I am glad to see this went where it did and it is still going. I am going to reply broadly as many specifics have be brought up here, but I want to re-affirm my main point that a graduation speech is no place for one to give a tirade against war, or his political beliefs about the middle east. That does nothing for the graduating students as all they learn is that this individual is against the US's stance in the middle east, nothing else.
Now, I have to say that although STING2's use of a Klansman as an analogy may be a bit extreme, there are things this man said that were so offensive to certain groups, that the analogy may not be that far off.
If I were a student at this institution, paid my way through, and was able to receive a diploma that day, and I was sitting through this speech and I heard this man say:
It was Israel who created Hezbollah
or I heard an official at the school say:
"My friends, one of the wonders of a liberal arts college is its ability and its deeply held commitment to academic freedom and the decision to listen to each other's opinions. If you wish to protest the speaker's remarks, I ask that you do it in silence, as some of you are doing in the back. That is perfectly appropriate but he has the right to offer his opinion here and we would like him to continue his remarks.
I do not know who I would aim my rage at. I think I would not boo, as it would be too futile to do such a thing. I think I would have to do my best to physically remove the speaker from the stage. This may seem a bit childish to some, and a bit extreme, but there would be no way I could sit quietly at a ceremony to celebrate the fact that I graduated from a university for which I paid tuition for 4 years, and listen to a man who believes Israel created a terrorist organization who strives to destroy them.
No way.
I do not believe what that school official said. "The decision to listen to each other's opinions???" Absolutely not. Not when the school decided who was to speak at graduation, and not when I firmly believe that is not a forum to give one's opinions. I believe this speech was about as valid a graduation speech as me standing onstage at a University and giving my opinion on Zebras in the fields of the Serengetti. It is totally absurd.
Constitutional rights should not be argued here as this was a ceremony where the student was to appear to receive his or her diploma. Could you imagine how inappropriate a statement like this would be:
"If you do not elect to attend your graduation ceremony because you do not agree with the opinions of the speaker that we chose for you, we can mail you your diploma."
I think I would set fire to the campus.
When the offical says:
"he has the right to offer his opinion here and we would like him to continue his remarks"
He is putting the reputation of those that hired the speaker before that of the honor of the students graduating. Who is the "we?"
That is wrong.
I feel very strongly about this and as a person who is adamant about First Ammendment rights, I think when somone is hired, paid or given the honor of being hooded at a University for the speech he gives, it damn well honor the students, or let the students use their right to free speech to decide what happens at their graduation.
As I feel the least these kids could have done was boo, I think their frustration and anger should have been directed at the administration of the school moreso than the speaker. They hired him, they paid him, and for some reason they defended him. I would have done everything in my power to try to stop this man from speaking and unfortunately on my graduation day
I probably would have been arrested.