Turnabout Is Right On
The guy who ended up being the Haverford College commencement speaker -- after student protests and their ensuing list of demands led to the withdrawal of the previous speaker -- lambasted those students for their actions, writes Susan Snyder in the Philly Inquirer:
William G. Bowen, former president of Princeton and a nationally respected higher education leader, called the student protestors' approach both "immature" and "arrogant" and the subsequent withdrawal of Robert J. Birgeneau, former chancellor of the University of California Berkeley, a "defeat" for the Quaker college and its ideals.Bowen's remarks to an audience of about 2,800 that gave him a standing ovation added a new twist to commencement speaker controversies playing out increasingly on college campuses across the nation. Bowen faced no opposition, but chose to defend a fellow speaker who was targeted, calling the situation "sad" and "troubling."
Rutgers University also held commencement on Sunday without former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who withdrew after professors and students there protested her appearance for her role in the Iraq war. Smith and Brandeis, too, saw the loss of speakers this year.
Part of what's great -- and important -- about free speech is the ability to hear opposing points of view. Even if your opposition is strengthened, you learn something by hearing them. If you can possibly open your mind, you might see that some of your opposition to their thinking is maybe part of sticking with your political "team," which psychological research has shown we are prone to do.








I was disappointed to read Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times defending this sort of commencement speaker protest. Maybe he'll read this article...
jerry at May 18, 2014 11:01 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2014/05/turnabout-is-ri.html#comment-4650082">comment from jerryThis is the sort of things Hiltzik does.
Other things he does:
http://patterico.com/2006/04/23/hiltzik-dishonesty-of-the-type-times-editors-are-likely-to-ignore/
http://patterico.com/2006/04/20/three-in-one-michael-hiltzik-mikekoshi-and-nofanofcablecos/
Amy Alkon
at May 19, 2014 5:18 AM
William G. Bowen is awesome. That is all.
Cousin Dave at May 19, 2014 7:56 AM
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