Paladin

Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Opinions

I was shocked to read Christina Henderson's comments in The Paladin. I will not outline all of my objections to the claim that faculty that choose to boycott or protest Bush's commencement address would do so because they "do not have the discipline enough to practice what they teach us everyday about being open to new ideas, different ways of thinking and other opinions." Bush's opinions are not new. He has held the bully pulpit for 7 years. We have all heard and lived his side of the story. Furthermore, this will not be an exchange of ideas in an open forum. There will be neither a question and answer section of his speech nor a dialogue about his policies. However, it is essential to recognize that protest is a form of dialogue - especially when one has been granted no other means of discussing the matter at hand. It takes tremendous discipline to do this. If you want evidence of this claim look to the actions of the leaders that we admire, revere and yes, teach. Please note that the faculty, unlike the students, were not consulted about this decision. We were told seconds before the information was released to the press. We were given no voice and thus no options. Protest is the only means that we are left with to express our "different ways of thinking." I believe that, in the spirit of education, it is the obligation of those who dissent to protest, whether in an explicit or subtle manner. To sit passively by is assent. It also misses a "teachable moment." Practicing what one teaches means that one stands up for what one believes in - or in this case, stands up to say that the policies advocated by this president are unjust, ill-considered and anti-academic. Finally, any thoughtful discussion of this issue must consider the actions of this administration. Bush has allowed torture to occur on his watch. He has gotten us into a bloody, and as Henderson said, "pointless" war - one in which my family members are serving. Most importantly for our purposes as members of a institution of higher learning, his administration denounces intellectual investigation (and cuts federal funding for it) in favor of dogma - actions that stand in stark contrast to the very purpose of education. Certainly Bush's presence here will add celebrity to the graduation ceremony. But I, for one, cannot confuse that celebrity with substance or pretend that his speech is an opportunity to engage in a thoughtful exchange of ideas.

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