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2003-05-20 Fifth Column

NY TImes reporter booed from stage at commencement speech

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Posted by Frank G 2003-05-20 02:28 pm|| || Front Page|| [5 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The masses sure did seem pretty huddled on this occasion. Hedges' views are immaterial. The audience's behavior was unacceptable .

Posted by Douglas 5/20/2003 2:42:59 PM|| 5/20/2003 2:42:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 What is it about the ingrained arrogance of liberals that they insist on seizing upon any and all opportunities (no matter how inappropriate) to lecture enlightenment to the huddled masses?

Posted by ColoradoConservative 2003-05-20 14:35:32|| 2003-05-20 14:35:32|| Front Page Top

#3 The masses sure did seem pretty huddled on this occasion. Hedges' views are immaterial. The audience's behavior was unacceptable .

Posted by Douglas 2003-05-20 14:42:59|| 2003-05-20 14:42:59|| Front Page Top

#4 It's that darn rap music! I love it when our kids start thinking for themselves and REFUSE to accept this drivel as 'mainstream.' They (libs) simply fail to accept that they are wrong on the war issue and move on. This attitude is going to cost them dearly at the polls.

Posted by Cyber Sarge 2003-05-20 14:54:55|| 2003-05-20 14:54:55|| Front Page Top

#5 The audience's behavior was unacceptable.

Freedom of speech doesn't include a requirement that everybody else listen if they don't wish to, and what's more, it doesn't immunize someone from suffering the consequences of pushing some viewpoint on a group that clearly doesn't agree with it.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-05-20 15:01:05|| 2003-05-20 15:01:05|| Front Page Top

#6 Douglas: Can't agree. Hedges was an idiot to use such an inappropriate occasion to spout off on his political views. If I were one of those students graduating after four years of hard work and dedication, I'd want to hear some practical advice, kudos, worldly wisdom, and general optimism to commemorate the day--not a verbal attack on the President and the military or a political diatribe.

If Pribbenow knew of the content beforehand and allowed it to continue, he's an idiot, too. Hedges and Pribbenow should both know this is not the forum for such a politically charged rant--unless they were doing it for the publicity all along. That wouldn't surprise me.

Posted by Dar 2003-05-20 15:02:01|| 2003-05-20 15:02:01|| Front Page Top

#7 "The audience's behavior was unacceptable."

Unacceptable? Since when did freedom of speech become a one way street? This audience's behavior was mild compared to some of the heated exchanges of 100 years or more ago in America. They weren't all somber affaairs ala the Gettysburg Address. Then, as now, your freedom of speech does not mean I have to stifle mine. This forum was to honor graduates, not rail against the war and the military. Our freedom of speech clause prohibits the government from taking action against someone for what they say, as long as threats are not made. It does not stop the public from calling a loon a loon.

Posted by Esoteric 2003-05-20 15:20:17|| 2003-05-20 15:20:17|| Front Page Top

#8 No Douglas, it was the SPEAKER'S behavior that was unacceptable. It is high time that the so-called institutions of higher learning remembered that they are NOT allowed to market to the rest of us while SIMULTANEOUSLY talking down to us.

Posted by Flaming Sword 2003-05-20 15:23:15|| 2003-05-20 15:23:15|| Front Page Top

#9 Pribbenow is an idiot of the 1st Order. He knew of the content beforehand, and defended it, while at the same time deploring the behavior of the students. The usual "Free speech for me, but not for thee" of the campus left and our fifth column press. Of course, he's regretting it now because the excrement hit the ventilation system. I say "Too late @$$h@t."

Posted by Rex Mundi 2003-05-20 15:32:21|| 2003-05-20 15:32:21|| Front Page Top

#10 "The audience's behavior was unacceptable." No, it is unacceptable to hijack these students'commencement day for political purposes and expect them to be held hostage. Good for the audience for not sitting still. The double standard of the liberals NEVER ceases to amaze me. Although all for "free speech" and "diversity of opinion", that isn't suppose to extend to countering the spouting of liberal ideology.

Posted by ColoradoConservative 2003-05-20 15:38:10|| 2003-05-20 15:38:10|| Front Page Top

#11 This is encouraging; I think people are getting really, REALLY tired of hearing bullshit America-hating rants from leftists, and are becoming less timid about saying so. It's about time.

