May 16, 2004
Rice speaks at Vandy despite protest
National Security Advisor Dr. Condoleezza Rice spoke at the Vanderbilt University "Senior Class Day" services last week in Nashville, but her appearance was soundly and resoundingly denounced by many in the Vanderbilt community.
A general protest letter was circulated and signed by many on the campus.
"This event runs the risk of simply serving as PR for the current administration's efforts to portray their doctrines in a favorable light," the general protest letter reads. "Furthermore, we believe that many of Dr. Rice's doctrines and actions are contrary to the principles of Vanderbilt University."To his credit, Chancellor Gordon Gee did not allow the pressure of the less considerate on the campus disuade him from continuing with Dr. Rice's speech, nor with plans to award her the inaugural Chancellor's Award.Others wrote their own specific letters to the chancellor.
"And because the administration she serves shamefully co-opts religious images and ideals to further justify its ideological objectives in the world, I am saddened that Vanderbilt University is not taking a more prophetic stance against such wanton abuse of power," wrote the Rev. Mark Forrester of the university's Wesley Foundation.
Keep this in mind -- it's OK, in the minds of liberals, to insult, defame, protest, and otherwise denigrate any black person who has the audacity to think independently; to leave the "plantation" of liberal thought. After all, were she part of the Soul Patrol, and part of the black liberal elite (i.e., part of the majority of blacks in politics today), those same protestors would drop to their collective knees and kiss the ground she walks on.
No commencement excercises would be complete without protests, of course. As Marianne M. Jennings wrote in Jewish World Review last year, "Students and faculty live to boycott graduation speakers." Perhaps the most famous example took place in 1990 at Wellesley College:
Barbara Bush, married to a president, brought so many protests from the graduating broads that administrators had to add a real woman, Raisa Gorbachev, married to Mikhail, to share the platform. Mrs. Bush zinged them with a better speech: "Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps, and preside over the White House as the President's spouse. I wish him well!"
http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2004/05/those_terrorist.html
Posted by: Sissy Willis at May 17, 2004 07:54 AMActually, it was a pretty small group who protested her appearance but they got disproportionate coverage. About 10,000 people turned out to hear Dr. Rice speak. The 40 protesters were outmatched by the 100 supporters who had held a rally as well.
While I disagree with the ideology, I don't believe it's fair to say that a black person can't subscribe to liberal thought AND think independently. In fact, that's why quite a few people across races are liberal. I'm troubled by groupthink which says that one MUST be a liberal to be black, a different issue.
Posted by: molotov at May 17, 2004 09:41 AMVanderbilt............isn't that where Dr. Carol Swain is? Another ass-kickin runaway slave that could not care any less about the Soul Patrol?
Dr. Rice was in come good company. Wish I was there.
Posted by: Beau at May 17, 2004 03:22 PMUntil now, I'd never heard of Carol Swain. Interesting stuff. I checked out her website and, yes, she is at Vanderbilt University Law School. Maybe she was the one who recommended Rice for Vandy's award? Thanks for that name mention, as I've added Swain to my weblinks list!
Posted by: molotov at May 17, 2004 04:28 PMNo problem, Molotov......not that I always knew of her, so I'm glad I made mention.
I'm pretty sure I found out about her via Mike's "Other Voices" link, albeit with couple / few degrees of separation.......somebody knew somebody who knew of her work and her life story.
So thanks, Mike, for spreadin the word!!
Posted by: Beau at May 18, 2004 08:32 AM