May 6, 2006

OUR SPIRALLING IRONY DEFICIT

Not in D.C. Anymore (David Epstein, insidehighered.com, 5/5/06)

For some students at the New School, in Manhattan, their institution and conservative politicians go together as well as Swiss cheese and peanut butter.

Bob Kerrey, the institution’s president and a former Democratic governor and senator from Nebraska, announced this spring that U.S. Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican and past and possibly future presidential candidate, would be the commencement speaker at the New School. Kerrey said the senator’s acceptance “is a big honor for our graduates and their families.”

But hundreds of students, staff and faculty members at the institution of about 9,000 students have signed paper and online petitions that seek to revoke the invitation....

Harper Keenan, a sophomore, has helped organize the dissent. “In all of our classes we’re taught the value of inclusion of all people.”...

Posted by David Cohen at May 6, 2006 11:11 AM
Comments

Classic.

Posted by: Jim in Chicago at May 6, 2006 11:42 AM

Considering how stuff like play among the people who would vote during the 2008 primary season, Haper probably ought to be given a role in the New York State chapter of the "McCain in '08" campaign for his work in bolstering the senator's image with core GOP voters.

Posted by: John at May 6, 2006 12:40 PM

Queers and queer-symps have no sense of balance.

What we are seeing here is a kind of cultural secondary boycott. They are saying that do not wish to be seen in public with someone who has dared to be seen in public with one they do not approve of.

This is part of the "P.C." movement--the suppression of dissent from the party line. People are supposed to be afraid of being shunned if they express dissenting points of view.

Posted by: Lou Gots at May 6, 2006 3:41 PM

Bob Kerrey might just go out on stage, call all of these bunghole wussies just that, and then introduce McCain.

This is like those students at the U of WA who wanted to remove any mention of Pappy Boyington as a hero. As Lou would say, these are truly anti-folk.

Posted by: jim hamlen at May 6, 2006 11:05 PM
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