Would you go?

Question

This weekend, Sen. McCain gave a speech at Ohio State University's graduation. Some students wanted to protest his appearance. So my question is this: If a major political figure from the opposite party as you were to give the commencement speech at your college graduation, would you attend or refuse to go in protest? What if the roles were reversed? Would Republicans attend if it were Bill Clinton or Howard Dean? Why or why not?

Randy- I do not attend OSU, but I would have put politics aside and went anyway. I actually like McCain. In fact, if he would have ran against Gore, I probably would have voted for him. I do not take politics into consideration when deciding whether or not to attend a graduation.

Answer 1

Refusing to go simply because one doesn't agree with the other's political position is a great way of showing how much of a jerk you are and how little you learned after four years and tens of thousands of dollars.

Speakers like that are chosen becaue they have experience and insight into the world that graduates are going into, it should be irrelevant of what political persuasion they are in the same way it's irrelevant if the speaker was black.

Even though I, being a libertarian, dont agree with most of what McCain believes, I still respect the man, and could at the very least tolerate listening to him talk for a few minutes.

These "protestors" are acting like children.

Answer 2

At Oklahoma State University, President Bush was protested during their graduation ceremony this year. For Bush to be protested in Oklahoma speaks volumes to the Republican party as Oklahoma is a base for it. The protesting was done by graduates who did not attend their own graduation.

Answer 3

My college graduation was a once in a lifetime event. As it is for most people. Some people go on for another degree but that isn't the point. A university graduation is a special event. It doesn't matter to me who is speaking. I would have attended my graduation no matter what.

Answer 4

Graduation speakers should be there to inspire the people they are speaking to and should not be there to send a political message. I say don't protest, go and enjoy, whoever is speaking. They usually have other students and faculty speaking, do you judge whether to go based on their political beliefs also?

Answer 5

There is a time and place for everything. I don't think that a graduation is the right venue for political protest.

Answer 6

I would go, because it's MY graduation. If it was some loopy lefty, I would heckle them and laugh at them, as they generally deserve it.

Unless they left their politics at the door and talked about universal human truths and such.

Again, respect is earned. And if some leftist had gone off about the war and conservatives, etc, I might have to jump up and tell them to screw themselves, commie bastard that they are.

Of course, the point is moot. My college graduation is 20+ years in the past.

Answer 7

I wouldn't let a speaker ruin my graduation day. I would be there regardless..I've worked hard and I am not going to sit at home because some opinionated person makes a speech. I would just sit there and not pay attention.

Answer 8

I'm a republican... Of course I'd attend my own graduation. I think it's good for colleges that offer liberal education to send well-rounded folks out with conservative speakers in way of balance, and vice versa for conservative colleges.

Answer 9

It's disrespectful to those graduating. This is a once in a lifetime event for most people.

Answer 10

I would go because listening to other opinions is important. If you never hear anything other than what you already believe, you'll never learn anything. I always thought that's what a college education was all about....I guess some of these people wasted their parents money.