Posted by Dave D. 2003-05-20 16:07:02|| 2003-05-20 16:07:02|| Front Page Top

#12 Just asked wifely person if she remembered hers. She did not except that it was long, mine also. I would bet they remember this one.

Anomalus

ps. ours was 30 + years a-go-go

Posted by Anonymous 2003-05-20 19:51:01|| 2003-05-20 19:51:01|| Front Page Top

#13 After 4 intense years of studying, earning money for school and dodging riots and tear gas at UC Berkeley, I took my last senior final and got on a bird and out of that hell-hole. Went back once. That was enough. No commencement, no teach-in. Just my degree. They need to clean out my alma-mater with high pressure steam to get the rot out. Hmmm...sound a bit bitter.......hmmmm.......PTSD I guess.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2003-05-20 20:20:17|| 2003-05-20 20:20:17|| Front Page Top

#14 I agree with O.P: Congrats and best wishes to the Class of 2003, Rockford College! With BS meters that sensitive, I have no illusions about their future success.

I am totally fed up with liberals acting as if their cause, their beliefs, are so damned important that they trump all considerations. The reaction of the crowd is just payback for the 1960's, when such behavior against speakers the students found "objectionable" was held to be acceptable, proper, and even honorable. The damned hypocritical liberals praised it then, but when it's turned AGAINST THEM, they squeal like the facist pigs they are. Filthy hypocrites. HYPOCRITES, I tell you douglas, you moralizing faker.

Posted by Ptah 2003-05-20 20:51:39|| [www.crusaderwarcollege.org] 2003-05-20 20:51:39|| Front Page Top

#15 If we were living in a polite age, the audience's behavior would be unacceptable. But the left ruined that long ago. It is high time to give them a taste of their own medicine -- otherwise, its an utterly unfair fight. I call on conservative, moderate, and genuinely liberal students to do exactly what the lefties have been doing for a generation -- and that goes well beyond booing speakers.

Posted by closet neo-con 2003-05-20 23:14:55|| 2003-05-20 23:14:55|| Front Page Top

#16 Just saw that guy's picture on Fox News. He kinda reminds me of James Watt; their glasses are of about equal thickness.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2003-05-20 23:37:19|| 2003-05-20 23:37:19|| Front Page Top

#17 The audience's behavior wasn't unacceptable. Unplugging the guy's mike was though.

That aside, the booing, walk outs, back turns, etc. are all standard procedure at liberal colleges when a conservative speaker is on the stage...it's happened many, many times.

But there is a far bigger issue here. Hedges should simply NOT be making political speeches. He doesn't just represent himself. He also represents the Times and, as a newsman (not an OP-ED writer), it borders on unethical to be making public stands on political issues. This creates the appearance of a conflict of interest, i.e., how can you ever trust his reporting to be neutral (I didn't say unbiased) and fair?

Practically speaking, Hedges probably didn't violate any written ethics code, but there has been a very long history in journalism, an unwritten code, that stipulates that reporters are NOT to be publiclly associated with any political cause, party, or individual.

That's the rule I grew up with, but in recent years, like so much in journalism, its been eroded...and we see what that's done to mainstream media credibility.

Posted by R. McLeod 2003-05-21 03:12:24|| 2003-05-21 03:12:24|| Front Page Top

#18 Free speech for me, but not for thee"
Well said ,Rex.Listen-up Doug(Said immedatly following a slap on the back of the head),"Freedom of Speech" cuts both ways.Hedges has a right to make an ass of hisself and the audience has a right to let him know he is an ass.
Do you work for one of those Hollywood Fools,you know who I'm talking about.The one's who are whinning and crying about free speech,but don't believe I should excersise my"Freedom of Speech".
Listen-up Liberial whinebaby,Freedom means I don't have to support assinine opinions,I don't have to listen to assinine opinions,and I damn sure don't have to buy an asshat's product.

Posted by Raptor 2003-05-21 07:48:23|| 2003-05-21 07:48:23|| Front Page Top

10:05 Raptor
08:48 Raptor
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07:56 Raptor
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07:06 Anonymous
06:49 Raptor
06:28 Raptor
03:12 R. McLeod
01:13 The Dodo
01:11 Brian
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23:56 Silverdrake
23:52 mojo
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23:37 Bomb-a-rama
23:31 Bomb-a-rama
23:14 closet neo-con
23:10 Dar
22:50 Silverdrake
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