By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
Well, my dear Save Jerseyans, the Left has successfully bullied its way into another minor victory.
Dr. Condoleezza “Condi” Rice released a statement on Saturday morning announcing her decision to NOT serve as the Rutgers University commencement speaker this year in the wake of shrill campus protests led by old hippies in the faculty, or so-called university “educators” (h/t NRO):
Commencement should be a time of joyous celebration for the graduates and their families. Rutgers’ invitation to me to speak has become a distraction for the university community at this very special time.
I am honored to have served my country. I have defended America’s belief in free speech and the exchange of ideas. These values are essential to the health of our democracy. But that is not what is at issue here. As a Professor for thirty years at Stanford University and as it’s former Provost and Chief academic officer, I understand and embrace the purpose of the commencement ceremony and I am simply unwilling to detract from it in any way.
Good luck to the graduates and congratulations to the families, friends and loved ones who will gather to honor them.
Dr. Rice released the statement via her Facebook page.
What a day for the next generation preparing to enter the real world!
The young liberal students, for their part, learned a valuable albeit perverse life lesson from all of this: in 2014 America, the “tolerant” academia/media can intolerantly bully someone into silence… First Amendment be damned… whenever the unlucky dissenter disagrees with the dominant, liberal campus narrative. Don’t worry about actually WINNING the debate, kids! It’s much easier to gang up on the dissenting opinion, call them vile names, and scare/upset/tire them into surrender. You just incurred six-figure student loans to master Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals…
And what are we teaching young college women, future leaders, educators and mothers, when Snooki is welcome on campus with open arms (and huge checks) but Condi is slandered and reviled?
Is that truly “higher” education? Or something far less elevated?
I’d submit that an education devoid of engagement with diverse opinions isn’t an education at all, but an indoctrination. Shame on the Rutgers community for failing to understand the difference.
No one at Rutgers has anything to be proud of this morning…
Tolerance? Diversity of opinion? Freedom of speech? All foreign concepts on a modern college campus. That’s what was once again confirmed this morning.
The Situation would be a better fit anyways.
I saw some of the live demo about this. I wish there was a way I could remove my tax dollars from supporting Rutgers in any way, shape or form. I am ashamed that this facility is in my state.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. At least RU, as a public university invited her. I understand there are some colleges, say Catholic U , that wouldn’t even bother to invite someone who happens to hold different positions than that of the school.
Disgrace – Rutgers should apologize to the taxpayers. Snooki is ok but the first African American Secretary of State is not. I would say that is sexist and racist.
Our state legislators should pull all funding for Rutgers. Give it to a school that is more deserving.
They don’t deserve her !!!! A wonderful woman!
Wow! An embarrassment from a Rutgers Alumni. Disappointed!
While I don’t agree with her politics I think she is a good example for all women. It’s sad that the people protesting her speaking at Rutgers only focused on the negativity of politics instead of the positive message of how far women have come and how much farther they have to go to have a society of total sexual equality.
she didn’t bail-she just decided to use good judgement! Liberals arenot worth the aggravation!
Thank you Rutgers for once again justifying why I haven’t seen an alumni donation back in almost 40 years!
What does the first amendment have to do with this? She was being paid to speak. No one is entitled to payment for their speech. And further, she voluntarily withdrew…no one forced her to withdraw.
Condoleeza Rice was a Democrat until 1982. What made her change parties? A story her father told her about how the Democratic party in
Alabama would not allow him to register to vote in 1952, but the Republican party welcomed him with open arms.
Rice’s mother was a school teacher, her father a guidance counselor and minister. At the age of 15 she performed as a pianist with the Denver Symphony. She earned her B.A. at the age of 19 and her Masters in Political Science from Notre Dame at the age of 20. She went on to her Ph.D and had a distinguished career in academia, eventually serving as the Provost of Stanford University from 1993-1999.
Yet she’s not worthy to speak at Rutger’s. Rutger’s , the school that paid Snookie 10K dollars to speak on campus.
The scary and insidious point being made here is that if a woman of Rice’s, intellect, accomplishment and fortitude can be ostracized in this way, what chance does an average American, whose opinions might differ from “accepted speech”, have of being heard in a public forum?
Catholic U? You mean a private university?