I was watching the 5 o'clock news yesterday when I heard a story about a college in my state filing a petition to get another speaker for their graduation, instead of president Bush. Here is the article below. I was wondering what people thought of this. I understand people may not support Bush or his decisions for our country, but he is still our president, and therefore should recieve some respect. I am against the war in Iraq as well, but Bush did not send our troops over there completely by himself. I just think that this seems a bit unpatriotic to just say "hey, I don't want our president speaking at our graduation, get someone better?" I disagree with some choices Bush has made but I don't know...
What do you all think?
Furman University professors, students sign statement opposing Bush visit
Posted: May 12, 2008 11:38 AM EDT
Updated: May 12, 2008 11:38 AM EDT
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COLUMBIA, SC (AP) - More than 200 students and faculty members at Furman University have signed a statement protesting President Bush's visit to speak at the South Carolina school's commencement later this month.Bush is scheduled to speak at Furman's graduation ceremonies May 31.
The 222 co-signers say in a statement on the school's Web site that they object to the president's visit for several reasons, including the war in Iraq. They also cite the administration's "obstructing progress on reducing greenhouse gases while favoring billions in tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies that are earning record profits."
English professor Robin Visel says a lecture series about various Bush administration policies is planned before Bush comes to the Greenville school.
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Comments: 94
I guess the only reason I wouldn't object is just out of respect for the leader of our nation, regardless of what he has done, he is still (for now atleast) our leader and the representitve of our country to the rest of the world.
Bush has done nothing but lie to the American People for 8 years or so. Even his campaign promises were lies.
College professors have long been known to be extremely liberal, hell, my father would be 91 years old (if he were still alive) and he called his college professors borderline communists because of their liberal ideals. A degree or doctorate means nothing to me if you still don't make any sense to people. Idealism is a nice thing, but you can't live on it and to resist an honor such as the leader of your country coming to speak to your graduates, shows one's shallowness in my opinion.
I was brought up to show respect, and how do we look as a country to outsiders if we show disrespect to our own elected President? I love my country to much to be disrespectful.
Thanks everyone. This is turning out to be a good discussion!
On one hand I do think that he should do the speech, just because he is the current president, but on the other hand, if thats not who they want.....then thats not who they want.
However, I also believe in the majorities' right to speak out against the Executive Offices' policies, to which the focal point is the President.
Therefore, blaming the President for this f'ed up mess the Executive Office has perpetrated upon this country for the last eight years is the point of the matter. It's not an Office that's showing up to speak, but a person representing the policies that have engendered such disdain.
Just out of curiosity...how many students that co-signed are a percentage of the total student body there? I'd be inclined to believe this had gravity if this were a majority.
If Bush does speak at the college, they do not have the right to not let the man speak his piece (though he would be better received if he were speaking "peace.")
This is what we pay these idiots tens of thousands of dollars a year to teach our kids? Disgusting Left Wing whackos!
I side with the students, We don't need more lies on our graduation day.
Dubya is an idiot, no doubt but BEFORE you brand HIS methods as progaganda be advised that whether it was 'the media' or Furman SOMEBODY is leaving out a fact of perspective here.. a QUICK internet search comes up with (from the schools own website),
"Admissions For the entering class in Fall 2006, 3,883 applications were received, 2,159 candidates were admitted and 706 enrolled. The middle 50% range for SAT scores for those entering was 1180-1380 and 62.9% were in the top 10% of their high school classes. "
so 222 "students and faculty" HARDLY represent a MAJORITY of those enrolled by ANY stretch of the imagination.
and as near as I remember Democracy is about MAJORITY rule... at least it was when everybody but Obama and one or two others SENT us into Iraq..
I'm wondering if it will Bush - or his party - any good to have this kind of publicity. A major publicity mess is not going to go much good at this point. I can recall the days of student riots at universities. I'd say this is a real possibility at this point in time - we are very close to that.
The issue here goes beyond paying respect to someone because he is President or because he was invited to speak. Yes, speakers should be heard and treated with dignity. It is about whether the larger issues can be perceived by Bush and those who invited him and what can help (if anything) come election time.
At this point in time, I don't think the man can do much to keep the student from being divided and angry about his being there. Some will support him, some won't...but it doesn't bode well.
The man is smart. He earned his education. Does he sound dumb? Well, perhaps, but having lived in Texas, I can tell you that there are quite a few men there who sound just like him who are also not stupid.
I don't see how any one of the candidates respects or even identifies with us. Not if they've been politicians. Not when the average politician has a net worth of $2.7 million. Can any of them really relate to us? Do they even want to? I don't think so. They're all too interested in building their own empires and in pleasing lobbyists.
Anyway, I guess the world has changed since I was in college. Yes, there were protests back then - lots of them about the war, anyway. But it was always understood that students didn't select the speaker at graduation. And whoever was chosen was given the respect due to them for being selected.
In days past, people in this country might have wanted a different president, but once they had one, they stood behind him. They respected him. Our president knows so much more than any of us about what he knew or didn't know about the weapons of mass destruction that EVERYONE thought were there. There are so many things that our leaders cannot tell us, lest everyone in the world listen in and discover things they shouldn't know about us.
Sometimes I am so ashamed of what Americans have become. Not of our president. Of our candidates? Yes. Of the voters? Absolutely - especially those who don't show up to vote but insist on complaining and complaining and complaining.
I'll get off my soapbox now.
I think, personally that he is a terrible speaker, but the college probably wants the prestige of having a President speak.
But once the kooky teachers heard this, THEY were the ones who mounted this ridiculous campaign to oust him as the speaker. Furman University is going to look like a bunch of crackpots over this. Too bad, its a nice school - minus the wingnuts.
Thanks for the email, have a great day.
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Col.1
[16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Tit.3
[1] Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,