Friendly, not very gentle reminder, before anything else..
This post is dedicated to everyone who will be motivated to give protest speeches at their college graduations and everyone considering strategies to survive the pomp and circumstance..
#Genocide in #Gaza is an obvious choice for a topic, Also, on point to RantWoman: all the current administrations assaults on science, free speech, education, and the hard fought gains in civil and human rights in the US.
This post is also offered in solidarity with Harvard, the US oldest university and all the idiocy coming their way, as well as every other university (Looking at you, U of WA, among others) trying to address many conflicting concerns.
Today's youth probably do not need RantWoman's advice about how to protest. One prerogative of advancing age and increasing curmudgeon status is to offer unsolicited advice anyway.
And if, heaven forefend, speakers offer comments that laud any aspect of the current national and international mess, RantWoman would say the following:
1. Protest in numbers large enough that individuals cannot be isolated and the protest cannot be erased. This goes for life beyond graduation ceremonies!
2. Do the best you can to tolerate at least SOME of the objectionable speech, not because anyone needs more objectionable speech but in deference to the concept of free speech and space one HOPES to find in university settings to have spirited discussion and disagreement.
3. Listen before doing anything disruptive and be creative!
Here is a quote offered without comment from the Daily Princetonian online Reunions issue in consideration of space for academic freedom:
STANDING STRONG: Jerry Zhu and Preston Ferraiuolo argue that it’s time for Princetonians to realize that for years, Eisgruber has kept the University on the right course of free expression and academic freedom. Under his tenure, Old Nassau has routinely ranked as one of the schools with the most robust protections for free speech. He has arguably handled the controversial issues of the past two years the best of any of our peer institutions, and in a time when Princeton and higher education are under fire, we ought to be uniting against the threats and supporting the academic freedom principles that Eisgruber has championed
With that, RantWoman has Things to Say about her own graduation from Princeton 40 years ago before a truly inspiring video about some of this year's graduation speeches so far.
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| Some wonderful orange flowers RantWoman can't identify behind a fence |
RantWoman considered some options far enough in advance that probably things could have worked out but other Life Circumstances have gotten in the way. Plus RantWoman is inept about parties but may find time to opine further about class reunion traditions in another post.
For the record, after the anti-apartheid sit-in the year RantWoman graduated from Princeton, as RantWoman has previously written, RantWoman and 45 other graduating seniors were all on disciplinary probation. Many people besides the sanctioned protestors also carried black balloons and wore red armbands.
RantWoman has no memory of the graduation speech. RantWoman does remember a roar of approval when Dr. Seuss, a figure who probably helped many in the class learn to read, was awarded an honorary degree. Considering all that has come to light abou Dr. Seuss' racist views, there is a certain irony in having both an anti-apartheid protest and recognition of Dr. Seuss. RantWoman, though, would not rescind the recognition.
At Princeton there is also a tradition of a speech in Latin by the salutatorian. RantWoman remembers there were laugh lines even for graduates not fluent in Latin. RantWoman would not be distressed if this year's Latin salutatorian speech were about Gaza but considers that unlikely.
Now, some clips brought to us by a YouTube Channel called The Bitchuation Room. RantWoman loves the channel.
PS. RantWoman has taken up many feminist issues, but does not mind not having a degree in "Post colonial feminist theory."
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