkers.
Without a transcript, we don’t really know is she injected politics into the speech or not. The article didn’t mention that she’d said anything along those lines.
My husband graduated from Wash. U. back in 1961. It was left leaning even then, and expensive. He was immediately drafted, but managed to get into Air Force Officer Training School.
In the years since then, Wash. U. has tracked us down and made pitches for money on a regular basis. We have never given anything, but they never give up.
After my husband retired from the AF, we had a son starting college. No way could we afford to send him to Wash. U. but they kept on calling and sending appeals for funds.
I am so glad we never weakened and sent them one red cent!
I find the use of the word juvenile most interesting.
When liberal/leftist students do the same thing, or worse, to conservative speakers it is a sign of their maturity and the wrongness of the conservative position on whatever ….
But, when conservative and centrists students do it to a liberal speaker…..
Reminds me very much of the 1994 national elections when MSM reader of scripts (news anchor is an incorrect term) frowned and remarked that the American Electorate had a “temper tantrum” because they turned to the incorrect (aka Republican) candidates.
And the MSM both print and video wonder why they are bleeding money.
My grandfather graduated from Wash. U in 1900. It was a fine academic school. I entered college in 1969, and I never gave it much consideration.
The commencement speech “is supposed to be about the accomplishments and potential of the graduates ....”
... And the speaker is to share his/her philosophy and experiences that helped him/her achieve the success that brought him/her to the podium that day. You don’t want a speaker who’s enjoyed no success up there. Preferably, you’d have someone who’s had some distinct failures and risen above them.
It is highly unlikely that Ms. Schafly talked about her political philosophy so much as her philosophy for success in life. The introducer would have spoken to Schafly’s accomplishments, not her.
Lately a few have refered to the nightly MSM folk as “News Readers”.I used the term the other day and was greated with stares.....I relayed thats all they are “readers” with an ear bud taking direction from the producer.
What do you expect from a society where one out of four teenage girls has a venereal disease? These kids obviously do not value, respect or understand Schlafly. Come to think of it, they probably don’t value, respect or understand themselves either.
How is it any different if the law school invited, say, Michael Moore, as a commencement speaker? Both are solely partisan speakers, and add nothing to the ceremony but contraversy.
In that particular case I would have to say it was a strong principled and profound statement...not a hissy fit made by puerile disrespectful snot nosed brats.
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