Washington U. - Protesting with class

Friday's commencement ceremony at Washington University in St. Louis featured the presentation of an honorary doctorate to conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly, a graduate of Washington U. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports hundreds of attendees who apparently disagree with Mrs. Schlafly's views protested by turning their backs as the 83-year-old was honored.

According to the story, Schlafly thought it was "juvenile" of students to do this ... but says it did not ruin her moment. Juvenile? Probably ... but this form of protest would have to be considered among the more respectful forms of protest. It gets across a point without ruining anyone else's experience through such childish forms of protest as jeering and drowning out speakers by shouting expletives.

College campuses - which used to be considered among the few places in which opposing ideas could be freely expressed - have become little more than settings in which free speech is stifled. We regularly see examples of this across the country. The anti-free speech movement is usually led by malcontents who attempt to shout down invited speakers with whom the malcontents disagree. Conservative commentators Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and David Horowitz are routinely subjected to this kindergarten-level behavior from those who clearly are not intelligent enough to protest in other ways.

Interestingly enough, this infantile ranting often comes from young hotheads who claim to love free speech ... but will only allow it to take place if they happen to agree with what is being said. Interesting concept!

Back to Washington U. ... Retired civil rights attorney Margaret Bush Wilson introduced Schlafly at the ceremony. The Post-Dispatch reports Wilson said after the ceremony that while she does not share many of Schlafly's views, this is a free speech issue. The newspaper quotes Wilson as saying, "Vigorous, free-flowing debate is the cornerstone of our American life."

To borrow from the protesters of the 1960s ... "Right on!"

- Steve Walsh

Comments

[Darren]

Why would anyone like Ann Coulter be invited to a college campus to speak in the first place? If a liberal called for the death of people who disagreed with him, as she has, he would already be in jail.
Never mistake respect for the right to make the speech with respect for the sick, twisted freak of a speaker.

[smays]

"Conservative commentators Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and David Horowitz are routinely subjected to this kindergarten-level behavior from those who clearly are not intelligent enough to protest in other ways."

Ann Coulter? Ann Coulter!? Dude. DUDE.

Ann & Co. INVENTED the Fox News shout-down.

[Steve Walsh]

Hey guys ... I appreciate the comments. And, it is clear that Darren and SMays do not care much for Ann Coulter or others of her ilk. That's fine. But neither of you has responded to my point about people shouting down those with whom they disagree. Is that appropriate behavior? I tend to frown on chaos and prefer intelligent give and take. But that's just me.