Some are claiming victory for the opposition because of reports that about 150 people walked out of Vice President Mike Pence’s Notre Dame commencement speech: “That’s great turnout!” tweeted one of them. “Thank you for everyone who showed courage by
Some are claiming victory for the opposition because of reports that about 150 people walked out of Vice President Mike Pence’s Notre Dame commencement speech: “That’s great turnout!” tweeted one of them. “Thank you for everyone who showed courage by walking out.”
But if you read the stories closely, you saw that about half of that group were family members, so a more realistic figure would be about 60-75 students walking out.
Either way, it’s small potatoes compared to the 3,000 students in the graduating class, most of whom gave Pence a warm reception and some of whom booed the walk-outs. And, talking about the waning of free speech on campuses, Pence gave them a speech worthy of their attention, which ironically and sadly the students who left early were most in need of hearing:
“If the emanations of free speech were charted on a map like infrared heat signatures, one would hope that universities would be the hottest places, red and purple with dispute, not dark blue and white, frozen into cant, orthodoxy, and intellectual stasis. This university is a vanguard of freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas at a time, sadly, when free speech and civility are waning on campuses across America.
“Notre Dame is an exception, an island in a sea of conformity so far spared from the noxious wave that seems to be rushing over much of academia. Far too many campuses across America have become characterized by speech codes, safe zones, tone policing, administration-sanctioned political correctness — all of which amounts to nothing less than suppression of the freedom of speech. These all-too-common practices are destructive of learning … and they are wholly outside the American tradition.”
Heaven forbid if these delicate snowflakes who couldn’t tolerate Pence might have to listen to anything they don’t agree with when they get out into the real world. Have mercy on them if they ever have to defend one of their beliefs against arguments they have never bothered to listen to. Pity them mightily when they encounter the wonderful, messy, difficult diversity of the world, diversity which college is supposed to prepare them for but which they have chosen to wish away.
The wishing stopped when they took those degrees into their hands. Reality will set in when they realize just what those degrees are worth.
— The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
