Speaker disrupts RC graduation [NY Times Reporter Chris Hedges & his anti-war diatribe]

The Rockford Register Star ^ | May 20,2003 | Carrie Watters

[SlickWillard]

A New York Times reporter delivers an antiwar speech that offended many.

ROCKFORD

[SlickWillard]

It looks like Hedges writes for the "Public Lives" column at the Times:

http://query.nytimes.com/search/query?ppds=ctax&v1=Top%2fNews%2fNew%20York%20Region%2fColumns%2fPublic%20Lives

Other Hedges stuff here:

http://www.google.com/search?safe=off&q=chris+hedges

[lizbet]

More of the same from the Old Grey Lady. May she soon fall over dead.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Ordinary people are getting a bellyfull of this crap.

[LizardQueen]

Lib speakers have always used the college commencement speech as bully pulpit, which is totally inappropriate, IMHO. Its about time that people started getting sick of it and complained.

LQ

[JennysCool]

You might want to ping the list on this one. Sheesh!

[hellinahandcart]

Ordinary people are getting a bellyfull of this crap.

Glad they're catching up with me.

[M Kehoe]

Hedges, a war correspondent, criticized military heroic ideals that grow during war. The fervor sacrifices individual thought for temporarily belonging to something larger, he said.

Ironic statement coming from a liberal/socialist.

5.56mm

[mabelkitty]

It's for the graduates and their families. For these speakers to marginalize the graduates and force them to walk out rather than be a captive audience to their agenda is shameful.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

If a graduation speaker unexpectedly started giving a racists speech, you could be sure he'd be booed off the stage with the support of the left.

Well, a lot of left-wing boilerplate has become as offensive as racism to much of America. They're free to say it; they just shouldn't expect a friendly reception.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[JohnnyZ]

Oh geez. Hedges is a Colgate alumnus. What an embarassment to my university!!! :(

[IncPen]

Heh heh heh...

[dead]

You spend four years working your ass off for a degree, and your big day is blown by some loud mouth, classless, pompous jackass who thinks his trite bellyaching is somehow more important than the event.

[amused]

It's tough judge this without knowing the content of the speech, but the snips of the speech show someone in lecture mode. It is obviously counter-productive to hijack a platform given under the guise of celebrating achievement to go into a rant. He could have said something briefly about the war or the desire for peace that would have resonated.

As is all too common with the "enlightened" crowd, arrogance and self righteousness rule the day.

[reagan_fanatic]

"Elinor Radlund of Rockford read Hedges’ book on war and was horrified at what she said was the audience’s rude behavior. She was indignant she couldn’t hear the speaker.

“They were not behaving as people in an academic setting, where you’re supposed to be open to a great many ideas,” Radlund said.

Right, sweety. Why don't you try marching into any classroom on any college or university in this country and give a speech on why you like the Republican Party and why you think Bush is doing a great job as President.

See how far that gets you...

[bourbon]

You spend four years working your ass off for a degree, and your big day is blown by some loud mouth, classless, pompous jackass who thinks his trite bellyaching is somehow more important than the event.

You mean like this?

[bourbon]

Hedges sympathized with U.S. soldiers. He characterized them as boys from places such as Mississippi and Arkansas who joined the military because there were no job opportunities.

I bet Hedges sympathizes with folks from Mississippi and Arkansas about as much as he sympathizes with GW Bush. In light of these uneducated comments, one wonders if Hedges has actually ever met anyone from Arkansas or Mississippi.

The hard truth, Mr. Hedges, is "boys from places like these" are in Iraq b/c they love our country and they want to protect it. Your economic explotitation argument is patently ridiculous, and it stands as an insult to the very soldiers you describe.

[CaptainK]

It's the last time these academics can shove their agenda down the throats of their captive, tution paying, audience. It's hard for them to let go.

[nutmeg]

ping!

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ping list.

[dead]

Exactly like that.