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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMike Pence is met with awalkout at Notre Dame's graduation and whines about it in his speech
Some members of this years graduating class at Notre Dame did not want Mike Pence as their commencement speaker. Objecting to his long record of bigotry, homophobia, use of the law to further marginalize vulnerable communities and generally being an all-around horrible person, they organized a walkout to protest his address during the ceremony at the university on Sunday. But poor old Pence didnt take the rejection well. During his speech, instead of leaving the graduates with inspirational words about their future, he used the opportunity to condemn what he perceives as political correctness gone awry on college campusessuggesting that Republicans who are finding themselves unwelcome in certain spaces are somehow now persecuted for their beliefs.
He was, of course, referring to the fact that in recent weeks college students have been more than vocal about the fact that Republicans who mean minorities harm through their words and policies such as Betsy DeVos and John Cornyn were unwanted at their graduations. Students are fighting back and Pence let Notre Dame know he was not pleased with the resistance.
While this institution has maintained an atmosphere of civility and open debate, far too many campuses across America have become characterized by speech codes, safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech, the vice president [said].
As you, our youth, are the future, and universities, the bellwether of thought and culture, I would submit that the increasing intolerance and suppression of the time-honored tradition of free expression on our campuses jeopardizes the liberties of every American, Pence said.
This should not and must not be met with silence.
Pence does partially have a point. Free expression is indeed a hallmark of college campuses. Debate and exchanges between different points of view can be healthy, foster dialogue and create understanding. It is what is sorely lacking in todays polarized society. And yet, there is a huge difference between tone policing and shutting down hate speech.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/5/22/1664850/-Mike-Pence-is-met-with-a-walkout-at-Notre-Dame-s-graduation-and-whines-about-it-in-his-speech
Aristus
(66,099 posts)against intolerance back onto itself.
"Ya know, neegras is inferior to white folks."
"That's a horrible, disgusting thing to say, and you should be ashamed of yourself!"
"Well, thems mah b'leefs; yer bein' intolerant of mah b'leefs!"
ProudLib72
(17,984 posts)That asshole president at Bethune-Cookman wouldn't tolerate protest. And there was nothing wrong with the walk-out at ND except that it wasn't the entire graduating class.
VP Snowflake needs his blankie and a safe zone.
radical noodle
(7,990 posts)is one thing that seems to be a universal belief among the people I know who voted for Trump.
Volaris
(10,260 posts)And since the free speech is NEVER supposed to hurt ANY(whitemans)ONES feelings, we just hate Murica.
LisaM
(27,762 posts)I think it's fine to offer a balance of viewpoints, but for a commencement speaker, why would you pick people who don't want to help forgive student loans, want to knock the kids off their parents' health insurance and probably leave them uninsured, want to take away access to contraception as the graduates are entering their peak sexual years, and to top it off, want to shut down the EPA and ruin the planet the students are going to be living on for the next five or six decades? What do people such as DeVos or Pence have to say to graduating students? "Welcome to the hell we're creating for you?"
monmouth4
(9,665 posts)majority of grads don't like? I'm not sure of what the process is but it just seems so stupid the way it is being handled..