I say ... JIHAD- JIHAD- JIHAD... 72 Swedish Bikini team members for those that join the FATWA against the libs.... YEAH!!!!! ROFLMAO.../sarcasm
Posted on 05/16/2004 5:45:34 PM PDT by veronica
A keynote speaker at State University College at Oswego's graduation ceremony Saturday was drowned out by booing, hissing and foot-stomping after he criticized President Bush.
Theodore C. Sorensen, a lawyer and author who served as special counsel to President Kennedy, never said Bush's name. But he took the president to task for going on vacation after warnings of terrorist attacks surfaced, declaring war without allied support and gloating about a victory.
Sorensen compared the ways Kennedy handled the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962 to the methods Bush used to handle the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"President Kennedy did not proceed unilaterally, without obtaining the support of our allies and without recourse to the United Nations," he said.
As Sorensen spoke, one student's mother stood up and ordered him off the stage. A graduate yelled, "Are you serious?" but another quickly chimed in, "Let the man finish his speech."
The noise got so loud that Sorensen, who spoke into a microphone, at times could not be heard. More than half his speech was overpowered by audience rumbling and shouting.
College President Deborah F. Stanley moved next to Sorensen as he spoke through the chaos. Stanley thanked the audience for being respectful "in a place where ideas, information and understanding reign supreme." She said after the ceremony that her comment was as much a criticism as a compliment.
"People, I think, understand that Mr. Sorensen has led a political and policy-oriented life," Stanley said. "But the way he chose to express that was, perhaps, surprising."
"It was just like a slap in the face," said Mary Sheldon, of Lorraine, Jefferson County, whose daughter Johanna Besaw graduated Saturday with an English degree. "We came here to be supportive of our kids and their achievements. It wasn't the time or the place for politics."
Sheldon's son, David Dreier, 25, received notice Thursday that he will be shipping out to Iraq with the National Guard. The family left Romney Field House, where the ceremony was held, midway through Sorensen's speech.
Charlie Vecchio, 25, a former army soldier originally from Manlius, disagreed with Sorensen's views but had more of a problem with the audience.
"People's reactions were a little outrageous," he said. "I have friends who died so we could say what we want. That's part of why our soldiers are over there, for our right to freedom of speech."
It was JKF that had the planes on the catapults for air support only to turn chicken and let the cubans die on the beach.
I'm from upstate NY originally (Canajoharie: know where that is?) and have lived here in Houston since 77; West Point grad.
Great...really great...to know that the common-sense, earthy values of rural NY are alive and well.
Blessings to you and yours.
I say ... JIHAD- JIHAD- JIHAD... 72 Swedish Bikini team members for those that join the FATWA against the libs.... YEAH!!!!! ROFLMAO.../sarcasm
I'm glad you're interested in being even-handed between the left and the right. It speaks very well about you.
I'd say that if Mr. Sorensen was invited to make a political speech, and if individuals could choose whether or not to attend, then the audience should be respectful and let the speaker have his say -- left or right.
But a graduation is mandatory, and it's supposed to be a special day for grads and their families -- sounds like Mr. Sorensen was way off base, and my sympathies with with the crowd.
Do you really think either of them would take the opportunity to criticize the dems at a commencement speech?
I really like this article about the crowd reaction. Thanks for the post -- you made my evening!
Great audience and a great day for fairness.
Just another example of Liberals using our colleges to push their left wing, socialist agenda for personal gain
I disagree, conservatives have had their good manners used against them for decades, the Sorneson's of the world have literally banned conservatives from College campuses. This crowd drew attention to the fact that we are tired of a one way street when it comes to free speech. Liberals will defend disruption of conservative speakers on the grounds of free speech. We have to both play by the same rules or there is no free speech!
I don't know what passes for passive womanhood in your life, but the man in my life would have been proud.
The ceremony is a time for families and graduates to celebrate the lives ahead. If someone wants to spit in their faces by ruining their day with thier piss-ant political beliefs, then they deserve to be booed off the stage.
It's exactly like giving a toast at a wedding: "Even if you are an asshole, don't be one. The wedding isn't about you."
That's excellent.
Good kids.
I have a watermelon 15 year old but even she knows who the bad guys are and who's leading the charge and why he is the best choice even though it conflicts with her neophyte social views.
Sounds like wonderful people in that area of NY. They had every right to show their displeasure at Sorenson's using their graduation as a political forum.
Just days before the election 2000 I went to a book festival in FL. The speaker, a well known enviromentalist was supposed to be talking about his book on Alaska; but he began by bashing GHWB, GWB and JEB as destroyers of the environment.
About 50 people, including me, walked out of the auditorium in protest of his politicising the book festival. Now I wish we had stayed and raised a fuss. If something similar happens at the same book festival this November....I will not leave but will speak up and hope that others join me!
Speaking out against what he was saying is exactly the point. He has the right to say it and they have the right to shout him down. Where in the constitution does it say that when a moron gets up to speak, all listeners lose their 1st amendment rights? Conservatives have had this done to them for years, and one of the only real comebacks I've seen or heard was Nelson Rockefeller in 75 when he flipped off the obnoxious audience and it was caught on camera - a truly great moment in free speech.
At least he was able to take the stage without protests. David Horowitz should be so lucky........
Bout time the lib prima donnas get a taste of their own medicine......
I commend the crowd in taking a stand against a guest speaker whose speech ended up as a self serving attempt to use his public platform to voice his political agenda........
I don't care what you say, I commend the audience for finally taking a stand against the socialist propagandists.......
It's good to see that there's enough people there to make it tough for a liberal to attack this president.
Remember the Senator Mondale political rally disguised as a funeral? It was so shameful that Mondale lost the election. Even the normal group of cads blushed.
I would be deeply offended sitting through a political speech at a graduation. I hope I still have freedom of speech in expressing my appreciation (or lack thereof).
While I may disagree with the crowd's manners, I'm heartened to see that students aren't putting up with this crap.
Yes you do and I have every right to ignore you. Here, have some cheese.........
The audience should have thrown his sorry a#$ off the stage and off the campus.IMHO
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